First time at this campground, we were here in March to scope out but it was snowing hoping that by…read morethe time we head in April the snow would be gone, and it was. Upon reading other reviews regarding about poison ivy, we didn't see any at the time but just be careful, there wasn't any bugs when I was there (April 26-28, 2024) but if you're planning on going after April, bring bug spray and mosquitos spray or candles. The campground that we reserved online was number 28, but number 29 was more secluded and privacy. It was close to the restroom which has showers on the other side BUT if you're planning on showering at night, bring a head light or a flash light, the light doesn't work in there. The handicap shower wasn't working, can't add coins and the door is jammed, you gotta pull the handle up and it only has one lock working. Bring extra toilet paper, the ranger or host wasn't there at the time and bring your own hand soap too. Shower does have running hot water by the way. There wasn't any signal for t-mobile, didn't really used my phone until we got up to the observatory which had free wifi and cleaner bathroom that has toilet seat covers. Purchased a pin (See pic). Would come back again, it was about a two hour trip to get there.

Here are some info based on days that I camped, July 14th - July 17th, at campsite #29…read more Cons ~ - 3 of 4 showers not working (these showers and toilets are the only running plumbing facilities on the campgrounds. The other toilets are dry toilets). - 1 of 4 toilets not working - overgrown weeds at some campsites - firewood not sold at this campground (general store has some for $6.99) Pros ~ - surrounded by nature at it's best - site #29 had great shade, sun too depending the time of day. - site #29 a couple of trees good for a hammock - spigots throughout the campsites - hiking trail to the observatory - reasonable camping fee - paved road and parking pad - general/gift store not far away - vegetarian restaurant next door to the general store - Palomar Observatory nearby (hours 9am-3:30pm) Don't forget to bring: Bug spray, citronella candles, a binocular, telescope and a hat that has material that covers your neck and ears. The hat is for the summer days to protect from the sun rays and gnats and mosquitos. Remedies for poison oak. Things to keep yourself and the kids entertained, for this campground solely offers hiking trails and natures beauty for you to enjoy. Lastly, a positive attitude. You are in the middle of nature and it's elements. My experience: Campsite #29 I came here based on a friend who did a solo camp here and suggested it to be a good place. She came during spring break so water filled the creek as to when I camped, some creeks were dried out or you could hear or see a trickle. It was hot, so flying bugs such as gnats and mosquitoes were present and sometimes they would disappear for a period. Bring your bug spray, candle and hat. The camp host even had a bug zapper paddle, too funny! Because I arrived on a Sunday, late afternoon the campsite was quiet. I'd say maybe 5-6 campsites were in use. So it was quiet. There were two trees at my campsite perfect to set up my hammock. The Oak tree has a large base so I would bring a total of 3 straps to use for one hammock. I had my changing/shower tent. I used it as both this time since I wasn't pleased with the looks of the shower. Plus the camp host told me that the showers (coin op) were thrashed from the July 4th crowd. Parts were broken, and repair orders were still waiting to done. On a hike with some of my friends and their dogs we did encounter a baby snake. We're assuming in was non venomous as we looked from a distance. It was hard to determine because it was on top of leaves. Just below my campsite, a slight slope, there is a creek. You could hear the water trickling. You had to peer through the trees and shrubs to actually see it. I didn't not attempt to go down the slope, looked very tricky. This is were my night visitor greeted me one evening as I lay on my cot looking up at the stars. I sat up and turned on my headlamp to see a raccoon. I got up and it backed away slowly. I peeked down towards the creek and I saw a baby follow behind. So the water will attract critters. So these are some of the important things I thought I should mention. I would love to come back and experience a campground full of campers, Happy Campers that is, but I did enjoy the quiet very, very much. Enjoy!

A beautiful state park and such amazing campgrounds. There are a few campground options, but during…read moremy recent visit, we stayed at the Doane Valley Campground. It was very easy to book ahead online and pay for our daily parking pass once we checked-in. The campsite itself is tucked into the forest, very high up on Palomar Mountain. We found it easy to park our one SUV at our campsite and pitch our tents. The sites do have water, tables, and food boxes. The bathrooms were kept quite nice and tidy. We were all very impressed with the simple but clean and well maintained facilities. We did do a dog friendly hike that starts in the Doane Valley Campground and it's about 4 miles round trip. We had a lovely hike with a decent amount of incline along with beautiful weather. They also have a lovely stop/view area at the beginning of the campgrounds with picnic tables. Palomar mountain is great for camping, hiking, a nice Sunday cruise up the mountain for the beauty, etc. Cell phone service is spotty up there so make sure to either download your map ahead of time or use satellite service.

WARNING Do not…read moreattempt to drive on Nate Harrison Road unless your vehicle can handle off-road conditions. It is not paved and has many dangerous sections for cars not equipped for them. Take 76 and S Grade Road instead. Phone reception is limited on the mountain. I strongly suggest downloading maps before you visit. The park headquarters is quite small and it doesn't seem like it is continually staffed. Make sure you have plenty of fuel. Bring lots of water. Keep in mind that it may be hotter on the mountain than the temperature at sea level. We didn't see any potable water during a recent visit. As long as you're well-prepared, you will enjoy this beautiful park. Have fun and stay safe.

If you live in OC this is the perfect weekend camping get-a-way! Only a 2 hour drive from north OC,…read morethis campground has everything for the perfect weekend away. La Jolla Indian Campground is easy to drive in and drive out. All camp sites are first come first served but we were able to find a good spot arriving around 2PM on a Friday. The sound of the river at night was so beautiful and relaxing. Most camp sites are along the river so it's almost impossible to get a bad spot. Unless you show up in the evening, then you might have to set your camp up on the road side. However, even road side you are still less than 200 yards from the river. It's expensive but overall worth the cost in my opinion.

Our group had a great time at La Jolla camp ground . Durita and most of the crew works are very…read morefriendly and helpful. We are looking forward to go back on April of this year, I recommended this camp site to most of my friends.

Hidden Gem With a Split Personality -- Know What You're Booking…read more Native Falls (formerly Indian Oaks) sits right between Marietta and Temecula wine country, and it's one of those places that can either be exactly what you want... or completely miss the mark depending on expectations. First impression, this place is visually dialed in. The lake, waterfall, oak trees, and overall layout give it a boutique campground feel you don't usually get this close to Temecula. It feels more like a curated outdoor resort than a rough-it campsite. You're minutes from wineries, but once you're inside, it actually feels tucked away. Where it really shines is family-friendly activity level. This is not sit-in-silence camping. You've got swimming, paddleboards, fishing, pickleball, and a beach-style setup that keeps kids busy all day. If you're bringing family, especially younger kids, this place delivers. The staff consistently gets high marks, and that shows up in real-world experience. People mention they're helpful, friendly, and actually engaged, which is rarer than it should be. The Reality Check: "This is where expectations matter." * Not a quiet nature escape This is more "social campground" than "off-grid retreat." Expect kids, music, movement. If you want silence, this isn't it. * Tent sites can be hit or miss Some are close to the road, so you'll get dust and traffic noise. That breaks the illusion pretty quickly. * Still evolving The place is clearly being upgraded. Some areas feel polished, others still feel mid-renovation. Bathrooms and infrastructure can be inconsistent depending on timing. * More "fun zone" than wilderness Think lake day with camping attached, not deep nature immersion. What It Really Is: This is a hybrid between a campground and a low-key outdoor resort. Great for: Families, casual campers, wine country weekends, group trips Not ideal for: Hardcore campers, solitude seekers, or anyone expecting national park-level quiet Bottom Line: If you go in expecting a polished, activity-driven campground with a great setting, you'll probably love it. If you're chasing peace, silence, and raw nature, you'll leave wondering what the hype was about.

This is our second stay and it couldn't have been more different. The cabin smelled awful when we…read morechecked in and we had to air out the place for a few hours to get rid of the worst of it. There was food in the fridge when we arrived, and the floors were dirty. I didn't expect that we'd need to clean the cabin in order to use it. They were doing heavy construction throughout the campgrounds, including directly in front of our cabin, waking us up each of the mornings we were there. It was difficult to use the amenities available, and we ended up leaving early because of that. The campground lost WiFi early in our stay and it was still out when we left. Seeing as how the TVs in the cabin depend on the WiFi, they were unusable. Our issues were met by shrugs from the management. Would not return

This campground was great! Very quiet, clean, and has pretty views of the mountain ridge. I arrived…read moreon Friday around 1pm, the campground was still very empty; fellow campers didn't start arriving until Saturday afternoon. The entire campground was clean, restrooms were clean for being outhouses, and everyone was very respectful. I took out the wild horse trail which was 4.5 miles out and 4.5 miles back to the trailhead. Trailheads are literally walking (steps) away from my site. Gorgeous views out here!!!

Walked through here to get to the hiking trails, everything looked clean and well maintained, no…read moretrash anywhere. It was hard to find where to leave payments and the "camp host" was not around. Maybe set up a more convenient payment process with QR codes to pay electronically. We were the only people there in the couple hours with another couple on the way out when we got there. It was an enjoyable hike with convenient signs marking all the different paths.

Our photo/film crew recently shot on S Grade Rd and was able to use this RV park as a basecamp…read more Troy and his team were super responsive and very easy to work with. Def would come back here and would recommend doing business with them--probably even camp here on personal time! Their dirt parking lot was spacious enough to accomodate our small crew of 15 people + a 30 ft motorhome. There's a pavilion and bathrooms they offered for us to use (didn't even need a motorhome except for our editor to use as an office). It's also private property so does not need to be included on film/photo permits. But make sure to have some prod insurance to ensure everyone is taken care of just in case! Thanks Troy + team!

Cute clean quite serene campground. The host Jennifer is awesome, kind and very very helpful. She…read morehelped get us into our spot and answered all our questions and even introduced my kids to her pig. Theres a playground and a pool. Nice grounds, great host... we will be staying here again

This campground is nestled on the backside of Palomar Mountain…read more The name "oak grove" holds its value - the entire campground has tons of oak trees which create a lot of shade. we stayed in site #38 and it was perfect for our car with 17ft trailer. there was enough room for another car! The site space was huge, definitely able to accommodate 3+ tents. The sites are spread out enough so you don't feel like you're right on top of each other, which was great. They don't sell firewood at the camp, so make sure you bring some, or visit the market about 5 miles down the road. You'll pass a cute Bar (Garage 79) and a nice vineyard (Hawk Watch), which are worth a stop. Directly across the street is the Oak Grove Trailhead which was about 5 miles roundtrip up to the service road and back. The hike has great views! I really enjoyed this campground for a quick weekend getaway.

What a hidden gem! Oak Grove Campground is just outside of Warner Springs in the Cleveland National…read moreForest, and an absolute STEAL at $15 a night for tent camping. Each campsite comes with a fire pit, picnic table, and BBQ and wood fires are allowed. The campsites are close together and there isn't a lot of tree cover to give the illusion of privacy. Some campsites are better than others but all in all this was a great weekend getaway and the stargazing is unreal. Sites 49 and 51 on the Ribbonwood loop looked to be my favorites and I'll definitely book one of them next time. There aren't showers at this campground but there are flushing pit toilets and running water to wash hands and dishes. I wasn't able to find anyplace to throw out trash, so we wound up driving out with it to dispose of later. The host doesn't sell fire wood, but some can be purchased about 5 minutes down the road at the Rainbow Farms Market. ($7.99/bundle of pine.)

This place fills up fast but we booked several months out and were able to choose our campsites…read morebased on proximity to the dumpsters, bathrooms, and even based on whether the sites had shade. We reserved campsites 89 and 90. Campsites were about $37 per night, after the reservation fee, and could fit a maximum of eight people in two tents. Several of us had car set-ups and when we called the reservation office, they confirmed that sleeping in the car wouldn't count towards the two tent limit. Each site also has two dedicated parking spots. If you have additional cars, it'll be $6 per car/night and there's overflow parking scattered around the campground. Quiet hours start at 10PM and all campfires must be out (no embers) by 11PM. The bathrooms were fine, considering this was a campground. Showers are coin-operated and you can get 4 minutes for 50 cents. Make sure to exchange your cash at the ranger station before the sun sets! From my friend group, I heard mixed reviews on the showers. It seemed like the girl's side had poor water pressure and usually was cold. But both times I showered, I had decent pressure and the water eventually turned warm. There's also potable water throughout the campground, with a specific spout with filtered water (for taste). Our campsites were pretty great especially site 90. It's flat and right under a huge tree so it was the perfect spot to hang out and escape the sun. For tents, the ground was kind of rocky so make sure to bring a pad or air mattress if you can. Each site comes with a table and a fire pit. For firewood, you have to purchase from the campground because they don't want you to accidentally introduce any invasive species. Overall, great campsite with decent bathrooms! We didn't get a chance to explore the campground and the trails around it so I would love to come back one day. Oh and dogs are allowed as long as they're on a leash!

First time at this campground! It's been a while since I've been camping, but this campground seems…read moreto be much nicer compared to what I remember from campgrounds I've been to in the past. The bathrooms were clean and fully stocked with toilet paper and free tampons on the women's side. There were 2 men's and 2 women's showers at the bathroom closest to our site. One of the women's showers didn't have the best water pressure and sprayed more of a mist...but the other was fine. Neither appeared to have warm water, but it wasn't freezing either, so it was bearable. We heard the men's showers did have warm water though. Showers were 50 cents for 4 minutes, and then you could add additional quarters to add on 2 minutes each. There were spigots and bottle refill stations too near the campsites. I'd probably avoid the sites right next to the restrooms unless you want to hear toilets flushing, the loud hand dryer, and foot traffic throughout the night.  There were plenty of trees so most of the campsites around us at least had at least some shade during the daytime. The only issue I really noticed was that some campgrounds were pretty close together so you will probably hear noise from neighboring sites. There was plenty of parking too, but these were also close to the sites, so one night we heard the sound of cars constantly locking throughout the night. Not the biggest issue though and you should probably bring earplugs while camping if you're a light sleeper. Overall, these campgrounds are nicer than a lot of other ones I've been there where you have to drive into town to shower. The tradeoff though is that with the nicer facilities and proximity to neighboring sites, it doesn't feel as remote and sort of feels like you're one step away from civilization. So maybe not the best place to camp if you're looking for a more true camping experience.