California Camping Trip

Activities: Hiking, Swimming, Hot Springs, Playground, Wheelchair Accessible, RV and Tent Camping
Scenic Rating: 3

near Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

This is a popular park in winter. It has two natural fed pools: a large outdoor thermal pool is kept at its natural 90°F, and an indoor pool is heated to 102°F and outfitted with jets. Everything is hot here. The weather is hot, the coffee is hot, and the water is hot. And hey, that’s what “Agua Caliente” means – hot water, named after the nearby hot springs. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is also nearby. If you would like to see some cold water, Lake Cuyamaca and Cuyamaca Rancho State Park are about 35 miles away. The elevation is 1,350 feet. The park cover 910 acres with several miles of hiking trails.

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Activities: Hiking, Biking, Fishing, Pets, Wheelchair Accessible, RV and Tent Camping
Scenic Rating: 2

in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park

Green Valley is the southernmost camp in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, which was 98 percent burned in the 2003 Cedar Fire. The camp is set at 3,900 feet elevation, with Cuyamaca Peak (6,512 feet) looming overhead to the northwest. A trailhead is available (look for the picnic area) at the camp for an easy five-minute walk to Green Valley Falls, and it can be continued out to the Sweetwater River in a 1.5-mile round-trip. The park covers 25,000 acres with trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding.

Note: Green Valley was closed to camping in 2008 due to tree hazards. Call prior to planning a trip.

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Activities: Hiking, Pets, Wheelchair Accessible, RV and Tent Camping
Scenic Rating: 4

near Little Laguna Lake in Cleveland National Forest

Laguna is set on Little Laguna Lake, one of the few lakes in America where “Little” is part of the official name. That’s because for years everybody always referred to it as “Little Laguna Lake” and it became official. Yep, it’s a “little” lake all right, a relative speck, and the lake can occcasionally dry up. The camp is on its eastern side at an elevation of 5,500 feet. A trailhead for the Pacific Crest Trail is a mile north on the Sunrise Highway. Big Laguna Lake, which is actually a pretty small lake, is one mile to the west.

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Activities: Hiking, Pets, RV and Tent Camping
Scenic Rating: 3

in Cleveland National Forest

El Prado Group camp is directly adjacent to Laguna and is an alternative to nearby Horse Heaven Group Camp. Five separate group sites are available. The elevation is 5,500 feet.

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Activities: Hiking, Pets, RV and Tent Camping
Scenic Rating: 3

near the Pacific Crest Trail in Cleveland National Forest

Horse Heaven is set on the northeastern border of Cleveland National Forest at 5,500 feet elevation, near Mount Laguna in the Laguna Recreation Area. The Pacific Crest Trail passes near the camp. Laguna and El Prado Group Camp provide nearby options. Side-trip possibilities include visiting Little Laguna Lake to the immediate west and Desert View Picnic Area to the south at Mount Laguna.

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