Palomar Mountain Observatory Campground is one of the prettiest spots I've seen to camp close to San Diego in Southern California. When coming from the south it's 7 miles up the twistiest-turniest road into a forest of oak, fir and pine. The campground itself is a loop with sites that are pull in, back-in and park and hike.

The sites are 50/50 well shaded and open air for some of the best star-gazing SoCal can offer. The inner loop is mostly open air but still has shade and trees surrounding the sites. #27 a first come-first serve site in particular was epic with a perfectly clear sky above the camp but also a huge oak tree for shade if you want it.

The campground has three bathrooms. Two set of pit toilets and one with flushing toilets and showers (peak season only). There are also some pre-set concrete slabs for telescopes or cameras. There are two listed hikes that leave the campground. Both are listed as "Easy to Moderate" but in my opinion are closer to moderate (but short) or at the very least, a challenging middle ground.

The hike to Palomar Mountain is 2.2+ miles with 700 ft of elevation. That doesn't account for all the ups and downs which really makes the elevation change feel more like eleventy billion feet. The path itself is well maintained with hairpin turns and a viewpoint over the valley. At the top you'll find the Palomar Observatory. The doors are open most days from 9am-3pm, and it's worth the hike.

Heading across the road the other hike is a loop around Fry Creek Campground. It's shorter at 1.7 miles but prettier and just as up and down as the first. You should really just do both. Take two days to make it leisurely. Seriously.

Campsites at Palomar have a grill, a fire pit with a grate and a picnic table. When we were there they did not have firewood for sale. About a mile away is a general store that does. We just picked up wood from the trail and some leftovers from other campsites. It really just depends on how much effort you want to put into it.

Our only complaint was the campground host. None of the bathrooms had been cleaned and one was covered in what looked like blood from a bloody nose gone wrong. About once a day she'd walk the loop chain-smoking cigarettes with two dogs who would bark incessantly. She'd ask each campsite if they were the "reservation holder" since she hadn't updated them in over a week. Then she'd explain she was sick so she couldn't change the signs or clean. Then she'd light another cigarette and yell at the dog for barking.

Host aside, Palomar Mountain is a great facility, and I'm stoked to go back for some summer camping.