Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve

Lots of lots super clean and fun. Have activities every weekend. A little pricey But we'll worth it. Pool, showers, laundry on site. Water , sewer and electrical on site.

Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve provides a well-managed 190-acre oasis ideal for large families seeking natural serenity and structured recreation near San Diego. Its 300 full-hookup RV sites, many lakeside with generous spacing, cable TV, and amenities, effectively accommodate multi-generational groups. Seven recycled-water lakes offer family-friendly activities like fishing, pedal boating, duck feeding, and birdwatching, complemented by five miles of trails, playgrounds, two swimming pools (one heated), and a sprayground. The park’s environmental ethos shines through drought-resistant landscaping and clean facilities, fostering educational engagement with local ecology. Reservations are essential, particularly for weekends. Overall, it balances accessibility and tranquility, making it a premier destination for family bonding amid Southern California’s landscape.

Large parking spots and great atmosphere. The fishing lakes are and best indoor walking paths are a bonus.

This was our first camping trip in our travel trailer. The amenities available are great. Very clean and friendly staff

Very clean. If you like bird watching and/or fishing you will can do both right from your campsite.

My parents, husband, brother, and sister-in-law camped here for Easter 2021. We were able to snag a site that someone usually occupies on a regular basis, but they rent out if they aren’t using it or something like that. We were on the water which was so beautiful! We brought our bikes and biked around the campsite, played games and realized around our campsite. We didn’t use the pool at all, but other campers seemed to be having fun swimming. Their clubhouse was under construction, so we didn’t get to use that recreation, but we still had a great time and it was so beautiful that weekend!

Great campground Close to home So we could invite Friends to come visit

I have been coming here for the last 3 years to winter from the PNW. Being a native San Diegan The east county location allows for easy access to San Diego sites from two freeways. The camping is fun for the family with the lakes for fishing for stocked trout, walking trails and children playgrounds.

This is suh a nice place to camp  Lots of birds and great fishing.  Although you can see housing and it's not in a remote area, it is still quiet and peacefull.  I can't wait to go back. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay.  For tent camping the ground can be a little hard to set stakes.

There’s lots for kids to do here! Feed the ducks, fish, ride the pedal boats. It’s an awesome place for a day outside!

Perfect spot to forget you’re in San Diego. It’s lake in the middle of neighborhoods. My moms company has a party here every year, we take my nephews fishing here almost twice a month. It’s a great place to forget about reality.

Mostly for RV camping but has a few cabins by the water and some even floating cabins on the water! Great place to take your kids fishing, biking, paddle boating, or just relaxing. Has lots of ducks to feed and saw quite a few people catching fish. Great place to hang out for the day or camp overnight.

Clean fun fair price .... very strict camp fires out by 10 one no music after 9:00 on weekends

I wish they would stock a little more fish. Great areas of campgrounds. Great water park for kids and everyone. Full hook ups. Small supply store on site.

Nice campground just 20’ from San Diego city. Set up our 16’ travel trailer at a lakeshore full hookup site #27 (no fire pit though). Kids loved the convenient fishing right behind our trailer and the swimming pools a short drive away. Also was able to rent paddle boats to cruise around the lakes. Only problem was the ants we encountered (first time ever) and had to run over to the local Lowe‘s to purchase some DE to spread around the anchor points and connections. Facilities were clean and well maintained though and will definitely return for our local weekend getaways.

Camping in grass and dirt patches with some large trees for shade. Warmer temperatures in the summer make you wish you were farther northeast in the mountains... but his area in east county SD is nice location for hiking Iron mountain or Potato chip rock.

Like the ther their review mentions, it is more of an RV zone from time to time, and it is a more rural area where the folks come out with fireworks during the holidays... but you can find some privacy around the six lakes

Visited Santee Lakes Campground for a quick weekend trip. There are some pros and cons. Let’s start with the good

Pros: great weather and location being close to San Diego. Maybe a 20-25 minute drive to downtown. Close to grocery, gas, and goods stores. Nice lakes to walk around. Great if you like fishing. Clean bathrooms and hot water. RV sites have full hookups if you need. Staff was friendly

Cons: Sites are right on top of each other. Really no privacy. More of an RV Park than a campground. It was loud. First night was rowdy neighbors up until 1am. Second morning we woke up to what sounded like gun shots or fireworks that went on for hours. Construction across the lake on homes.

Overall, it was ok. Not really our style but maybe someone else’. We prefer a little more private and woodsy. Would return for the location close to SD but would try an find a better space.