Lake Casitas Recreation Area

This is a nicely maintained municipal water reservoir with a very large lake. No swimming allowed, but boating is. Go figure.

There are campgrounds with hookups that are only available for RVs. There is one Campground -Indian- that has a mixture of tent and RV sites with hookups available but it was under maintenance when I was here this weekend. So all the rest of the areas that do have hookups do not accommodate my truck and tent rig. And there are no 110V or 30a outlets available for people who are traveling light -with solar and a minimum amount of panels, where you might need to plug in once in awhile- they can't cover you here. Too bad no one thought of that when they were designing this place, because it's an awfully big place with a lot of sites.

So we're leaving today to find another place to weekend.

But two nights next to the lake, in the campground called Mallard was lovely as can be. Next time I'll come out with more panels to keep my pair of EcoFlow RiverPro solar generators topped up.

Just to be clear, I love lake Casitas. I grew up camping here with my family. The reason I’m writing this review is to warn pet owners about the abundance of foxtails and burs. We have 2 poodle mixes with med-long hair and they both ended up with their fur filled with burs and foxtails. So much that it required a vet visit. This was from a weekend camp in our RV that had a large rug and they have raised dog cots.

Economical for California and the area. Off the beaten path from all the craziness by the beach.

We are just passing through CA or it would not be my top spot. They nickel and dime a lot of things, showers pets. We paid online and we pull up and all of a sudden getting charged $5 a day extra for pets including a cat that doesn't leave the camper. Was not thrilled about that.

Otherwise, it was scenic, had a camp store, was close to restaurants, had a gate to drive into, so the place was pretty secure. Seemed like a lot of people gathered on the weekends.

We had the dirt campground which wasn't my favorite but all that was left, while the other campgrounds had cement pads. It was still pretty level.We did have cell reception, nice views and they had a water park for kids during summer months, though wasn't open while we were there.

This is a huge place, with lots to do.  Not a good place if you're looking for a low key, quiet, simple camping experience.  There's a water park here as well, currently closed for renovations but apparently opening soon (and apparently water park fees are rising from $17 to $23, not sure).

The campground is broken down into a bunch of different camping loops, each with different amenities and vibe. 

There's a market here with basic fun camping supplies, as well as a propane tank to refill your RV tanks.  Price of propane is high here, but really there aren't many options in the area (there's a Corner Market down the road with very slightly lower prices).

The lake itself is beautiful and right in the middle of the entire recreation area. I believe boating and fishing is allowed but swimming is not - double check that info if that's important to you.

Good cell service here at the park but the entire area is iffy and you're driving around so heads up on that.

The sites are clean and the pads are very flat. Makes leveling a breeze. Great store with a ton of stuff from wood to ice to food, wine and kids toys.

Just a plain and simple campsite. Fun. Short drive to lake for fishing. Or a nice walk. Clean toilets. Clean showers. Went with a large group and everyone enjoyed it. It was just hotter than hell but the water spouts were helpful in keeping us cool.

No hook up site with our trailer was 40$. Worth it. Clean, expansive, great store, quiet in Grebe campground with view of lake. Two dump stations.

This was our first camp site as a family and it didn’t disappoint. It gets chilly at night so bundle up or pack a heater! Clean areas, clean bathrooms, friendly staff, competitive prices at the store. Highly recommended!

This campground was HUGE! There are several site with tenting, car camping, and hookups available. It seems to get busy fast so best to book in advance. There are flushing toilets, showers, and non-potable water available. The sites at Bass are relatively large with a good amount of space between sites. Camp store, cafe, and recreation area were all open. The water was closed. Were tucked into a surrounding of trees and a lake view. Highly recommend this campsite.

This place is a dump. False advertisement, there is no lake.. Just a couple of mud puddles and no fish. Very disappointed. The facilities are outhouses, dirty, trash strewn about and very little sites to choose from as the majority of the lake was closed. Water Park: Again, save your money unless you like being stuck in a watery version of the 405.. in Mexico.. My experience was wretched. Park"policies": When I made the reservation I only wanted one day. A Saturday. I was told reservations require a two day stay regardless of whether you are going to be there or not. I figured, ok.. Its my daughters bday and I want to teach my son to fish.. Why not. When we arrive on Friday to check in, I was in my car as the RV was being serviced. I informed the man at the gate and he proceeded to charge me an additional$14.00 dollars. When I asked what the additional charge was for he said it was"policy" that additional vehicles pay$14.00. I said, okay, that makes sense. However, this is one vehicle, I had just paid$120.00, for the site and this one vehicle would be in the site one night, until the following day, I would be bringing the RV(one vehicle) and leaving the other vehicle at home. After some debate with, Abel(a manager...lol.. hardly). Heinsists if I want to use my camp site this evening either I would be paying an additional$15.00 dollars for my vehicle or my RV that I would be bring the following day. One site, one car. That makes sense. The policy is as such the pass is written once and the park management will not make any exceptions. I get it.. Its only$15.00. Its the principal of it. They nickel and dime the very patrons who keep them open. I will not be back and I highly suggest to anyone else thinking about spending their hard earned money there.

Well organized and plenty of staff. Level of lake is very low.

Picked up a travel trailer in Ojai and camped at lake casitas. Had electric and water in the ‘Indian’ camp area. The place is massive. Camp store was well stocked- even had discs for the disc golf course. Located about 5 miles from Ojai. Would go back

The lake and surrounding area is gorgeous, especially at sunrise. There is a camp store with everything you’d need nearby. Our main complaint is with the camp culture. We stayed in the Grebe loop and campers on all sides of us stayed awake drinking loudly until 4am Friday and about 1am Saturday.

This is place is really nice and peaceful a nice get away

I feel lake Casitas is nice for those wanting to get a nice easy day of camping. It's friendly and not too small.

We just camped at Lake Casita Recreational grounds this month. There are several campsites in the area. Each campsites have different features, basic campsites have water available and vaulted toilets, and some sites have hookups for RV. The recreational grounds have picnic areas/tables and beautiful view of the lake. We stayed at the Indian campgrounds which has water and electricity hookups on each site. The campsite here are very close proximity to each other and there isn’t much view of the mountain nor the lake. I would probably recommend Osprey campground which has more space in between sites and has a beautiful clear view of the lake. There are lots of bird in the area and you can bring boats or practice fishing in the lake. No swimming is allowed in the lake. The water park is closed for renovations at this time and is announced to open next summer.

Drought times were hard on this lake but when there’s water it’s beautiful. Camped in a pop up. Forgot coffee but a stones throw away was the store with fresh coffee!!

The short drive through the his is nice , has a market inside and everything is close buy store wise etc and also good for biking around everyone always out having a good time and super friendly 👍😎 small critters like foxes etc come out at night so be sure to pack away and clean up

Casitas is always a great time. We love camping there as there’s always spots and the water park is always so much fun! They have a local store we ride our bikes to that’s stocked with all your needs and cute merch.

Before our current rig we had a class A motorhome. One of our first camping trips was to Lake Casitas recreation area. We were able to backup to the lake and litterally fish off our rear bumper. I would recommend this place and you should add it to your list.

We selected our campsite based on the map and online photos. We couldn’t have been more pleased with the location we chose!! Our space was F -11 and after driving through all of the campgrounds, and there are many, we felt that the Fox site was best suited for us. So much so that when we return we will definitely pick another site in Fox.

There is a small market should you forget anything and need it while on your getaway. It is stocked with practically anything you can think of!

Beware! There are ground squirrels in abundance everywhere here and they live without fear of humans! We watched them approach as we sat right near the truck and they hopped up into the engine compartment. Luckily as far as we can tell, they didn’t do any damage.

Our space had basic hook ups - there are two dump stations on site. There’s a big cost differential compared to a full hook up site - if that’s any concern. ;-)

Great place for a peaceful getaway!

Showers were bolted shut!?! Toilet locks were broken No hand washing facilities in toilets?!? Toilets were totally unusable in mallard ( where I stayed )

Wasn’t allowed to use my own kayak ( they wanted me to rent theirs) Store prices were marked up 300% The whole place is apparently subleased to a different management company and clearly they are all about scooping the dollars and don’t give a damn about the upkeep of the site or facilities at all Suggest avoiding at all costs!!! It was one night of utter hell.

Casitas Lake near Ojai in Ventura County has something for everyone, especially parents with children off from school in the summertime. The campgrounds are spacious and clean and there are at least six different types from basic tent on dirt all the way up to executive motorhome with all hook ups. Prices vary from 35 to 55$ for tents on dirt to 65-75$ for RVs with hook ups.There is also a charge for a vehicle, boat, pet, etc. The highlight for families though is the waterpark. Open during the summer, it’s perfect for the younger kids when it’s hot.Always check current Covid restrictions as most water parks are closed.

Stayed at site Fox 5 (full hook-ups) for 3 nights. Nice level concrete pad and fire pit. We didn’t have any immediate neighbors and it was very quiet and felt very remote at night time. Fox camp is perfect for our kids that like to be on their bicycles and explore. There is a park store right across the street (very pricey but convenient). We had a great time here and will most likely be back.

Mallard camp is right by the disc golf course, which makes for a great disc golf getaway.

Pretty big place to choose camp sites from plenty to do or just relax, includes dirt and grassy campgrounds early in the season. Fair price and features a water park aswell

Can be hot in summer but water park is great way to cool off. Fishing, boating (rentals avail.), hiking, biking, picnic and playground areas and a model plane airport. Great burgers at the restaurant. Small store for all the stuff you usually forget or don’t have time to pack like ice, firewood, propane. Great staff!

Great place for families and kids they have a water park for the kids and boat rentals to go out into the lake. Showers do close at a certain time and are coin operated which you have to purchase from the ticket stand. You aren’t allowed to get into the water unfortunately but the group boats are pretty fun and easy to handle.we go with a large group of multiple families who also have children and everyone always has a great time.

This is a huge campground that is broken into sections. A nice feature, (we did not take advantage of), is there is a water slide park near the entrance. As far as I know, this is a separate fee, but nothing astronomical. You can fish at Lake Casitas, and when we were there, the water levels were very low due to the drought. There was a nice playground within walking distance from where our site was that the kids enjoyed. We had a spigot nearby to wash our dishes, and there are flushing toilets and pay showers. There were also chemical toilets as well. We went in the middle of the summer, and of course, it was very hot. Thankfully we had our canopies to provide extra shade. Fire pits are at each site, as well as picnic tables. We had a nice time, but for us, this place was a little too big for our liking. I would go back, but I prefer smaller camp grounds.

 Visited during Memorial Day weekend which made the park extremely busy. Would recommend visiting during a non -holiday. However the campsite we stayed at was a bit secluded from other campsites which was great for a little bit of privacy. Our site had Two picnic tables and a fire ring situated under a pine tree with excellent views of the lake. We were glad to discover the park was dog friendly. However we did encounter some ticks so be aware and wear proper repellant. Overall the park is beautiful and we had a good time.