My healing journey began in October 2025. This location was referred to us by a fellow member of this Y & my friend. Although we live in Paradise Hills and there are other locations near us- McGrath is where I found myself 5xs/ week- when they first opened at 6am. I came solely for the indoor heated pool. During this time, I was out on a work injury for 5 months & wasn't sure how much longer I'd be on a No Work Status. Between my occupational health doctor & my podiatrist- we were waiting to see if my foot would be in a cast. By the time I found out- NO cast was needed- my podiatrist recommended either strength training or swimming. The gals who did our application intake, honored my husband's First Responder credentials & that helped waive his application fee! Since we notated my friend referring us to McGrath- she also got a credit to her monthly fee- the following month. I was utilizing the heated pool for walking and the foam resistance weights. I have gotten to know & chat with the morning indoor lifeguards. And they helped make the morning session go fast. (Along with the music playing). Thank you Adam, Cameron, Will, Drew, Colton, Tati, Hannah, Annika & Audriana (hope I spelled your names right!). I have especially made a friend with an older fella, Randy. And he was especially the highlight of my morning. We would share our walking lane and time went by so fast. Along with the facility times changing- from 6am/ 5:30am/ 5am.... Staff doesn't miss a beat. There was a time during winter 2025- the only pool (outdoor) at Santee was getting maintenance. It was out for more than a month. And there was an influx of additional members at McGrath for quite some time. I felt the influx seemed like a burden to a few regulars- but, for me- I had the opportunity to meet more members by name. It may seem like a nuisance if one's daily routine is disrupted for a bit, but just remember- it's temporary. I was taken aback, when some grown adults refused to share their pool lanes. But, it was great to see lifeguards correct this behavior. Fast forward to Summer 2026- I booked a one hour massage and am looking forward to my first session. read more

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It is an amazing place Clean spacious friendly Outstanding equipment Beautiful pools Great for kids Plenty parking Nice surroundings Anyone with a complaint will not be happy anywhere read more

Love this gym. Feels like family. Staff are all friendly and inviting. I had taken some time away from the gym (life just life'n) and now it feels great to be back. I love that I see familiar faces that are always friendly and nonjudgmental. I have weightloss goals and feel that this gym has more than enough to be successful for any fitness goals. The facility is clean and open. The programs are awesome and instructors are so encouraging. Even the programs for the kiddos are good. This a gym is where the community is a whole vibe. read more

Correction...McGrath YMCA does have a jacuzzi. All other positive comments still hold!

As a senior,I enjoy the chair yoga taught by Patty.I always feel good after and there are such nice people taking the class as well.Patty is an excellent teacher.I have learned so much about staying loose and about breathing. read more

Everyday the staff is friendly and greets me as I walk in. Getting set up with a membership was simple. The whole building is always very clean. The staff are extremely knowledgeable and answer questions in-depth. read more

Great sports options for kids. Very responsible and professional coaches that care for the kids and have the experience. We've done things at la mesa city and it can't compare to the y! read more

Been begrudgingly using this gym for over a decade. Sits between two high schools, so constantly filled with packs of teenagers that camp on equipment and bathed in cologne. The staff, minus a couple, hang out with their high school friends letting them do whatever they want. Don't waste your money. read more

Here's the good: Beautiful location Excellent equipment Gorgeous pools Respectful staff, for the most part. HERES THE BAD: The two pools are open 88 hours a week. For 2h 15m per week there are water classes, which aprox 70 elderly people attend on any given day. Many of us like to get in an empty lane before hand to lift weights until 10.15. There is limited space in the deeper area for tall people, so we like to get there early to get a space which is comfortable, then we start our weight lifting. We have been told that we have to leave the lap lanes empty incase someone want to come and swim. Try getting 70 elderly people down the slippery stairs then jump over the lane dividers in 5 minutes. We have begged management to let us use the lanes that are empty, to no avail. One 80 year old woman was told by a young lifeguard her membership would be canceled and she would be kicked out of the gym if she got in an empty lane again before 10.10 a.m. I wonder how the health insurance companies that pay for senior membership would feel if they knew their clients are being treated like this..... read more

In 2024 we sent my autistic child to the lil ninjas program. I notified the coach that he was autistic and to keep us informed of how he was doing. After the first lesson we got a thumbs up and we thought all was good. The following week, Mikah Olson came up to me after class in front of all the other parents and was asking questions about my child and his autism. She wanted a parent to be in the class and was trying to single him out. She was also very condescending and she should not have done that in front of all the other parents. I reached out to Linnea Rose-Campbell Gallego and she blew me off and continued to defend the bad behavior done to an autistic child and to me. I did request a refund and they did give it. Btw there were other kids there with adhd which parents mentioned to me and those kids didn't get talked to after class. It taught me never to tell anyone that he's autistic because you probably wouldn't even know he is if you see him. Don't go to this YMCA they are not equipped to handle such sensitive situations. read more

So far so good. I walked in without an appointment and asked for a tour. I had a young lady show me around. She was friendly, cordial and professional. The facility was clean and organized. All the participants had a smile on their face, which tells me they were all happy to be there! I went ahead and signed up. read more

Family friendly gym I love the pools and there is also a water place for kids. There are many sports to do here as well.

I have visited this YMCA twice and it continues to be my favorite location. Because it is always clean, greater amount of equipment and machines available and a dedicated stretch room! Aside from all that there is a nice soccer field, basketball court and tennis area for members. I wish I could come more often! I highly recommend this location. However it is a second story gym with elevator included. read more

McGrath Family YMCA - Gyms Near Me - Spring Valley, California

the mission statement here for personal trainers must be "to create and exceptionally unwelcoming and judgmental environment" initial walk in i had hoped for a brief tour or run down of the facility but front desk staff had zero interest in providing that. Never seen so many people get paid to play on their phones, maybe that's why nobody answers the business lines? if you do an exercise incorrectly or differently, don't worry at least one of the personal trainers will openly make fun of you with their friends. rather then offering you guidance or instruction. is this a community center or a 24hr fitness? the quality of personal trainers here makes it difficult to tell. management promotes and encourage thier personal trainers to slander paying members. the membership director is to thank for that directly, your employees that are openly slandering your paying members on video and you "believe" your staff members? what an exceptional why to promote a toxic environment for paying members. You're probably just used to paying members leaving this horrible environment rather then speaking up and highlighting how your staff treats people. really that difficult to have your personal trainers conduct themselves in a professional manner or is this your first time in a position of responsibility? as a manager I would be embarrassed if my employees were openly creating problems and slandering paying members. all negative reviews are 100% accurate. Definitely not a family or community environment. absolutely wouldn't bring my family or children here read more

McGrath Family YMCA - there personal trainers openly slander you and this is how they deal with it. - Gyms Near Me - Spring Valley, California

Raw was professional and very knowledgeable about the business and process and helped my family complete the process your the best part of McGrath Family YMCA Thank you read more

I joined the ymca, Charlie hope I didn't spell her name wrong. She was nice, she took out the time to show me where the 2 pools was. Today me and my cousin Jackie went to work out and swim. The 2 girls in the front was nice, I went upstairs to walk and didn't know how to start the machine, the lady worked there showed me how to start it. So far no problem with them read more

I love this gym, there's so many options. Also so many different varieties of classes for different ages and skill levels. Pools are huge!!!! There Childwatch staff is excellent, extremely recommended this facility. They go above and beyond. read more

This is the worst customer experience that I had, second time in the YMCA and too many issues every time I want to use the outdoor pool they said no you can't until you pass the swim test I said fine we used the indoor pool next time I came directly to the indoor pool they had me and my kids to go to the outdoor pool even with no swimming certificate and they put out door instructions that we must have to pass swimming test that so confusing. below I attached their instructions and how they are violating those guidelines by sending us ti the wrong pool because they have private swimming lesson in the indoor area so I don't recommend this place because they need to be educated about safety. read more

McGrath Family YMCA - Gyms Near Me - Spring Valley, California

Came here after work specifically to ask for a tour. It wasn't even busy at the front desk. There were 3 employees there. My impression is that they are lazy. I was told to give myself a tour. So I walked around and left. I really would have liked to have someone walk me around and introduce me to the offerings at this facility. For such a renowned establishment that promotes health, I'm surprised they were too lazy to show me around. I didn't even bother going upstairs to see what was up there. read more

Been raising prices since we joined. 2020-2021 price increase almost every 6 months. We were avid swimmers. But, they would put price restrictions on lanes, and times and we were already paying premium prices. Come on, I just want to swim and not keep paying more and more! Ridiculous YMCA. Also a Veteran! God bless America read more

Let's start with the hours and price we're paying On the weekends they close @ 3pm and the only reason they close so early is "because we don't want to pay more money towards staff working" this would make sense if I weren't paying 60$ a month Which brings to my next point Why am I paying 60$ to be in a environment where I don't feel safe anymore a video made by high school kids got posted of me doing squats @ this exact location that is humiliating where the hell is the staff when you need protection from kids posting videos without your consent . Also leaving the gym at night there is no lights in the parking lot it's so dark and scary no woman should have to feel scared walking to her car after a gym session. This is the first gym that I haven't felt safe at and I'll be writing a letter to corporate. read more

This is my feel good hang-out. I've been a member since the doors first opened in RSD. I did a sabbatical during their closure during Covid. The great thing about the Y is that your membership allows you to use all locations. I avoided rush hour traffic for years by detouring my commute for a workout swim and shower then a relaxing ride home. The Locations are all unique in their ages and emmemities. Some offer steam and saunas, ocean views, great aquatic centers, equipment and staffing. A good value. read more

I've belonged to this YMCA for 4 years. It is a very nice facility. I am only giving it 2 stars because of the pools/lifeguards. I attend all of the group aqua fitness/Zumba classes. Lately, lap swimmers are not getting out of the pool when our classes are about to begin, and the guards do nothing. We have a 99 year old member who always leaves the pool 15 minutes before the end of the class and the guard could not summon another to operate the ADA chair lift. Our instructor had to go to the machine room and then to the office to find a guard, all the while we are missing out on class. Then, people started walking the lanes WHILE class was in session and the guard just sat there. The instructor, again, had to go over and ask them to wait until the class was over, again interrupting our exercise session. The lifeguard manager does nothing to ensure the staff are actually guarding the pool, being attentive and keeping the decks clean. I have experienced a swimmer coming to the aid of someone in distress before the guard even notices something is happening and this has happened multiple times. Most of the guards are lazy and have no clue. Stay away if you are not a strong swimmer. There are only 4 aqua fitness classes a week and they are getting very crowded, like 70 people in the pool. We have asked repeatedly for more classes, as other Y's have, and to no avail. It is a shame as the facility is nice and the covered pool is a real bonus. read more

Everything broken including the hot tub been broken for the 6 months I been here. Very sad we pay hundreds a month to go here and it's always broken. read more

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My husband and I have been part of the McGrath family for more than 10 years. It started because I had a knee replacement and gradually went on from there. You always feel welcomed. They have trainers and staff to help you or answer questions. They have great equipment throughout the gym and there are two pools, one indoors and one outside. If you are looking for a great gym, I would highly recommend you give the Y a try! :-) read more

This is a great YMCA. It offers a great indoor lap pool and swimming lessons for age. They offer group exercise class ranging from yoga to dance and a lot more in between for members. There's fitness club and weight room with even coaches available for beginners and for those more advance users that like to push their limits. The gymnasium is very well maintained and clean. It offers basketball courts for full and half court games. The Y offers men and women lockers rooms, a baseball field. For families, they also offer a day care service. I like this Y and I also like that there's a trail nearby for outdoor bike riding and or walking. read more

McGrath Family YMCA - Gyms Near Me - Spring Valley, California

As a member of YMCA for over 5 years I do not plan on going back to Mcgrath location ever again. I had an encounterment with Mr. Stokes that was dealt with unprofessionally. Things could've been approached and handled differently. read more

This location is overall OK. The carpet in the women's locker rooms are pretty gross. Overall needs some updating. The showers have very low water pressure and not very hot. Some shower heads are missing. If they could fix some of these issues, This location would be great. Love the scenery when looking out the upper level windows. read more

I am going to be writing exclusively about the gym because I am not a parent and cannot speak for the other services this YMCA offers. If you're looking for a place purely for the GYM this is not the place for you. Pros: This gym is very clean, the staff on the floor are very kind, there are no hidden fees or extra payments, and the equipment is new and well maintained. Cons: Horrible hours. Although the machines and benches are all clean and fairly new, there is a general lack of them. This YMCA has a daycare for children downstairs, but it turns out the gym is a daycare for kids from 12-17 - who you can find hitting each other with foam rollers, invading personal space to flex in the mirror, and hog equipment while having zero clue what they're doing. I am not in town consistently which is why I did not want to agree to a Chuze or 24 Hour Fitness contract, but if you're looking for a more peaceful, more serious environment to work out in - look elsewhere. At the end of the day, this is just a YMCA with gym equipment, not a gym. read more

Bad swim instructors. They seem dull and don't put any effort in teaching the kids. It's barely 30min class, instructor spends 15min just chatting and shivering in the water. Waste of time and money. Did 4 sessions and all were the same. Save your money and invest into swim classes elsewhere for kids (beginners). read more

No hot water in 2 weeks. No one seems to care. Maintenance needs to be fired. Continual problem. Hire plumber

Why can't you guys get it together? This is not the first time that the website has been inaccurate. So glad I'm here at 6:30 even though no one else is this Sunday morning. That's what the website said the pool schedule is but the time posted on the door as "adjusted schedule" says they don't open until 8:00. This is the responsibility of management. You need to do a better job. The facility itself is clean, the staff does a nice job. too bad management can't do a better job. Not happy that I made a 17.8 mile drive for nothing. read more

The front desk is rude. One of the girls was sitting on her phone I was waiting to be assisted for 30 minutes. I asked to speak to the manager. She told me he's not in today. Waited another 20 minutes and she spoke to someone else before me. Very unprofessional and I will not be coming back. The facility is dirty and the front desk workers are rude. read more

I been to alot of gyms and YMCA's . The staff here are so amazing and welcoming. This place you feel like home. It's nice to see the wellness coachs/personal trainers always on the floor cleaning equipment and always ready to help with a nice smile and helps keep you motivated. The class schedule they offer is amazing and the instructors are the best I ever have had. Never had problem with equipment top of the line love what the have to offer.The moment you step in to front desk makes me in a good mood front desk is awesome staff . The childcare center is amazing my children love it here and I feel so safe with them here. read more

As much as I want to like this place, I just dont sometimes. The gym and work out equipment isnt the problem. Its the child watch and the harrassment from the life guards at the swim area. Child care: not the infant area but the older kids area..they just watch your kids but they wont settle any dispute. You just have older kids bullying around younger kids. Swim area: their family swim is ridiculous. They bother you to the point that you dont even want to swim anymore. Maybe that's their goal because they didn't want to sit there watching the only 2 kids in the pool. My kids are of age to be in the pool without a parent (I am present) and they been swimming longer than their life guard job. They've taken many swim test there, each and every time they're bombarded by every life guard of their age and abilities. When they are clearly swimming in front of their face. I get being caution but they're making it really unpleasant especially since they do have a parent here. I know my kids are small and capable but they're not drowning. If they were, I can easily walk into the pool and stand them up. Turn that attention to where it's really needed.. like your day care area! read more

The Y has recently gotten all new workout machines in the work out area and they are very nice. It appears that almost all the equipment upstairs is new, and the quality of the work out you get is obvious as being above par. The patrons there are good about letting you work in if you are on a circuit [like I am] and I haven't [yet] had another gym goer with an attitude. Then again I am still a new member. The pool that I have used once was comfortable in temperature as well as chemical levels. Other swimmers there were also polite and willing to share lanes. And the monthly cost is very reasonable. read more

I went to this YMCA for the first time this week...wow, what a beautiful facility, with such a nice "vibe" too. I took Bridgette's 7am Gentle Yoga class on Monday and I was happy beyond expectations. She's very kind and sweet and an excellent instructor, teaching in such a soothing and gentle manner that is so non-judgmental. She has mastered the art of being able to teach in such a thoughtful and clear way such that I can almost always follow along without having to look to see what she or other students are doing. I'm looking forward to having an orientation at this facility so I can get familiar with the equipment...it's all very nice and clean and very inviting. read more

I used to love this gym for its pools. But since COVID it seems they must be in financial trouble now. Reading the other reviews about this place recently says it all. Poor maintenance- the hot water for the showers repeatedly goes down and the pools closed for equipment failures and not a consistent temperature. The covered pool is dingy and sun treatment peeling from the windows. The covered pool offers only half the lanes to swimmers who are reluctant to share, while single walkers take an entire lane or use the time to talk to friends. It seems this has led to poor morale and lack of a positive fitness environment. People seem to come to slug through their exercise. The place is due to a big makeover. I tried the Mission Valley facility and it was incredibly clean, bright and well maintained. What a positive difference when things get attention. I even saw lifeguards cleaning skimmers and pool decking there which would never happen at McGrath. I wish the best for McGrath in the future. read more

I've been going to this gym for about 8 months now, and I really like it. I used to go to Crunch on Jamacha, but I switched because of all the family programs the Y provides. You get discounts for all of the youth programs if you have a membership here. My son loves going here. He is actually my motivator to go to the gym because he has so much fun at the kids club. I also really like how open and spread out the gym equipment is. They just got all new equipment as well. Another reason this gym is my favorite is because of the views! (Outside, not the people!) There are big arched windows throughout the facility and they give you the most beautiful view of the mountains! read more

Not too bad of a gym. They are planning on building two pools out there too. The equipment is all pretty new. Their stretching room is kind of small. I don't really get having to swipe my card to get to the locker room and also swiping my card to get into the work out area. They don't provide towels, so make sure to bring a little towel to wipe off the equipment. The best thing about the Y is that they have lots of different classes and if you have kids, they will take care of them for you while you sweat. And of course they have activities for your kids too. They also have: * J. Scott MacDonald Ballpark * Tuttle Soccer Arena * Outdoor Basketball Court read more

McGrath Family YMCA - YMCA! - Gyms Near Me - Spring Valley, California