For those who want to get away from civilization for a weekend, but still want the comforts of home, consider renting a cabin for your Pine Valley camping trip. The Dyrt can help you find the best cabin camping destinations for your next trip. From secluded to easy-to-reach, these California cabin rentals are perfect for any adventurer.
Situated 4,200 feet above sea level in a forest of pines and oaks along the northern extremity of the Laguna Mountain Range, this 929-acre park is one of the few San Diego county parks to get snowfall each year.
Forests of oak, pine, and cedar surround peaceful mountain meadows and provide an undisturbed setting for nearly 11 miles of scenic hiking and equestrian trails. Mule deer and wild turkey are frequently seen throughout the park, and rare residents include bobcats and mountain lions.
Though its forest may seem timeless, each season brings dramatic changes: from winter snowfall to spring wildflowers, there is always something new to experience at Heise.
In addition to trails, you can take advantage of cabins, trailer sites, individual tent sites, and a group-tent camping area, along with several playgrounds, restrooms with coin-operated showers and ample picnic spaces. Rangers-lead activities every weekend, and the park office with a small museum is open during the day or by appointment. This park makes a gorgeous setting for weddings and special events!
$24 - $34 / night
Laguna Campground is a great mountain getaway just one hour east of San Diego, California in the Laguna Mountain Recreation Area. Campers can enjoy cooler temperatures, unique natural areas and an extensive trail system at this mountain facility from summer through early fall.
The Laguna Mountain Recreation Area is known for great horseback riding, mountain biking and hiking trails. Visitors can get their boots dusty on the Laguna Meadow Trail system or access a segment of the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from California to the State of Washington. Wildflowers are usually abundant in April and May on the Big Laguna Trail, which takes visitors past Big Laguna Lake. In wet years there is water in Big Laguna Lake by December or January and ducks and other birds can be found. The trail presents a number of options to the user. A return to the trailhead parking can be made by cutting through the Laguna Campground or by taking the Pacific Crest Trail north. Families can learn about the area's flora and fauna by attending educational programs at the facility's amphitheater. Or for history buffs, the El Prado Cabin located at nearby El Prado Campground, is the first ranger cabin built in the Cleveland National Forest in 1911. The San Diego State University Observatory also sponsors "Star Parties" for campers most Saturday evenings during the summer (schedule can be obtained at the nearby visitor center or by calling 619-473-8547).
The campground sits at an elevation of 6,000 ft. in the Laguna Mountains. It is forested with pines and oaks that provide plenty of shade, in addition to a meadow. The area is home to many species of birds, as well as the endangered Laguna Skipper butterfly. Little Laguna lake is located just a short distance from the campground and is an excellent hiking destination for photographers and visitors looking to explore the area.
$35 / night
The beautiful park offers camping and hiking in an oak woodland forest, with a sprinkling of pines and lovely meadows with creeks. There are over 100 miles of trails which accommodate hikers, bikers, and equestrians. The two family camps, Paso Picacho and Green Valley, are open and on the reservation system spring through fall. Green Valley sits at an elevation of 4,000 feet and has a creek which runs through the middle of the campground. The day use area offers sets of cascades and shallow pools, great for water play on hot days. Green Valley has 81 campsites.
Paso Picacho, 5 miles north, sits at an elevation of 5,000 feet. The most popular hikes start from this camp, including the 2 mile hike up Stonewall Peak (elevation 5,700 feet), and the 3.5 mile hike up Cuyamaca Peak (elevation 6,512 feet), both which offer breathtaking views of the deserts to the east, the coast to the west, and Lake Cuyamaca at the bottom. Lake Cuyamaca, operated by the Helix Water District, is two miles north of Paso Picacho and offers boating and fishing. Paso Picacho campground has 85 campsites.
Each campsite has a picnic table and a fire ring. Restrooms with flush toilets and pay showers are in the campground. Water faucets a located every few campsites. There are no hookups. Each campground has a dump station. Firewood and ice may be purchased at the camps. Interpretive programs are offered during the summer season. Campsites are $30 per night. Reservations are necessary for weekends April through October. The camping fee includes one motorized vehicle. Extra vehicles are $10 per night. There is a limit of 8 persons per campsite. Dogs are allowed but are restricted to the campgrounds, picnic areas, and paved roads and Cuyamaca Peak Fire Road. They may not be left unattended.
Environmental backpack in or horseback ride in camps are also available. Granite Springs and Arroyo Seco Environmental camps are open on first come, first serve. Both have chemical toilets, non-potable water, corrals and tent sites.
$40 - $250 / night
Agua Caliente is located in the desert of central Southern California. Pitch your tent or park your RV on the white sand between cacti and Mt. San Jacinto. Close to Palm Springs, and the Mexican border. Amenities include 3 pools, hot springs, restrooms, and games.
$29 - $75 / night
$24 - $100 / night
$24 - $34 / night
Lake Cuyamaca, the jewel of the San Diego mountains, is the ideal mixture of adventure and relaxation. Whether you come for a day of fishing, a weekend of camping, or a two week vacation in a cabin, it’s a place so beautiful you won't want to leave.
About an hour's drive from San Diego, Lake Cuyamaca is proof positive that good things come in small packages. Situated at an elevation of 4,600 feet among oak and pine, Lake Cuyamaca is the perfect getaway for up to 14 nights. Few places in San Diego County offer the pristine views you will find at Lake Cuyamaca.
Stocked regularly with trout, Lake Cuyamaca is the only San Diego lake that is able to stock trout all year long. Other species of fish include Florida large-mouth bass, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill and sturgeon.
There are no dump-stations at Lake Cuyamaca. The nearest dump-station is located about 3 miles away at Paso Picacho State Park Campround.
No body contact with the water is allowed. Lake Cuyamaca is a drinking reservoir.
No wood fires or burning of wood is allowed. Every site has a charcoal grill, and propane fire rings are permitted.
$32 - $45 / night
Wake up to the smell of the ocean air and go to bed beneath a clear sky full of bright stars at one of the best campgrounds in San Diego, California. San Diego Metro KOA Resort is the ideal destination if you're looking for a relaxing vacation with ample opportunities for excitement. We operate year-round and want to help you have the time of your life, whether you're visiting us for a couple of days in the summer or staying with us for a month in the winter.
$24 / night
Traveler
We stayed here multiple times to car camp and have stayed in sites 3, 6, and 28. We really enjoyed site 28 due to the spectacular views of Escondido. The reason I gave it 4 stars is because their can be some creepy people occasionally like some old guy was following my son in his car. But other than that we had a good stay. If you are in a camper I would recommend Escondido RV resort instead due to the more inviting feel (we stayed there in our Coleman travel trailer). But if you car camp a lot like myself I would recommend staying here at Dixon lake. Great stay overall👍😊
Scout
I have never had a bad experience at a camp ground with any ranger. They have all been wonderful. Not at this park. My registration tags went to my home so I did not have current tags. I had to have a family member collect my mail and forward to me on my travels so it was delayed. I did have a receipt which I was required to provide. However, the ranger barged into my campsite in a huff, treated me as if I were vomiting a crime and demanded my receipt on the spot in front of all. It was quite over the top. Later the same man barged back into my campsite throwing accusations at me that I hadn’t paid my measly $4.00 parking fee and breaking the rules of the park. He had the nerve to argue with me after I explained that in fact I had paid. He backed down after realizing I had. He then returned to harass us for the kids using chalk. There were kids from several campsites using chalk. We apologized and made them clean it up, no big deal. But the ranger was didn’t simply ask for it to be cleaned. He was threatening and confrontational. I dealt with one other ranger here who was quite nice and helpful but this other was awful. I discovered I was not the only one to have this experience here. I would recommend Sweetwater or Lake Jennings in San Diego area or Aqua Caliente where they are quite friendly. Yikes this was horrible
Traveler
We have stayed here a few times now. The best times are during the fall and winter months as the park welcomes back its community of Snow Birds coming from Canada and the northern US. During those times the atmosphere in the evening is always festive, often with live music and an outdoor bar. The staff are pleasant and accommodating. It is also a pretty good overnight spot if you are passing through in the summer, but the temperatures in this area soar during the summer and are frequently above 110 degrees. During summer time the pool becomes too warm to be refreshing, and the restaurant and bar are closed. The rates are much lower in the summer. This is also one of the few parks that accepts Passport America all days of the week. Note that Passport America discounts cannot be used with pull-through sites. The sites are fairly spacious and generally separated by hedges so you are not looking directly at your neighbor's rig. Scenery around the park is beautiful any time of year, and for those who enjoy the RV Resort lifestyle the only reason to go out of the park during the snow bird season is for groceries.
Traveler
I stopped here for lunch. You're in the desert, so hot during the day. There are some trees for shade, especially for the campsites along Yaqui Pass Road. All sites have lattice-work shelters for shade over the picnic tables. Water is listed as non-potable at all faucets. Besides campsites, there are one-room cabins for rent. $35/night for the campsites is a lot, but that is state park practice in CA. National Forest campgrounds are cheaper.
Traveler
Just passing through, perfect spot for the night. Showers a bit run down but plenty of hot water. Great location for easy access to fishing. Friendly staff. Store stocked with fishing gear, snacks and booze.
Scout
Wow, the San Diego Mountain Lodge sounds like the perfect escape! Thanks for sharing this recommendation. For those who want to capture their own adventures or share their experiences eloquently, I highly recommend checking out https://lastminutewriting.com/. Their expert writers can craft captivating narratives, whether it's about a serene mountain getaway or any other topic you want to explore. Happy writing and happy travels!
Scout
Let me first off say that the property is beautiful and that my hosts Carolyn and Bernie were very accommodating and had great energy. Plenty of room for beautiful hikes on their many acres of land packed with some great views a few decks scattered around the property. I found out they have a full size professional disc golf course here! I don’t bring my discs, but Carolyn and Bernie happily lent me some discs so I could try it out.
Now to the Glamping- now I been camping a bunch, the reason I say that this is glamping is that they have actual running water flushable toilets and outdoor hot showers! I can’t tell you how excited I was lol, it really upleveled the whole camping experience. They also have an industrial kitchen as well as an outdoor bar where they have very fairly priced beer and wine. Did I mention they have a full size professional pool table? Turns out Bernie and Carolyn are professional pool players too! This place is awesome! I will definitely be coming back again again to relax. I live in sd so it’s only about 35-40min drive from my place. Thank you so much Carolyn and Bernie for such a great experience!!
ScoutBeautiful nature getaway! Only 30 mins East of San Diego. 150 acres of beautiful pristine land. Gorgeous oaks shading our camp site. Loved the kitties & the ranch doggies. Went for a hike. Saw lots of flowers, a seasonal creek, sage, views of the valley & nearby mountain. Played some pool. The disk golf course is on the awesome hike I took. They have live music on the weekends. And 3 huge custom stone showers with natural spring water & full bathrooms with sinks & flushing toilets.
Scout
This was our first camping trip in our travel trailer. The amenities available are great. Very clean and friendly staff
ScoutSpectacular night lights
GuideShouldn't have a problem finding a site here.
GuideSpaces are very close together. The camp store was closed and the camp host was a little strange. I know that can be the case often but I didn’t want to have Covid vivid conspiracy conversations. Not a spot I would have a desire TK go back to
Ranger
Camped here for three nights in March of 2019, in one of the partial hookup sites close to the pool. According to the map of the CG, there are 104 sites and 7 cabins. Partial hookups are closest to the pool/shower area, with full hookups and cabins farther back and tent sites in the middle.
it seemed to be a well run facility. It was cool, cloudy and wet from recent rains when we were there and our site had a tiny stream running through it. Some sites, including ours, were not too level. The pool was not what I'd call "hot", probably in the mid to high 90s.
There's a couple short trails in the park, we hiked Moonlight Canyon. We really enjoyed it!! A bit like a lunar landscape with wild desert plants and flowers. The highlight was seeing some desert bighorn sheep!
A small store sits just outside the park entrance and though it was small, it seemed to have at least one of everything you could possibly need, including my favorite Colorado beer, Fat Tire!!
This park has a lot of rules, some quite unusual. Probably a good idea to familiarize yourself with them before you head out.
Traveler
We stayed 2/17/24-2/22/24 at spot 77. Great, huge shade tree!!! Level.
Clean bathrooms!! Flush toilets & 2 shower stalls.
The Rangers were kind & helpful!
Fire wood is $6/bundle that is purchased from the ranger station. Cash only.
Showers are pay showers. .50/4mins.
There must have been 100 wild turkeys that cruised thru the camp ground a few times. Pretty epic sight!!
During this time of year, chilly nights but beautiful days. We did get rained on for a day but nothing horrible.
Oh, fires out by 11. They’re pretty strict about that time if the camp ground is busy but if it’s not, they leave you alone. I sat out after my kids went to bed til around midnight with my fire & it was heaven. Poured water on my fire & went to bed. Perfect evening!!
ScoutSecond time here, booked to be close to the San Diego zoo safari park. This is a very well run county park.
Legend
When we arrived, check in was quick and were escorted to our site. Our friends had arrived already and told us the site next them was open. The man who escorted us made a quick call and made the change.
The concrete pads are really long. I will leave a picture. This allowed us to have both the trailer and the truck on the pad. Not the perpendicular park job we are all used to.
It raining all day the following day and we were getting emergency alerts on the phone for dangerous flooding. The RV park has no drainage problem at all. The park is incredibly clean and well maintained.
We did play a couple of days on the golf course there. The course was in excellent shape. Green a bit slow. :-)
The pool area with all the activities available was a nice option. One night they had live music in that center.
This is a fun place to be for sure. Lots of hiking places near by. We will be back!
Scout
So it’s no new news that the park has been sold and along with doing so the previous owner decided to replace the current manager Debra who in my opinion was overworked and definitely more than likely under paid considering who her boss was . My point here is why would anyone sell a place and replace their manager who did and does way more than job description. It seems as with every other business he’s sold in the community in recent years k owing it was going to be an epic failure and he’s wind back up with the business, that he has it changed his business model why sell a park and the incoming owners has to deal with a place they know nothing about or the ins and outs or the people and except to not have tons more of problems with a new hired manager who don’t know either , of course he won’t get this business back but just doesn’t seem ethical or business worthy to do so . If the new owners had this kind of thinking they’d be smart to rehire or keep if possible current management. Just my opinion it don’t matter cause I no longer am a resident of that poor town but still love the place
TravelerIt has great food and beautiful golf course.
LegendGeneral: A mix of partial hook-up and tent sites plus six cabins about an hour from San Diego.
Site Quality: All the sites have paved pads except 64-68 and 70-75; these have gravel pads. These sites also have a curb which can be a bit challenging when backing in an RV. A fire ring and picnic table complete the site. Some have better separation/privacy than others. This area had a lot of recent rain so the creek that meanders through the park was very high. Sites 74 and 75 were flooded and unoccupied when we were there.
Bathhouse: The one closest to site 73 was very basic (no hooks, shelves, or mirror); there was also one handicap-accessible separate bathroom. Although there were showers in other parts of the campground, there were not any in the bathhouse closest to our site.
Activities/Amenities: Campfire program, horseshoe pit, short nature trail, dump station. There is also a large, enclosed picnic pavilion. This park seemed to attract family groups (at least on a Friday) and it was great to see so many kids around the campground not on their devices! Appreciate the dishwashing sink and the propane canister recycling.
We had to change our plans at the last minute so we were fortunate to secure a site at this park on a Friday night in late March and it was fine for an overnight.
ScoutI thought this campground was pretty nice and I enjoyed the views, the peace and quiet, we slept in our Cargo Van set up as a camper. We paid $30 for the spot and restroom was pretty close about a 2 min walk. I recommend this location!
Scout
I can’t believe how badly this park has deteriorated. On our last stay we saw so many weeds and potholes. The hot tubs seem to be broken all the time. Showers and bathrooms were filthy and rundown. Resort? How shameful. But worse than that are the rangers. They used to welcome us like we were members, paying customers. Not sure why they have such a hard time understanding that we pay their salaries. WE ARE THE CUSTOMERS. We were treated like we were unwanted guests. A new ranger named Christian is a cocky, arrogant kid. He clearly doesn’t want to work there and has no concept of customer service. We immediately asked for his manager and he didn’t care about how rude we were treated. The manager (Israel) only cared about flirting and gawking at another ranger who worked up in the activity center. There’s a married couple who work there selling memberships and he told me the management is terrible and the park is going down the tubes. He told me much of their staff is unhappy about how they are treated and many have quit. I asked why they don’t get new management and he said even his boss said the women managers are untouchable. He told me secretly that he was quitting too. I guess that’s why he unloaded on them. He told me about the sexual assaults in the park from illegal Mexicans coming across the border. He told me about the 4 convicted pedophiles living in the park and showed me Megan’s Law. It’s all true. You can see them walking around and their addresses listed on their profile on Megan’s Law is the RV Park. He told me about all the drugs on the north side of the park and that one ranger was dating a member there and violently assaulted her and she turned out to be a prostitute. He said the company and manger knew he was a meth addict and yet kept him there and swept it under the carpet. He also told me that the 3rd in charge(Jesus) had to go to counseling because he keeps sexually harassing the other staff and members and he is still doing it. He apparently is harassing the girl who works in the store now. And yet they still protect him and hide it. Seriously? You want us to pay to stay here? Until they start firing these incompetent and rude employees we won’t be coming back.
GuideThe county park is quiet and peaceful. During the week I’m 1 of about 4 campers. It has filled up on the weekends with mostly families and scout troops. It is a mix of RV and tent campsites.
Guide
Me and my husband camped here for about five days we are in spot 42 lots of room back in plus pull in spots full hook ups has paddle boats fishing and spots to walk your dog
Guide
We arrived as the sun was setting and had a glare in the windshield so it was a little tough getting through the tight loop but we made it. Had we noticed that we were supposed to turn right before the bathrooms, we would not have had to do a u-turn! That was my mistake. We had a 22 foot trailer and were just barely able to squeeze through. Many people had their vehicles parked right along the narrow road in. I saw larger RVs there - I can only imagine how difficult that just have been to get through. There's a section of road where if you go off it, you could potentially roll down a hill.
Check in for this campground is across the lake at the "bait and tackle shop" (15029 CA-79, Julian, CA 92036) and that's only open until 6PM. If you arrive later than that, that's OK just check in in the morning. I wouldn't recommend trying to pull a trailer over to the other side as you'll have a difficult time turning around. The camp host will remind you as you're entering or leaving that you need that parking pass.
The best site in this park would be number 23 as it has a clear view of the lake and a very large "front yard". We were in 21 and had a partial view with the two other sites closer to the lake blocking our view.
Cell service for Verizon was OK for phone calls, not so great for data. I noticed driving around the lake that there was 5G in the area, just not at the campground. Top data speed at the site was around 2 MBps down, 0.5 MBps up. If you have a directional signal booster, that may help.
We brought out Starlink dish for internet service. The trees blocked the satellites every 7 minutes but that was OK for streaming movies. We never experienced a full outage, just brief moments where the speed went way down. Our best Starlink speed at the site was 174 MBps down, 11 MBps up, plenty of bandwidth.
There are two free campground shower on site, bathrooms and a dishwashing area. A small store near the entrance has a few food items.
The camp host was courteous and drove around once in a while to check out on everyone.
I didn't notice any trash cans on site. We packed our trash out.
The nearest town is Julian - about 6 miles away. It's a nice place for a quick day visit where you'll find gas (including diesel), food, restaurants, historical buildings, etc. Of course, you should get a pie while you're there! Julian is well known for that.
The site was clean and neighbors were courteous. We had a large group camping a couple spots away but they kept the noise down.
If you have kids, there's a nice playground by the lake.
We had a beautiful view of the Milky Way at night, visible to the naked eye.
Overall, I would say this is a great camp area to visit with several recreation opportunities nearby. We came for mountain biking. There are plenty of trails to ride.
Scout
My family and I take a yearly camping trip and this is one of the sites that we regularly come to. We are a big group of 19 and find this place very comfortable and enjoy the trails. However, we will not be returning! A squatter had hijacked one of our reserved spots and the rangers have done nothing but give is the run around. They just allowed her to stay in our reserved spot the entire stay. The rangers just kept making excuses for the squatter. What was supposed to be a carefree week turned to a stressful and cramped week. They do not care about the campers and it clearly shows.
GuideSite #30 This campground was an awesome campground from beginning to end. The guard shack that’s in the middle of the entry to get into The campground appears to not be used. You actually check in at the office to the right of guard shack. They only appear to store their ranger trucks near the guard shack, so go into the lane on the right when you’re entering the park. Check-in was quick and easy. There are signs in the park that direct you to where to go to get to your site as well as they give you a map when you check in. The Site was not level (which isn’t a problem) just mentioning it so that you know you’re going to have to have things with you to level your rig. Our site was covered with chalk from overly creative previous campers. Otherwise is was clean. This is a beautiful park with lots of trees and shrubbery. Saturday night was busy and slightly loud but quieted down by midnight. Sunday morning most of the campers packed up and left. The line for the dump is long and slow moving. Blocking sites in its path from 10:30 am to after 12:00 pm. So keep that in mind when you’re scheduling your camping site. Our site was blocked but we could squeeze out so it wasn’t a problem for us. But it could be a problem for others. So just a heads up. Bath house was clean showers looked good. They do you have poison ivy or poison oak in this park. I don’t remember which but they had signs up about it. We saw squirrels, bunnies, and LOTS of hawks and a few other birds during our stay. We had solid Verizon service anywhere in the park. The rangers drive though on and off all day then disappear in the late afternoon reappearing early morning. There are quite a few flys buzzing around and gnat like bugs. But it was no big deal. Great park!
TravelerThe lake is a reservoir and good for just a day trip, but don’t stay too long. Gets super hot and you can’t swim in the lake to cool off at all. The boat ride was fun but also cost money. We heard screaming children all day but otherwise, the view from our site was nice and land was decent
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Pine Valley, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Pine Valley, CA is William Heise County Park with a 4.5-star rating from 43 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 42 cabin camping locations near Pine Valley, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
