Green Valley Campground — Cuyamaca Rancho State Park

G-29 was a nice spot, and there is a lot to do and see in the surrounding area. Restrooms and facilities are clean, but there is no soap.

We visited post July 4th, so it was pretty quiet for the most part. Largest downside is the campsite is already warm by 8:30am, and hot by about 10.

Firewood is $8 from the camp host but we had trouble finding them our first night and had to drive an hour back and forth to Julian for wood.

Close to Julian, CA about 10-15 minutes. We camped during Veteran’s day weekend. The terrain of the campground is ideal for kids. Trees, hills, and large rocks for the kids to climb on. The sites we had #59 and #61 were located on a slight hill. The tent pad sites were slightly slanted. The bathrooms were super clean especially during a holiday weekend. The Green Valley falls trail is located in the campground and it’s super kid friendly.

This was a great campsite for the night. Small sites, but plenty for us, and spread out from other campers. Not many bathrooms so we walked a bit to those, but it was OK. They were very clean, but had no soap. Beautiful stargazing. The drive was very windy and unique. Would come back for sure.

Pretty warm during the time we went (7/1-7/4), but had the opportunity to relax by the river (BONUS). Amazing view of the stars, very little light pollution! Only down side, quite a few ants. Would visit again!

Was able to score a site that fit our 28’ trailer- joke was on us... there was NO way it could’ve worked, not to mention there was not a single other trailer, only tents. Headed back to the ranger and they gave us an open disabled spot (we have a placard) in the horse camp. It was AMAZING. Large flat pad that had the sweet water river right behind. Lots of area for the kids to play and ride bikes on the paved loop around the sites. The walk to the waterfall “hike” was manageable and another day we hiked to the airplane monument (don’t get your hopes up lol) and that was a solid moderate hike. Also drove out to hike to stonewall mine Beautiful weather and the falls were super fun to see, and splash in the top most parts (take a left at the split in the trail just at the bottom of the dirt little hill from the entrance)

Beautiful location. Quiet and picturesque. Easy to find. Great place for base camp with several trail heads. Campsites are spacious with plenty of shade. Secluded from you neighbors. Clean bathrooms and showers.

The only flat piece of dirt was infested with fire ants. Every time I went to eat, we were surrounded by bees. I’d still go back to give it a second shot. The water is ice cold so it’s perfect to wash your sins from the night before.

Great weekend camping close to San Diego. Clean, plenty of bathrooms and showers, water, and drive in parcels. Even though there are a lot of camp sites it feels private. It can get really loud with groups of campers but it is worth it. Every camp site has a fire ring. There is a big store 5 miles away if you forget anything. Falls are close by and family friendly. Loved the experience!

The campground is in a very pretty area with lots of decent sites and wildlife. Wild turkeys roam around the campground. There are trailheads in the campground along with plenty of nearby trails. The campground is just a few miles from the lake where you can boat, fish or eat at the restaurant. Julian is also not far away, a quaint little town known for their pies.

This is my favorite out of the two campgrounds in the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. While both have their positives, I personally love this one for its close proximity to the waterfalls that are a short trail from the campsites. Depending on what campsite you are in, you can walk to the trail and down to the falls which are perfect for swimming around when it is hot outside. I love this campground for a quick weekend getaway from San Diego that has minimal preparation. Every site is a drive up site, most have shade and there are plenty of bathrooms. Most sites also have a fire ring and picnic table to use as well. A perfect, lower cost campsite that is great for families and people who want an easy camping experience with some water involved!

Lovely campground, great signage and close to San Diego. We got here at 11pm and left at 8am to continue on our Questival journey. We were at site 50, if you want more shade then site 49 is the one!

Lots of spaces and there are usually spots open for first come first serve. Arrived late but the ranger and host were nice and welcoming. Not the most amazing stargazing, but quite solid

We've stayed at both family campgrounds in Cuyamaca. I prefer Paso Picacho over Green Valley but there are some advantages at Green Valley over Paso.

Pros:

• Campsites are larger than at Paso Picacho and there aren't as many.
• Campsites are easier to find.
• Clean
• More out of the way.
• Lots of birds
• Sites G027-9 were pretty secluded. G53-4 had lots of trees and good for a group together.

Cons:

• You have to drive to get to trails.
• Can still get pretty loud.
• Not good for dogs as they are not allowed on trails, only roads and campgrounds.

We stayed in the Green Valley campground over memorial Day Weekend. Although crowded being a Holiday, the spots were large and afforded plenty of privacy. We got three tents and two hammocks in our single space. The campground also has plenty of shade, clean facilities, and is dog friendly. There is a series of trails from the campground that make for fun day hikes. The lake is about ten minutes driving distance down the road.

Campground Review

There are two sections to this campground - the area for just people and the area that is set up for campers with horses. The campground provides everything you need: fire pits, restrooms, showers, on-site firewood for purchase. $30 per night.

We went in September and it was pretty dusty and not very scenic. Might be more aesthetically pleasing during other months of the year though.

Gear Review - Mountain Khakis

I won a Mountain Khakis gift card as part of the Dyrt's 2016 campground review contest, and I bought a pair of the Women's Canyon Cord Skinny Pants. I LOVE these pants. I wear them to the office, I wear them casually, and I wear them in the outdoors. For reference, I'm wearing them in the slacklining photo in this review. Most outdoor clothing companies don't offer their cord pants in petite sizes, but now I finally own a pair that fits. These pants are extremely durable. I've worn them while doing gymnastic and when off-width climbing, and there are no rips and the fabric has barely worn down.

Tucked away from the city lights of San Diego. Very nice camp ground with multiple trails climbing up Mt. Cuyamaca.