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Campo, CA

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Lake Morena County Park

3.6 (72 reviews)

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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!

Mike G.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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12 days ago

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2 years 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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6 years ago

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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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11 years ago

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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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7 years ago

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

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Lake Morena County Park - View of the lake on an icy morning.

Lake Morena County Park

3.6(22 reviews)
0.9 mi

I love it here. Deep into jamul/campo youll find a glorious lake with motorboats and fishing and…read morehiking trails and cabins and campsites and happy families and good times. whew! you can do anything here. whether youre with youre family for a weekend together or a day trip with your friends on the boat; i love it. if you want to fish, make sure you bring your permits! & theres no swimming allowed in this lake. boats are way cheaper during the week, and sell out quickly over the weekend. You can make reservations for a cabin or campsite. the weekdays are full of vacancies but the weekends get booked up quick! bring your dogs and head out on the trails or have a campfire as the sun goes down. bring a book & kick your feet up and just enjoy the quiet &forget the commotion of the outside world. be one with nature & forget about all of your troubles for a little while. its a real home away from home, in a short 45 minute drive! beware of snakes,mountain lions, and fleas/ticks if youre bringing your dogs. and hydrate hydrate hydrate, because in the summer; it is HOT out there. love that is so close & I cant wait until I am back again!

We came here to hike a section of the PCT. I'm going to be fair that typically developed camp…read moregrounds like this aren't our groove. You're not really camping you're in the middle of a neighborhood and there was a lot of people crammed in here. The hiking was great the camping...we I'd never come here if not for the trail. All of the facilities worked so... it is what it is.

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Lake Morena County Park - Lake Morena

Lake Morena

Lake Morena County Park - The Lake

The Lake

Lake Morena County Park - View of the lake from a campsite.

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View of the lake from a campsite.

Morena Butte - "Suicide Rock."

Morena Butte

4.0(2 reviews)
0.0 mi

This hike is TRICKY. I definitely recommend downloading a GPS app on your phone to help navigate…read morethe trails (I had not done this before, but will do so next time). You're suppose to follow the cairns (stacks of rocks) to help guide you on the trail but to be honest, there are so many small little paths it's easy to lose your way even if you think you were following a marker. Fortunately, my friend and I were able to tag along with some friendly ladies who had done the hike once before. We wouldn't have made it up to the peak if it weren't for them. There is a specific part of the trail (right when you pass the dam) where you need to climb up pretty steep and are pretty much rock climbing at some point. I made the mistake of wearing Nikes on this hike and will never do that again. You need shoes with traction or straight up hiking boots for this climb. It was scary going up and going down. The trails are VERY NARROW. We got scratched up pretty bad and I was still wearing long leggings and a long sleeve. My hands were full of scratches. It was particularly windy on the day that we went which was at the end of January so do check the weather forecast and dress accordingly. The boulders at the top are BEAUTIFUL and there are plenty of photo opportunities. On a side note, I did end up with a tick attached at the back of my neck when I got home. So again, dress appropriately and definitely recommend doing a "tick check" after every hike now. :)

Nestled between Lake Morena to the north and Hauser Canyon to the south is an unassuming mountain…read morecalled Morena Butte. I get the feeling a lot of people don't know it is even there. It is neither particularly tall, or even distinctive given its surroundings, but it makes for a memorable hike for those willing to put in a few miles to see it and the unique hiking experience it has to offer. The payoff is multi-hued granitic outcroppings, boat loads of exposed boulders and a dizzying cliff-side summit overlooking Hauser Canyon, Barrett Lake and points west and south. The hike starts in Lake Morena County Park. If you GPS it, it will take you right to the park entrance. (If you don't have GPS, take the Buckman Springs Rd exit off of I-8, turn right towards Campo, right on Oak Dr, slight right on Lake Morena Dr to the park. Follow the signs.) You may park in the PTC trail-head lot just outside the county park entrance. No fee or permit is required in this lot- parking inside the park will cost you $3. The southbound PTC trail-head is at the west end of the lot and is marked. Begin the hike there and proceed SW for about 4 miles. The PTC will wind and twist around for a bit, but you will eventually end up westbound coming up from a small creek-bed onto a slight rise before the trail starts its decent into Hauser Canyon. The trail heading up to the butte T's from the right at the top of this rise and at this writing was unmarked. (There was a trail marker at one time, but it was gone this last time I hiked it.) We left a rock cairn to mark the spot. **Important: If you start descending down into Hauser Canyon, you have gone too far. Turn around and go back!** Proceed up the butte trail for about two miles, being careful to follow the numerous cairns marking your way. Vegetation becomes more sparse and rocks more numerous the farther you go so it becomes real easy to get off-trail. If that happens to you, just make sure you continue along the ridge-line in a general westerly direction and keep an eye out for those cairns. You are headed for a summit overlooking Hauser Canyon on the far end of the butte, so keep close to the canyon side of the mountain and keep following the ridge. You will go around to the left of a large rocky rise and will end up on a massive granite outcropping. After gaping at the spectacle for a few minutes, look west-ish and you should see the summit poking up from the far corner of the mountain with a crazy over-hanging rock at its high point. Follow the cairns on the outcropping opposite that, staying generally to the right side of it, then follow the cairns down into a depression at the end of the outcropping. From there you will cut west-ish again and go up a rise where it is real easy to lose the cairns. Most of them are down low and easy to miss in the vegetation. The summit should be ahead of you so just continue and head straight for it. There is nothing wrong with forging your own trail at this point. You will have to rock-scramble the last 100' or so, but finally you will come to the summit. If you go to the far corner of the summit, you are literally standing on the edge of the mountain with a mind bending drop in front of you. If you get up on the highest summit rock it's even better. Enjoy the views of Hauser Canyon and Barrett Lake and have a rest because it is a long way back to the park!

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Morena Butte - "Suicide Rock" above Hauser Canyon.

"Suicide Rock" above Hauser Canyon.

Morena Butte - The summit from the pink-granite outcropping area. That is "Suicide Rock" (my name) hanging off the edge.  You can climb on it (if you dare)

The summit from the pink-granite outcropping area. That is "Suicide Rock" (my name) hanging off the edge. You can climb on it (if you dare)

Morena Butte - Looking west from the summit down into Hauser Canyon towards Barrett Lake.

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Looking west from the summit down into Hauser Canyon towards Barrett Lake.

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 October 2026

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