Close and Perfect for Weekends

This is my favorite out of the two campgrounds in the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. While both have their positives, I personally love this one for its close proximity to the waterfalls that are a short trail from the campsites. Depending on what campsite you are in, you can walk to the trail and down to the falls which are perfect for swimming around when it is hot outside. I love this campground for a quick weekend getaway from San Diego that has minimal preparation. Every site is a drive up site, most have shade and there are plenty of bathrooms. Most sites also have a fire ring and picnic table to use as well. A perfect, lower cost campsite that is great for families and people who want an easy camping experience with some water involved!

Great Spot

One of my favorite campsites that I have been to. I stayed at the Backpackers spots near the entrance of the Portal and the spots were perfect for what I needed before and after I climbed Mt. Whitney. There are plenty of spots for a reasonable $10-15 with plenty of shade and coverage. The surroundings are gorgeous and you could have a great time staying here and just walking around looking at the river and waterfall at the campground. The store at the Portal has great options in terms of food if you do not feel like cooking or if you forget anything. The people inside are also very friendly and willingly to assist you in any way you may need. There are only vault toilets and I did have to filter all my water while there because of E.Coli threat but that just happens sometimes. When there isn't an E.Coli threat they also have showers available for use! For the price however, you can't find a more enjoyable and gorgeous site to camp at. I was a solo female and I felt extremely safe and comfortable. Bonus for the bear lockers by your car!

Primitative

Every time I have been here it has been pretty empty and quiet without a ton of people around. It is close enough to town that if you forgot anything you could drive in and grab it but it is far enough away that you can enjoy quiet. The sites are extremely close to the water and have all the basics that you would need. There are fire rings and bathrooms for visitors to use that are kept pretty clean. There is however limited shade and it can get quite hot in the summer so I would keep that in mind when visiting the Salton Sea!

Fun!

We came here year after year with groups and always loved it! The beach is beautiful and it is so convenient to camp here and just keep walking down to the beach everyday. The sites are on the smaller side but they are well maintained and there are plenty of showers and bathrooms situated throughout the campground. The actual campground itself isn't exactly scenic as it is just a road with sites on wither side and little shade in every site but that is not why people usually come. There is a store in case you need anything along with other perks, such as junior ranger programs. A pricey camping option but very much worth it to be on the beach, just busy!

Basic but convenient!

This is the first campsite you will come upon as you drive down the road in Baxter State Park and it is the first parking lot where you are able to park for the Abol Trail up Mt. Katahdin. Keep in mind that the road in Baxter is unpaved if you're driving here and that there is electricity in the park at sites! That being said, I camped here the night before I hiked up Katahdin and it was perfect for what I needed. Open spaces with tables and a fire ring and nothing else really. There is a ranger cabin on site to assist you with maps and firewood and anything else you may need. They were super helpful! Other than that there were composting toilets and there is parking near the sites for you to keep your car at.

First to Review
Small and Quiet

This campground is in the middle of Holly Springs National Forest on Puskus Lake. The campground itself is quite small but the camping spaces have a good amount of room to them so you do not feel like you are on top of each other. Additionally, I have never seen more than 5 or 6 different sites being used anytime that I have been there. It is also relatively cheap to camp there which is always great! While you can boat or fish on the lake, you cannot swim in the lake so keep that in mind if you are going somewhere where you want to cool off. They do have nice docks over the water however to hang out on. There are 2 trails you can walk on around the campsite but they only equal about 5 miles and are not maintained very well in some areas although they are flat and easy to explore. Overall, this spot is great for a night or two when you just want to go out and tent camp for a great price.