Best RV Parks & Resorts near Lake Arrowhead, CA

This campground is part of the “Thousand Trails” RV time share co-op. We are non-members and lined up our weekend stay a few weeks in advance. If we didn’t get reservations in advance there was no chance of getting a spot. All 500+ sites were booked solid (late April - early May). We live in Orange County and tried this spot for a quick out of town trip. We didn’t hit the road till late., so We showed up at dusk. The major downside to this park is they don’t assign any of the sites. It’s based off a “First come, first serve” the problem with showing up late is we spent 45mins driving around this large RV park trying to find and open site. We ended up in the sites that were electrical only, all of the other 495 sites are full hook ups.

The sites are large and will fit most large 5th wheels and diesel pusher motor homes. Some sites have 50 amp but not all.

Two pools, club house, general store (closed b/c of covid) tons of mature trees for shade. BBQ stations at most sites, tons of water foul playing around and honking all night long.

Great for long term RV camping with hookups. They have nice hot springs pools, decent cell signal, and reasonable prices for full hookups. Camp sites are on the small side so neighbors are close, but at least they put plants in between to give you a little privacy.

To set the scene for you, I was in desprate need of a new home for myself, my Great Dane Laya and my 35 foot, 1969 Buffalo Bus Conversion when I found this little "Diamond in the rough" campground. You see, 90% of campgrounds and RV Parks in SoCal have a 10 to 15 year old limit to help keep out the trashy trailers and the riff-raff that usually inhabits them. (I know how that sounded and I dont care cause the truth hurts) And even though my Coach is beautiful, she is still 50+ years old and so far no one has been willing to break that rule for us. So after calling what seemed like 50 places, I phoned this one and was greeted by the onsite assistant manager named Joe. He told me that they limit the number of long-term wimter renters to 16 and only had a couple spots left. He then went over the park ammenities, and also listed off what there was to do in the area, and when he got to the price I was blown away. He stated their daily rate was $33, and the monthly rent was only $610, and to move in all that was due was the 1st months rent and it was pro-rated! I was currently paying $70+ per day at the RV Park at Pudding Stone lake where the staff are rude, heartless Natzi's that act like they own the park! TBC....

I visited Sam's Family Hot Springs Park in early April and I am eager to go back again. I was told on the phone that the RV park is never full, which makes checking in easy. All I had to do was show up find a good spot then register. I have only ever stayed in the RV park, not the hotel, but this place is exactly what a desert oasis should be like. As the name indicates, this is a"family" spa, filled with very active kids and their parents. This is not the place for a romantic getaway. However I personally really enjoyed my stay. The 

Good: Four mineral water small pools set to different temperatures. The hottest is 104 degrees. These pools are powered by natural hot springs no added chemicals! There are also a dry sauna and a tiny steam sauna. There is a larger family pool filled with city water that has reclining beds and chairs and you can always find shaded areas. The park has its own lake with an abundance of wildlife. There are black swan and cranes, as well as plenty of ducks, fish, and turtles in the water in a beautiful setting. I found the bathroom to be clean, with keypad activated toilets and showers that are open 24 hours. 

The sites have full hook-ups for water, electricity, and sewerage. There is a limit on only one sleeping unit per site. It had 110V and the 30AMP and 50AMP. The RV park check-out is pretty flexible and you can use the facilities all day on your check-out day. There is a VONS five miles away so it is best to load up there before you check-in. Alternatively, there are several dining options around in a few miles distance, a Thai place, some Mexican restaurants, and a Burger place that caters for breakfast through to dinner. If you plan to stay longer, you can visit Joshua Tree, Palm Springs, or even a casino. The staff were very friendly and accommodating and altogether it was a nice experience that I am more than happy to recommend. 

The Bad: There is not much to do in the area. You will need to drive for everything. Joshua Tree is about an hour's drive away. It's a very family-friendly place. If you come on holidays or weekends it is packed and full of kids. They are basically taking over the large pool and screaming, jumping all day. I guess if you have young kids this is a place to bring them, but if you want peace and quiet, come during off-seasons and during school days. 

The Ugly: What I didn't like that the nightly cost for an RV site is expensive and they offer no discounts. Nothing. No Good Sam, no Passport, no deals nothing. It's not really worth it for me to spend days here when the Golden Village Palms with more amenities, cleaner, and with less wind- offers awesome deals all the time. What I don't understand, the park is basically empty during off-seasons but still no discounts. 

If they would offer weekly deals I would most definitely spend more time here. Internet: There is a Verizon tower in the park so Verizon is Awesome. I also had a good Sprint. AT&T is weak.

 Will I Be Back? I will but only for a night here and there when I am in the area.

This is a fairly nice place to camp. I would avoid camping here during the summer since it does get very hot. It is closed during the winter months, but you can still catch some cooler weather when it first opens during the season.

There is not much for shade in the areas for RV/Trailer camping.

Not much to do here other than hiking and kicking back. The Pacific Crest Trail passes nearby.

It is away from the populated cities, but not far from them. It still gives you a sense of seclusion.

There is water and electricity hookups, along with a dump station and separate tent camp spaces.

Seriously. This gem is located on the outskirts of Desert Hot Springs, CA. With two hot spring-fed pools and hot tubs (one of which is massive and SO luxe), we didn’t want to leave. Like, ever. The spring leaves your skin oh so soft and rejuvenated. The entire grounds were recently renovated and it shows. Stunning landscaping, layout and amenities. State of the art fitness center, billiards room, spa-worthy bathrooms and showers. Misters above every pool deck lounger. Convenience store 10 steps from the pool. Mini golf, pickle ball, horseshoes, shuffle board, bocce ball. During busy season (oct-march I think) they have water volleyball, performances, classes, etc. what a dream! Gorgeous views of the mountains, spectacular sunsets, and all-around great vibes. Alos, lots of bunny sightings everywhere on the grounds! A pond with ducks, too. Lots of spaces, large and flat. Always clean. Everyone is so friendly. And with Good Sam Club we paid $22 a night!!!! What?! Our favorite RV Resort for the money across 15 states weve visited so far!

Only improvements I can think of: put water bowls at dog park, add speakers to pool area for spa-like music to play to enhance the soothing atmosphere, offer recylable cups at the pool in case someone has glassware (which isn’t allowed), offer lotion in the bathrooms, and add a hand sanitizer bottle in the minigolf area.

Our RV sites are available for either short-term or long-term stays. Each site include a patio, privacy fence, full utility hookups, a 6’x8’ storage shed, a 2 vehicle driveway, and an individual mailbox.

Our Lakefront RV Sites are also available for long-term or short-term stays. They are fully concreted, easily accessible and have full utility hookups – including cable TV and free Wi-Fi, storage sheds, and deck boxes are available for your convenience.

Each site also has parking for your watercraft and provides a nice patio table and an unobstructed view of beautiful Lake Elsinore and the San Gorgonio Mountains.

Stayed here 21 days in July after i was caught in a Forrest fire , glad i did best rv park/campground ive been to as of yet .NO WIFI IF YOU NEED THAT YOU MUST HAVE YOUR OWN the week days are really quiet maybe 15 to 20 rvs in the F area but weekends fill up completely .I meant some awesome ppl here and definitely will be returning in my travels .They do not allow extended stays past 21 days . and do not expect any quiet on the weekends but it is a great time with good ppl

Been here many times since it is local to me.

This place has changed a lot over the years, and not necessarily for the good, in my opinion.

What there is:

• Trailer camping
• Tent camping
• Fishing
• A playground
• Small water park
• Two lakes to fish at
• Trains, lots of them
• Bathrooms with showers
• Frisbee golf
• Picnic tables and shelters

What there is no longer:

• Paddle boats
• Horse riding stables
• Horses and cows
• Other interesting animals
• Water in the grass fields where the animals roamed
• Arenas

Beware of skunks and loud trains!

It is still a somewhat nice place to visit for a couple hours with the kids.

We have camped in a tent. The tents sites are adjacent to the lake.

Trailer camping isn't too bad, other than being adjacent to the busy railroad. Most sites have grass.

We enjoyed the pool, watching the ducks in the pond, and the kids loved the basketball court. Some parts closed on certain days- store, jacuzzi, community room. Big spots with room to set up, but this place is booked and it’s mid week late September. Definitely my favorite Thousand Trails so far… lots of long timers/ leased sites on the other side of the park. Friendly staff and overall friendly neighbors too!

Limited FHU sites one is extremely lucky to find one available. Honey wagon is $25.00 per dump. 50 year old buildings in need of repairs as well as the electric wires ( OLD aluminum) bathrooms are old and drain covers are loose ( hazardous situation if barefooted in shower) informed maintenance and for 2 months nothing was fixed. The reason it got 3 stars ⭐️ is its location being up in the mountains ⛰ in a state forest is a nice place to relax unwind and get away from the rat race. If your a member of thousand trails this is an affordable park ( free ). If your a retail customer it is a little pricey even tent 🏕 camping is $50 -$60 a night. Then again in 2021 what isn’t expensive?

We stopped here to use their dump and fill our water tanks, and were directed to the Flying J south of town. The staff person told me that all the RV parks in this area operate this way, so just a heads up! 

As described in previous reviews, this park is pretty run down but seems to be an interesting place. Weird cars and a big dinosaur sculpture out near the main road, a phone booth near the restroom marked as “time machine,” random clutter and items throughout. 

Observed a mixed recycling bin at this park. 

Saw a sign for a Good Sam discount. 

There isn’t much around in this area of town, so stop for groceries and supplies before you arrive.

We stayed at the Idyllwild RV Resort over Labor Day weekend 2020 and we had a great time. The campground is big with lots of different spaces dedicated to cabins, RV's, tents etc so nothing feels too cramped or noisy. Plus, there are a lot of open spaces in the campground and some small trails with cool views and lots of amenities. The good news is even with it being an "RV Resort" our camping area still had lots of wooded area and it never felt too chaotic or crazy. We didn't get to take advantage of all of the amenities due to COVID, but it was nice to have the little market and cafe. It is also close to Idyllwild but far enough away from the town, unlike a lot of the other campgrounds we saw in the area which were really close to roads and lots of other people. Bathrooms were nice (although a little far away from some of the spots) and well-kept. The tent sites are fairly spacious - NO WOOD FIRES HERE - with room for our car and tent and their provided picnic table, although some of the sites are a bit close together. Overall, a good experience and a place we would definitely come back to.

This is a Thousand Trails/Encore campground. Which isn’t a bad thing, but, they do need to upgrade the electrical system. They don’t have enough 50amp sites and not all of them are always working. This park is first come / first served and they don’t prohibit a 30amp rig from taking a 50amp site, so you can see the problem. Now don’t get me wrong, we have been there 5 times in the last 2 years and will go some more, especially with the grandkids, but we have never been able to get in a 50amp site. There are a lot of positives at Wilderness Lakes, like, you feel like your in the wilderness, lots of shade, 2 nice big pools, store, snack shack, propane and more. If you’re a 30amp rig, you’ll love it here, need 50amp as long as you don’t need both A/C’s you’ll love it too.

Beautiful campground. Clean restrooms and showers. Nice spacious scenic sites. Full hook ups. Big Bear Lake near by, lake level appears to be receding. Bears and coyotes in the area, recommended not to let small dogs or cats roam unattended.

A previous reviewer noted this is a military only facility. That is correct. I.D. is required to get on base. Once that is done the office is in building 185 and check is is super easy. The pads are new concrete and level. There are a few trees along the back of the RV pads. Full hookups and apparently the base WiFi is available by renting a router for the night, but our cell phones (Verizon) have 4 bars of service. The parking lot is gravel. Which is the norm in the south west with less than 5 inches of rain a year. At $35/ night with full hook up, this is a go to again place! The office staff was extremely helpful too.