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Sweetwater Summit Regional Park

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Sweetwater Summit Regional Park, near Bonita, California, is a solid choice for campers looking for a convenient spot with a mix of nature and city vibes. The campground offers a variety of sites, including those with full hookups, making it easy to settle in and enjoy the outdoors without sacrificing comfort.

Visitors rave about the clean facilities and the friendly staff, which really adds to the overall experience. As one camper put it, “Great location, awesome view, really nice staff, and clean bathrooms.” You’ll find picnic tables and fire rings at your site, perfect for evening gatherings under the stars.

If you’re up for some adventure, the nearby reservoir is a great spot for hiking, biking, or running. Just keep in mind that swimming isn’t allowed, but the views are worth it. Plus, you’re close to shopping and dining options, so you can easily grab supplies or a meal after a day of exploring.

While some campers mentioned the occasional noise from planes overhead, the park’s amenities and the overall atmosphere make it a worthwhile stop. Whether you’re just passing through or planning a longer stay, Sweetwater Summit has a lot to offer for a fun and relaxing camping experience.

Description

County

Lake Sweetwater Recreation Area

Visitors to this 500-acre regional park have quite a palette of activities to choose from. Modern campsites sit at the top of the summit, along with a seasonal splash pad, play areas, a 13-station exercise course, rentable picnic areas, a community room, an outdoor amphitheater and fishing at Sweetwater Reservoir.

Hikers, cyclists and equestrians will enjoy 15 miles of trails that meander up and down the hill, through open grasslands and along streamside vegetation boasting spectacular views of the reservoir and this unique urban oasis.

Camper, trailer, and tent camping are all options among 112 sites – many with access to both water and power. Coin-operated showers are available for all campers.

One of the major attractions at the park is the 60-foot pavilion. This covered structure and its kitchen facilities are especially suited for group campers. You’ll also find four 16-foot picnic pavilions, a Campground Amphitheater, a 2,000-square-foot Community Room, and a 13-Station Exercise Course.

An adjacent local park features a lawn area, tot lot, splash park and shaded picnic tables with panoramic views of the countryside.

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Location

Sweetwater Summit Regional Park is located in California

Detail location of campground

Directions

From jct Hwy 94 & I-805: Go 5 mi S on I-805, then 4 mi E on Bonita Rd to San Miguel Rd to Summit Meadow Rd (Bonita).

Address

3218 Summit Meadow Road
Bonita, CA 91902

Coordinates

32.68347723 N
117.00140597 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.
  • Hike-In
    Backcountry sites.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Good
  • Verizon
    Good
  • AT&T
    Good
  • T-Mobile
    Good

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group
  • Equestrian

Features

For Campers

  • ADA Access
  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Firewood Available
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • WiFi
  • Showers
  • Drinking Water
  • Electric Hookups
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Sewer Hookups
  • Water Hookups
  • Pull-Through Sites
  • 30 Amp Hookups
  • Big Rig Friendly

Drive Time


Reviews

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28%
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4.5

out of 5

29 Reviews

Reviewed May. 7, 2024

Perfect spot for a night or two

I’m not sure you’ll find a campground like this anywhere else in California for $29/night with partial hookups. It was quiet and peaceful. Bathrooms could have used some attention. Not a fan of no toilet seats on the toilets.

Site58
Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Heather K., May 7, 2024
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Heather K., May 7, 2024
Reviewed May. 6, 2024

Great city park

Had space 8 south lot.. perfect view stayed for 7 nights, yep had bugs some days lots of people some days none, ya you need tokens for shower but they were clean the water was hot..It was glamping as far as i was concerned , depending on how you wanter to camp.. i have stayed at KOA’s that charge a lot more and quality is a lot less.. Ranger patrols all night’ , helpful and friendly , wish i could park here every night of my trip I loved this place. Oh ya planes fly over this place.. and i am sure dome KOA also

Site8
Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by kenneth B., May 6, 2024
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by kenneth B., May 6, 2024
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by kenneth B., May 6, 2024
  • (5) View All
Reviewed May. 2, 2024

Nice site, good views, clean facilities

SITES:

The pads with full hookups offer nice city views. The place is very clean and quite. 

Someone said there are major ant problems, but I didn't experience them. It did rain a bit when I was there. 

SURROUNDING AREA:

The nearby reservoir is a good place to hike, bike, or run. The campground is connected directly to it. You are not allowed in the water. 

There are shopping and restaurants nearby. 

Is this a campground I would go visit just to go camping...probably not, as it offers nothing spectacular other than a place to park and hang out outdoors. 

I booked here since we had a soccer game nearby and needed a safe place to park overnight.

Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Mike G., May 2, 2024
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Mike G., May 2, 2024
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Mike G., May 2, 2024
Reviewed Mar. 20, 2024

Precious views

We loved camping at this park. Very neat and clean bathrooms. Fun areas for kids to play

Site128
Month of VisitNovember
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Yvett V., March 20, 2024
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Yvett V., March 20, 2024
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Yvett V., March 20, 2024
  • (12) View All
Reviewed Feb. 28, 2023

Easily accessible and great city views

We stayed a short weekend on our first trip with our new to us travel trailer. Great location with all the amenities you need. The staff was great and the park felt safe.

Site79
Month of VisitFebruary
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Jesus B., February 28, 2023
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Jesus B., February 28, 2023
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Jesus B., February 28, 2023
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Dec. 7, 2022

Explore San Diego

Nice park, partial hookups, no sewer but has a dump station. Nice spot 2 explore San Diego.

Site58
Month of VisitDecember
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Brian C., December 7, 2022
Reviewed Aug. 3, 2022

Very pleasant full hookup sites

The campground is east of Chula Vista in a county park near a reservoir. Full hookup in part, water and electric in others. Well managed and clean. Allows open fires in fire rings.

Two drawbacks to consider if you seek placidness: the park is under the final approach to SAN (Lindbergh Field) and you will hear jets coming down to land from roughly 6a to 11pm. Second concern is ants - not just ants, but strategic and determined ants (spray any points in contact with the ground and ask camp staff to treat your site with diatomaceous earth to deter the bugs. It’s a free service.

Sites are very clean, level, have fire rings and higher numbered sites have water, power, and sewer. There are showers, restrooms, an amphitheater, water playground and sites with horse pens. It’s mostly sunny, with shrubs and smaller trees.

Site113
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Stephen M., August 3, 2022
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Stephen M., August 3, 2022
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Stephen M., August 3, 2022
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Apr. 27, 2022

Amazing!

Great location, awesome view, really nice staff, and clean bathrooms. The location is beyond convenient and super safe. We left our little trailer and it was completely safe for the day. The campground is well kept and spacious. The sound of the highway is evident, but the convenience to the city is worth it! Would definitely come again.

Site4
Month of VisitApril
Reviewed Feb. 28, 2022

Close to Home

Just purchased a used motor home. Sweetwater was super close to the house, and felt isolated from the city. Looking forward to camping here regularly. Can’t wait for May so that my kids can use the splash pad.

Site81
Month of VisitFebruary
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Michael H., February 28, 2022
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Michael H., February 28, 2022
Reviewed Nov. 27, 2021

Easy access to San Diego

Fabulous campground. Well tAken care of by county rangers. 25 minutes to everywhere in SD.

Site53
Month of VisitNovember
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Barbara W., November 27, 2021
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Barbara W., November 27, 2021
Reviewed Aug. 6, 2021

Good for a one night campsite.

Would’ve been a 5 star if there were more space, amenities, and awful amount of ants even though we pulled out no food the entire time we were here. The spaces are way too close I can hear in individuals tents. Although it feels like a safe place id rather not stay here again, there was a woman and man doing he***** and I walked in on the woman… for the amount of patrollers especially in the morning that shouldn’t of been present… I hate giving bad reviews but the drugs were the cherry on top…. There is way too many families here for a place to be able to not catch that….

Site#4
Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Jun. 11, 2021

Cheap for full hook ups

This campground is very close to downtown and beaches in San Diego. I paid $36 a night for electricity and water hookups plus my pet. The showers in the south loop aren’t great, definitely bring your shower shoes. The north loop has nice showers. There are coyotes so be careful with your pets. I stayed in site 4, the older side of the campground and the campsites are pretty close together. There were a couple of questionable people at the other end of the campground so I kept my eye out, but overall it was a good experience. The south loop campground has trees and a lot of shady spots (thank goodness as I couldn’t pull my awning out). The north loop campground is for the larger RV’s and there is no shade there. I didn’t have any ant problems as I put diatomaceous earth around my RV, but my neighbors in tents had ant issues. Staff are really friendly. Showers operate with tokens you have to buy from the front gate. 2 tokens = 4 minute shower. I bought 8 tokens for $2 so that’s pretty good in comparison to other state parks

Site4
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by The Lopez F., June 11, 2021
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by The Lopez F., June 11, 2021
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by The Lopez F., June 11, 2021
  • (6) View All
Reviewed May. 9, 2021

Pretty busy

Nice camp ground. Get there early it is busy. Nice showers and water.

Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Toni  K., May 9, 2021
Reviewed Jan. 24, 2021

Nice campground

We stayed here in mid September 2020. We stayed at site number 2 south loop, which had really good shade and views. Nice campground overall. The downside when we were there was that the smoke from valley fire was bad, but the campground itself was nice. Also there were ants along tree roots so careful where you pitch your tent. Rangers and campground staff were actively watering new trees and plantings to continue promoting growth and shade. There was a nice playground and water fountain play area for kids.

Site2
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Kathy L., January 24, 2021
Reviewed Nov. 11, 2020

Beautiful

Awesome place to camp although I haven’t yet. We’ve only come here for hikes and to bring a picnic but it’s one of our favorite spots!

Reviewed Oct. 27, 2020

Great stay with lots of amenities

After being on the road for 3 months of federal camping it was great to have a heated shower and unlimited electricity 😀 we paid 33$ per night and it included water and power but no dump spot.

The view from campsite 4 is excellent.

The neighbor spots are pretty close but empty during the week.

Verizon is very fast.

There are a ton of ants but if you sprinkle diatomaceous earth around all the touch points or tents it keeps them out.

It is quiet and well kept, even has security checking around periodically.

There is a 7 min drive to get out to anywhere.

  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by sur.la.route , October 27, 2020
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by sur.la.route , October 27, 2020
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by sur.la.route , October 27, 2020
  • (7) View All
Reviewed Sep. 14, 2020

After covid, needs some work

Lots of growing tumbleweeds, several sites over run by ants. Was disappointed how little work had been done in the last month or so to clean up

Reviewed Aug. 17, 2020

Great Base Camp for SD

We were escaping the heat wave in Los Angeles (115° upon our departure)... arrived and was glad to be welcomed by 85° with a continuous breeze. Site 17 is at the end of the south loop adjacent to a driveway leading to what it appears a private property.

Great base camp to explore downtown SD.

  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Raf A., August 17, 2020
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Raf A., August 17, 2020
Reviewed Jul. 30, 2020

Very Nice!

Spent a nice relaxing week at Sweetwater Summit Regional Park. And I had a very nice stay. Had a nice spacious site for my 26’ Class A, and it happened to be next to the showers. Score! Very well maintained, with a mix of RV’s, and tent campers. The family in front of me were tent campers, a couple with two little girls. They also have a bunch of horse corrals, for the trails in the area. Plenty of grass for the kids to play in, and my dog loved it, too. He hasn’t walked on nice fresh grass in a while, and he was a happy boy! The shower is a pay shower, 2 quarters for 4 minutes. The weather was perfect, with a nice breeze blowing every day I was here. It never hit 80 degrees, and we’re in July! Plenty of OTA stations, and I also set up my Dish Playmaker for the first time. Super easy! They also have free WiFi, and it’s pretty fast WiFi at that. That was a real plus, since most RV parks have slim to none available. So I downloaded a few movies, and shows off Netflix, and AppleTV, for when I have no internet, and don’t feel like watching regular TV before bed at night. The Dish will come in handy for those out of the way places that have no OTA, internet, or possibly cell service. I will definitely stay here again, any time of year. It’s nice and quiet, they have a North loop, and a South loop. The North loop has cement pads, and sewers. I was in the South loop, which didn’t have sewers. They have, what some would say, are strict rules, but that makes this place very family friendly, really nice and quiet, and all the Rangers were helpful, and very pleasant.

Reviewed Jul. 1, 2020

Nice place but ANTS

Cool little spot with some good sites with shade. They sell firewood at the front gate for $5 which isn’t bad. One bundle didn’t burn well at all and the second one was really good. There were a lot of ants on the ground. Little baby ones but quite a few. Overall the views were very nice and great hikes around the sites

Reviewed Jun. 15, 2020

Great campground

So far my family’s favorite campground in San Diego. Sites 1-60 are mostly partial sites but offer the most shade and are closest the the main playground and splash pad. A lot of the sites are pull through as well. Most of the campground is flat so it is great to walk/ ride bikes and there multiple hiking trails. Only drawback is they don’t sell firewood from what I saw at the campsite but the 7-eleven up the road has bundles for $7. Bathrooms were clean the whole weekend and showers are $1 for 16 minutes. Also, we didn’t have any bug problems besides for ants which was great. Only drawback is it sits ontop of a highway so you’ll hear that a little during the quiet parts of the day.Definitely a nice cheap weekend getaway to checkout for around $70 for the whole weekend. We’ll definitely be back

  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Ryan K., June 15, 2020
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Ryan K., June 15, 2020
  • Review photo of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park by Ryan K., June 15, 2020
  • (16) View All
Reviewed Jun. 15, 2020

Nice views!

Took the family to the playground up here. Nice little place. Looked like it had a splash pad but it wasn't operating when we went.

Reviewed Aug. 4, 2018

Worth the money

went here for the first time 2 years ago and since than we've been there 2 times. The camping is good and the amenities are really clean. The bathrooms and the showers are clean and there's WIFI near them. The only draw back is that you have to pay for the showers but with $1.50 per person you can take a good quick shower.

Reviewed Sep. 16, 2017

Great Urban Full Hook Ups

We stayed one night with an trailer and a tent, it was clean, nice and well maintained. Not much to do in terms of nature settings, but if you're looking for something cheap for full hookups close to town, it's a great spot. Looked like there was fun parks for kids, we did not use them, however overall experience was clean and well maintained.

Sitewe stayed in site 67 full hook up site
Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed Sep. 16, 2017

Super easy access

We visited during the questival race, campground was easy to find and easily accessible. Get away without going too far. Love it!

Site17
Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed Jul. 8, 2017

Good urban Experience

This is a San Diego County Park/Campground. It offers everything from tent/car camping to full hook-up for large RVs. The campground also has some nice amenities: good trail system, a splash pad (open in spring and summer months), a playground, some areas to have a group picnic, even a large event room. There are about 60 camping spaces, mostly partial hook-ups (electricity and water) and a few full hook-ups (electricity, water, and sewer) in the original campground. These sites, 1-60 offer a bit more shade than the newer campsites which are all full hook-up. The newer sites (61 and higher) are on a hill and offer some good views of Bonita Valley. 61 and higher all are all full hook-ups - but you can put a tent on 'em.

The campground is freeway close and only a few miles away from grocery stores and restaurants.

This campground has a nice feel. It is a good place to unwind and enjoy a campfire and the whole camping experience. Good place for kids. There are several campsites with horse stalls for the equestrian campers.

Sweetwater is perched near a Freeway/Toll Road (not a terribly busy one) and it is under the San Diego Airport glide path for incoming flights. So yeah, a little more city than some other campgrounds.

At this time sites cost between $26 and $36 (?) per night. That gets yo one motor vehicle. Additional vehicles are $4 per night. There is a $1 pet fee, per pet.

http://www.sdparks.org/content/sdparks/en/park-pages/SweetwaterSummit.html

SiteI like 1-12 for tent camping - it's on the edge of the loop.
Month of VisitMay

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How much does it cost to camp at Sweetwater Summit Regional Park?

    Camping at Sweetwater Summit Regional Park can cost between $34.00 and $38.00 depending on the site.

  • Does Sweetwater Summit Regional Park have RV hookups?

    According to TheDyrt.com, Sweetwater Summit Regional Park has 30 amp electric hookups, water hookups and sewer hookups.

  • What is the max vehicle length at Sweetwater Summit Regional Park?

    Sweetwater Summit Regional Park allows vehicles up to 45 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Sweetwater Summit Regional Park?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Sweetwater Summit Regional Park, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Does Sweetwater Summit Regional Park have wifi?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Sweetwater Summit Regional Park does have wifi.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Sweetwater Summit Regional Park?

    According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is good, AT&T is good, and T-Mobile is good.