Hidden gem in the hills
We drove up for an impromptu camp trip, it was only about an hour drive. I've never been up to Palomar Mountain although I've lived here for 30 years! It's a very picturesque drive with lots of twists and turns and watch out for those motorcycles.
The campground is situated within lots of trees so there is shade. We stayed at Doane Valley Family Camp loop. There are trails and a pond very close by, it's stocked with fish, but it's tiny.
The sites are really cool and private, lots of tall trees and shade. Only downside was the bugs. There were a lot of flies, but we went in July so go figure. Will definitely camp here again, but will likely wait for it to cool off a bit. There is snow up here in the winter months so I would recommend camping in the fall.