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    Lake Morena County Park

    3.6 (71 reviews)

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    Mike G.

    Class 130 breakfast was on point. 8/10 would try again. Coffee was hot and strong as well.

    Last night, soaking in nature from site #68.
    Caroleann B.

    What a fantastic camping area! I camped out here with my group of friends and everyone loved this campground as well. We had four sites total. Two of the campsites for fully shaded which helped tremendously with the summer heat. The sites have picnic tables and fire rings. Our sites were located very close to the restrooms. We were so privileged to have camp host Richard nearby. The roads are paved to the camp areas. So with some caution I was able to ride my scooter. There are loose gravel so ride with caution. No hammocks are allowed but luckily my friend had brought their hammock and stand. The star gazing here is amazing providing the sky is clear. I was able to star gaze every night. We did a couple of hikes which were just amazing in the early morning. One of the hike was on the PCT! The restrooms are roomy and very, very clean. We found them to be well lit too. I will provide the campsites #'s . I would definitely pick these campsites again, can't wait to come back!

    Lisa B.

    This campground is really nice! We are new RVrs and this was perfect! Big, nice campsites with big trees in some. We had full hook up. There was a nice picnic table and fire pit with grill on one side. Dogs are welcome, we brought ours and there were a lot of others! There are several areas you can take your dog to go to the bathroom with poop bags provided. Bathrooms were clean and had quarter operated showers.

    Lake Morena

    Beautiful lake! Clean cabins and bathrooms. Great place to bring the whole family and hike

    WILD TURKEYS
    Tanya S.

    I had an amazing experience here with my friends. The pricing is very affordable. The campgrounds were very clean overall. No litter! The restrooms were well kept, clean and stocked with soap, toilet paper and paper towels consistently. The number one thing that sold me was the warm water and real flushable restrooms. Had plenty of water spouts as well everywhere for easy access. Nice clean benches too to sit down.

    Bullhead thorns

    This place is overtaken by bull head thorns everywhere, you will have a bike flat in no time and track them into tents and trailers it's horrible.

    Very happy to have discovered this hidden gem recently. Ended up booking one of the cabins and it had a beautiful view of the lake and a heater to keep us warm at night. Just make sure to bring your own bedding as it does not come with any. No bathrooms in the cabin but some just steps away. Cabins 9 and 10 are a little more off to the side with a little more privacy. Although they all looked nice. Had a relaxing day fishing, no catches, but beats staying home any day. Lake is beautiful and sunsets were amazing. There is a great little convenience store and deli just down the road for food and supplies. This was a wonderful find, looking forward to coming back.

    Woke up in the hills. Spot 29.
    Court P.

    Our mini camping trip was a success because our last minute reservation at lake Morena. We needed a short weekend get away. This was the perfect fit. We got two spots (27&29). They we right next to each other. And they were away from other campers which was nice. We loved the oversized camping spots and it was easy to back our trailer into, easy to hook up to water and electric. It was just so convenient. We will be back soon. There were lots of red ants, but we knew we were going into nature so we were prepared. It was hot (89) but breezy. Such a good trip for our kiddos first camping weekend.

    Chillen on a rock.
    Ben N.

    This place is perfect for your camping experience. We had close friends rent out a spot at this location and I would say it was well worth the experience. Parking is accessibly spacious. No dirt roads so you don't have to worry about getting your car so much dirty getting to your location. Camp sites to each location are far enough from each other where you can be as loud as you want; without having to worry about bothering other people. Bathrooms and showers are available at a small fee .50 cents. Not too bad. A beautiful view of the lake and a nice playground area for the kids are always a plus.

    AngelWings F.

    This nature get-away would get 3 stars instead of 1 if Lake Morena wasn't disgustingly smelly, at 2% water capacity & foamy where the water meets the shoreline (?) Couldn't get an answer why it was in such an awful state. A few ppl in boats were actually fishing in that disgusting lake Appauling. Who'd eat ANYTHING caught in it? Bleh. As we left the park I snatched 2 ticks off my dog that were crawling on her fur. Couldn't pay me to go back there

    Cabin @ Lake Morena
    JöHnNy A.

    !:-) This place ROCKS! Rent a CABIN cause the experience is sweet. I've never rented a cabin while camping before.. I've always parked it, walked it and made camp! Tent and all! I'm a WUUUSSS when it comes to death by slithery animal, so I'm phobic of places that tend to have venomous snakes.. which is pretty much all of California. So when my partner suggested we go camping with the kids and drag the mom's I thought (hmm.. the gals aren't gonna go for it.) Smarty pants said, "they will if we do it for my birthday!" And yep, he was right. So like the Beverly Hillbillies, we loaded up the truck and we went to Lake Morena.. I'm gonna post pictures cause they pretty much say all. http://www.lakemorena.com/ PROS: * Cabin Camping is an awesome experience, but be sure to reserve! (I recommend cabin #2) * Cabins have screened windows * Cabins are also available for Handicapped * Pets welcome and must be on leash at all times. (no pets allowed in cabins.) * Cat fish fishing is great.. I saw a number of catches at least 15-18" long * Close by (its only 45 min or so from Downtown San Diego) * Tent Camping Facilities are great * RV Camping Facilities also great with electric hook ups. * Bathrooms are clean for camping standards * Ranger station close by * Fish cleaning/dish washing facilities located by rangers stations (very convenient!) * Trees are unaffected by fire so there are some great Oak Trees * Walking trails are well prepared * Picnic tables are available per spot including fire pit * Childrens play area w/ sand pit and park utilities (swings) * Bats fly above outside at dusk! (cool) * Wildlife abounds! * You can get the whole camping feel and still have mountain bike trails * GREAT for families and kids of all ages CONS: * Lake is actually VERY low, perhaps the reason for concentration of fish * Do inquire about placement of Cabins, some are in my opinon too close to oneanother... (you'll want to know your neighbors so you don't get a rowdy bunch of drunken Yelpers.) lol. And thats pretty much all of the CONS.. I loved camping at this lake and plan to get a whole group of people to take up all 7 of the cabins... _____________________ If you are planning to go camping at Lake Morena, be sure to make your reservations early. The campground consists of 58 spaces with water and/or electrical hookups and 28 without. The rate is $ 24.00 per night for a Partial hook-up and $19.00 for a tent. There are a limited number of very basic cabins starting at $50.00 a day. Pets are $1.00 per night. There is a non-refundable Per Individual Reservation Fee. Other fees may apply. For RESERVATIONS call - Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Inside San Diego (877) 565-3600 Outside San Diego (858) 565-3600 _____________________ Jason Voorhees here we come! 5 Woofs! and Yes I tinkled, and pooped amongst the rocks.

    Lake Morena
    Jacklyn K.

    How do you rate a camping experience? Lake Morena offers different amenities to every style of camper. You have the the RV campers, the cabin campers, and people like me...the tent campers. We spend 2 night at Lake Morena and it was awesome (I recommend getting Camp 80 if you are tenting it, the site is huge and has a lot of shade). They have a bathroom with toilets and a shower (which I would not use). Every site has a fire pit, and if you run out of wood, it's only a 2 minute drive to "town" to get some firewood from some friendly Lake Morenians. There is also a hiking trail that is somewhat disappointing because your destination is suppose to be the dam and it only take you to the aerator, but whatever, it's good exercise. You can rent boats and fish in the lake, definitely cannot swim in the lake (the water is pretty nasty). And beware of sand bees. They are everywhere...they will attack your food when you are eating. They sell these yellow jacket bee bags, that traps the bees and kills them...well worth the money...trust me. We put out a hot dog, and a swarm of them ate the whole thing!! Gross!

    Site #36, partial hook-up with 50% shade.
    Derek G.

    Don't be discouraged by the negative reviews, this place is awesome and fun! We went Fourth of July weekend, 2015 and every campsite was reserved. Upon arrival, we went to the Ranger station to check in and were greeted by a very friendly volunteer. She informed us that our site #45 didn't actually have any shade! Wot!? According to the website, #45 has 100% shade but Linda informed us that the tree was cut down years ago and the website was never updated (along with the paper brochure you pick up in the Ranger station). Fortunately, she knew of site #36 that was available on a fluke and got us set up there. So, site #45 had shade in the morning, close to the fire pit but nowhere else. Site #36 had shade which covered our tent trailer and was a nice relief. The real SUCKY part about this campground is how close the sites are mish-moshed together. Even though there are tree stumps that serve as boundaries, in my opinion, the center of the campsite is the fire pit. And our neighbor's fire pit was just 30 feet away! Combined with the oblong shape of the sites, it was difficult to discern where yours ended and your neighbors began. So, low and behold, on a packed Fourth of July weekend, our close-proximity neighbors decided they would F everybody else and bring their own entertainment setup. This consisted of: a giant table, a 42" widescreen TV, a disco ball, loud speakers, and a microphone to complete the karaoke bar. HOW DISRESPECTFUL ARE PEOPLE to bring this crap to public camping!!?? This is not your backyard!!! The Ranger talked to them multiple times and by the next day they moved to another, farther campsite in their group. Whew! The lake is eerie. Yes, it's awfully low with dead fish, rusted hazardas waste drums, and yellow foam floating around the shore but it's still fun to take a boat out. It is also super windy and I have no idea if anybody caught any fish. The bathrooms are decent and they have warm, running water for showering. The partial hook-up sites have fresh tasting water that really doesn't require a filter. There are a couple museums in Campo too: The Campo Stone Store Museum (we went and it was very interesting) and the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum. We experienced no flies, bugs or Mosquitoes the entire time. As a side note: THERE IS NO VERIZON WIRELESS SIGNAL OUT THERE! In conclusion, this campground is really fun. The major problem is the closeness of the campsites (in certain areas) to each other - you may get stuck next to some oblivious people like we did. Also, you can't trust the map to show you if there is shade or not, you better call and ask. My best advice is to make the 1 hour drive out there weeks before you camp and scope out the campground for the biggest sites, best secluded sites, and the best shade. Good luck and Go Kampin!

    This kayak was too dirty.

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    1 year ago

    Nice park to camp at. We have tents but like to reserve a motorhome spot with lots of room for the kids to run around.

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    2 years ago

    terrible service the staff is very lazy said its to hot to rent boats multiple times the office is closed 90% of the time and very rude

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    6 years ago

    Basically rented the entire cabins sites with my family and had a great Halloween! Will come back for sure!

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    Review Highlights - Lake Morena County Park

    The partial hook-up sites have fresh tasting water that really doesn't require a filter.

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    Potrero County Park Campground

    Potrero County Park Campground

    4.1(30 reviews)
    6.5 mi

    I love it when I can bring my dogs camping! Potrero County Park Campground is located on the East…read moreSide of San Diego. The surrounding areas are mountains and small towns. We went at the beginning of October. The weather in the daytime was cool, it rained for one day at night, and it got chilly. At night you can hear frogs and crickets. Dogs are welcome, but they must be leased at all times. There are hot showers available in the park bathrooms. Make sure to bring quarters to feed the machine. There are unruly campers at night. They blast the music up during quiet hours and drink. The best time to camp here is during the weekdays, and it's tranquil. The nature trail is easy to hike. It was a nice getaway! You can find more information about Potrero at - https://reservations.sdparks.org/reservation/camping/

    Quiet well maintained county park. Bathrooms were clean. Showers were rust stained so I'm glad we…read morewere in an RV. We had space 15 which had lots of shade and room for our slide out. 31' class C RV. No real path to the bathroom so you have to cross across others campsites if you are in a, ah, hurry. Lots of ground squirrels, blue jays, vultures, crows and woodpeckers. ***COYOTES at night **** we had our dogs wear their coyote vests any time we went out. Serious sticker burr challenge for our dogs. Will bring a rake next time. Super friendly ranger. They have a little free library. We will come again in winter

    Photos
    Potrero County Park Campground - Volunteers cleaning up during the annual SCA camping event.

    Volunteers cleaning up during the annual SCA camping event.

    Potrero County Park Campground - Campsite #2

    Campsite #2

    Potrero County Park Campground - Outside ranger station

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    Outside ranger station

    Lake Morena Lake-Reservoir

    Lake Morena Lake-Reservoir

    3.0(1 review)
    6.0 mi

    I did an internet search on places to picnic & fish and found Lake Moreno. We finally decided to go…read moresee what was there. I was surprised to find that Lake Moreno was 3,000 feet and would be 68 degrees for its high today. Lake Morena is the highest in elevation and the most remote of the San Diego's reservoirs. You go through the guard gate and stop at the Ranger Station to pay for day use parking, fishing and boat rentals. If you bring your own boat or float tube, they do a check for, the invasive, zebra mussels. You can also get a card for entrance to all county parks. There are restrooms and a really nice little museum at the ranger station that is worth stopping to see. You drive into the park and pass a cute little children's playground and a youth area. It would be a fun place to let kids play at the lake. You see the lake as you drive farther in. You can see the darkened area on the dam where the water level was so much higher in the past. The dam dates to the late 19th century and, when it was full, the lake had a depth of 157 feet. San Diego (and all CA are in a huge drought causing serious water shortages) withdrew 2.1 billion gallons water from the reservoir causing the lake to drop to its current 83 feet. As you drive, you pass an lower boat launch where the water level is now and a upper launch where it prior, you can see how different the lake is today. There are cabins to rent and many other camping areas nearby the entrance to the Lake. The cabins are really barebones-you need to even bring a air bed or topper for the wooden frames to both the double bed and the bunk bed in each cabin. They are cute and would be fun to stay. Lake Morena is one of San Diego's reservoirs holding water for the city. Not sure if it's true but-they reduced the lake water level to half to fill a lake for the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, I was told by someone who's camped here for years. The lake is below 50% level and this caused it to get warm and cause an algae bloom. Fishing is not great except for carp and maybe catfish. Boating was fun although since the lake is down, it's much smaller leaving less places to go. The boat launch has many row & motorboats to rent. The lake was extremely green. Maybe a spring turnover or algae bloom. You can't swim-and I wouldn't if I could! I still recommend Lake Morena- Reservoir very much for a day to be on the water or just relax or spend a few nights where it's cooler than being in the desert!

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    Lake Morena Lake-Reservoir
    Lake Morena Lake-Reservoir
    Lake Morena Lake-Reservoir

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    Lake Morena County Park - campgrounds - Updated May 2026

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