Pinezanita Campgrounds & RV Park

great spot to camp. Very rural area and close drive to Julian. spots are pretty close to each other but that’s ok. Great firepits and location of services along with a great store on site. the Firewood is really cheap and burns forever so that is great! We will be back soon. Thank you Pinezanita!!!

Arrived after a few minutes after hours and the lady running the office was still in. Door was open, so I went in to ask for a spot. The lady apologised for not locking the door and sent us away.
If you are you have an unfriendly nature, don’t work in hospitality.

Love coming here for a weekend getaway!!! Very quiet and close to town. The sites are always clean. If you are tent camping make sure to bring a blow up mattress the sites all have rocks. The bathrooms are always spotless and the staff is super friendly.

We stayed here from 31 Dec 2015 — 3 Jan 2016 and loved it. It fit our needs. Keep in mind that this is not a Resort /​Commercial type campground so don’t expect activities, pool etc. about all they have beyond the spots is a pond and store (which does have everything in case you forgot stuff, I was surprised of the stuff they thought of). Also the lake is closed off in Winter Season so don’t expect to fish (yes, we were dorks and brought poles). This beautiful campground is just a small owned mom & pop campground, which is VERY CLEAN. As soon as you arrive, they make you feel warm & special (which is a rarity nowadays). Since we were hauling this beast of a trailer for the first time, the lady was nice enough to show compassion and let us choose our spot depending on our comfort level of backing it in, so that was a PLUS for us! Our trip was entirely based on trying our new Trailer (Toy Hauler) out for the first time to make sure everything worked & we understood everything. Full hookups were sold out but partial hook up’s (Water & Electricity) was ok too. Spots were spacious, very clean and the gravel was not a problem for us. Have no idea why people are Unilocaling that it was noisy. This was the most quiet campground I have ever been through, no rift raft or partiers! Even on new years my husband dared me to yell «Happy New Years!» but I couldn’t do it, was just WAY too quiet. So could be too quiet for those looking for a party type atmosphere. Ohhh… and bring your camera, I regretted I didn’t. Our camp spot was over populated by blue jays and woodpeckers, loved watching them as I drank my morning coffee. One morning we even saw a Cougar in the distance beyond the fence off rural area… scary but cool that we are still near real life nature… I’d definitely be back!
Only thing that would have made this perfect is the people who reside there… but you can’t control that, the permanent residence there with trailers weren’t as friendly, we had a few snub us… but anyhow, I highly recommend this campground! Super close to JULIAN! And FYI, the winter nights are COLDEST I have ever experienced. The water dripping from our hooked up hose formed a HUGE Icicle! Crazy! never seen anything like that!

What’s wrong with people giving this place bad ratings? This park is SO clean and quiet and peaceful. Yes there’s not much to do, but that’s ok. If you want trails and the whole outdoor experience, camp at cuyamaca down the road. This is an RV park. I can’t understand why anyone would tent camp in an RV PARK! So, if you have an RV and are looking for a great getaway. This is your spot. Best spaces are in the back of the park (100 to about 120). We stayed in 104 and it was great.

Thought I’d try someplace new, The place sucked as most places with paved roads do. No campfires past 10pm, people stacked on top of each other. Everywhere gets crowded, but I’d rather see them only allow ½ as many people and provide a pleasant place to camp.

This campground was very basic and boring. I camp often and we wanted to try a new location but this was a mistake on our part. With the pond very, low it was a depressing place to be. I walked throughout the entire property and 80% of it is permanent trailers. Luckily they have their own area but it’s probably the best looking on the grounds.
The rocks are on every campground and they are quite annoying in my opinion. They are loud and made it very inconvenient for my son to play in.
The sites were clean and there were water spouts scattered throughout the tent area. The highway is very close to the tent area so the noise was another annoying feature we had to deal with.
One site did have a an annoying street like over it so be sure to ask when you call in.
The entire site is surrounded by fencing so going on hikes is out of the question without getting in your car first. The town of Julian is close so that is something worth checking out.
I stayed in site 218 & 219 which are on an island so we had a good amount of space but many sites are small in comparison.
Keep your money and find a new location. La Jolla Indian Campground is close by and it was way more enjoyable.
The staff here was friendly and the showers were very clean. The port o potties were very clean and got maintained while we were there.
Dogs must stay on leashes and with those nasty rocks I would never bring my dog there.
Avoid the sites next to the highway.

The ladies working in the office were friendly and very accommodating. They found a large site for us since we had 2 vehicles, 3 kids, and 2 dogs. The camp sites were extremely clean, and naturally separated by the terrain, so we felt like we had a lot of privacy. Each site comes equipped with a picnic table, fire pit, and water spout. The ground is gravel, which we didn’t mind because we slept on air mattresses in our tents. There are CLEAN port-​a-​potties located every couple of sites, which we saw the workers coming to clean daily (no bad smell or anything!) They have a facility with showers and regular bathrooms located near the office. There is a small store for items you may have forgotten and a small selection of groceries. At night, the campground was very quiet and peaceful. The only reason we didn’t give it 5 stars is because of the harsh lighting above our site that turned on at dusk, and stayed on ALL NIGHT until 6 am. I understand that there needs to be lighting so people can see when they’re walking to the bathrooms, but our specific site was the only one I saw with the light directly shining on it. The other lights were placed on the main road so as not to disturb campers. It was hard to fall asleep! We also would have liked it if the park had hiking trails. Other than those minor irritations, we were very impressed and will definitely be back!

We came up and camped in our trailer for Christmas for 3 nights. The staff was super accommodating with an arrival time issue. The campground was super clean and well maintained. There were turkeys and deer every morning. For rv’ers, the hook ups are 30 amp. Most boxes I saw only had the single 30 amp option. Very few had another option so bring adapters if anything other than 30 amp. The hookups in general are at the very back of the site so you will need long cords, hose and sewer hose. There are many rv’s on site that are permanently there and the owners can come and camp 14 days out of the month. We only ran into 3 or 4 other campers. No TV reception. If that’s important to you, bring your satellite. The half of the campground along the 79 was closed for the season. We walked around that area and those spots should be for shorter rv’s as it is tight in that area. The tent area seems cool but it is right along the 79 but we didn’t notice too much noice. There is really nothing to do here. There was no playground, horseshoes, pool, spa, trailheads… nothing. the store was cool and had expected items. Bathrooms and showers on site. Very scenic, glad we came but if you are looking for that camping feel you might be better served at William Heise near by. If you are looking for a relaxing get away and a nearby drive into Julian then this is your spot.

We have been RV camping at Pinzanita for 25 years. We always look for quiet RV parks with friendly people. Always get what we came for here. Park staff is delightful, place is always clean and well maintained. Full time weekender sites are always neat and clean. Could not ask for a better place to go within an hour of San Diego.

My husband & I came here w/​our 3 dogs for the weekend in our RV. The campground is pleasant w/​many trees, so there is plenty of shade. There is a variety of wildlife, saw some turkeys, quail & even a grey fox! There are many, many Stellar Jays & Woodpeckers too, in fact, we have never seen so many in one location before, & we travel too many National parks & scenic areas.
The park is quiet. They do have strict rules regarding campfires, giving campers a flyer re: appropriate extinguishing methods, etc. They also charge $ 3 /​dog w/​a limit of 3 dogs per campsite. We thought that price was a little excessive, particularly since they do not seem to enforce campers from picking up after their pets! We saw dog poo all over the place! Since they charge for each pet, maybe the management should provide bags stationed around the park, to help keep the park more pristine.
With that said, we did enjoy our stay, & we most likely will return.

We spent three nights here with our trailer. The place is very clean, and our site was roomy, level, and quiet.
Although not a problem for us, the restrooms and showers are located adjacent to the office. Unless you’re close, you’ve got a hike. They do have porta-​potties scattered about that are kept clean.

We came here a few months back and as mentioned before, it’s not particularly a tent-camper’s dream. There are quite a few RV’s and looks like possibly a few permanents. It’s got a fire pit and picnic table – the site itself was pretty rocky though, so again, not ideal for tenting. There are mostly port-​o-​potties, but if you’re willing to walk to the front of the campground, there’s a little building with a few toilets.
It is close to Julian, so it’s fun to see the town and take a short drive to the campground. The front desk staff was very nice and helpful and they have a small store with basic supplies (for those who forget marshmallows — _​_​_​-).
Overall, a cute little campground that would be great for a short stay/​get-​away weekend.

My family and I camped here over Memorial Day weekend. We had an excellent time! My girls learned to fish even though the drought has taken its toll on the lake. Most of the sites were spacious but there were a couple that we saw that were cramped. We stayed in space 184A and had a large lot with a huge canopy overhead. Overall, we had a great camping experience.

We camped there for three nights a month back. As others have said, not really a tent camping environment. It initially resembles a mobile home park when you drive in as people keep their campers (mobile homes at times), there year round. We were literally the only tent campers the first two nights as it was the middle of the week so the fact that the sites are SO close together didn’t trip us out. In a busy season we would have driven right back out.
Some cons: Each site is covered in gravel which is a first for me. Didn’t feel as naturals as I’d prefer. You need to bring your own grill cover for the fire pit (we bought one in the shop for like $ 19). We weren’t fishing but the stocked fishing pond was a two foot deep pool of muddy water.
Some pros are: It’s very clean. Lots of hot water in the showers. Close enough and far enough from town. Each campsite has it’s own faucet so you don’t have to walk somewhere across camp and wait in line.
Not a bad experience but not what we were looking for.

If you’re coming here for tent camping I’d advice against it unless you want to get woken up at the crack of dawn. Campsites are packed on top of each other, with little breathing room. No grill, just a circle of stones campfire and a picnic table.
Only amenities are a flash toilet and shower area located at the front of the park. Rest of the bathrooms are portapotties.
Oh, there’s a pond stocked with fish. ‘What fish?’ ‘Catfish and [never heard of it].’ Then the check in clerk admitted they hadn’t been stocked in months, so they probably wasn’t much of anything. Aren’t catfish a bottom feeder breed? There’s a septic tank disposal for the numerous (this is mostly a RV park) OH NO! YOU’RE EATING YOUR OWN — ! Moving on…
Sound carries easily outdoors. When I looked at the time upon being awakened by the conversations /​children yelling, it was 6:40. Yes, AM. I was not pleased.
On the way out Sunday morning, I stopped in the check-​in /​general store to buy a water. I noticed the lady who’d checked me in selling a switchblade knife to a group of elementary /​middle school aged boys. I almost said something but bit my tongue, not wanting to start anything with the tween RV gang, especially if they’re carrying knives.
I drove away watching the child, in fascination, as he opened the knife back and forth.

Gosh where to start:
First I am old school camping where you get plenty of room and not stacked together.
If you want peace and quiet, go up during the week. Not Labor Day weekend. (That will be our plans in the future)
On Labor Day this is anything but quiet. Kids have indoor voice and playground voice. What the parents haven’t taught is «CAMP VOICE». If you have kids this is the place. That is if you don’t mind profanity, kids and dogs running through your campsite. One kid got a catfish bone through his shoe into his foot. So imagine, a dog barking at people walking by and at you when you’re in your camp site. Then on top of that, you get to hear the dog’s owners yelling at the dog to «SHUT UP». If you like to be next to two other families and listen to their conversation yelling kids or barking dogs while choking on smoke from their smoldering fire. This would be a great place to bring your bikes, razors, dogs and screaming kids.
Management and the grounds are great — You can see the effort and pride everywhere in this park. — This was the first time camping on Pea Gravel — it takes a little getting used to the noise. The shower and bathrooms were really clean and the general store is well stocked and decent prices. NOTE: If you have a motor home or an RV and no children… they have another area that is much better.
*** Here are their rules that I got after we paid in a confirmation email– I didn’t see on their website.
1.) There is a maximum of 1 vehicle per site. A vehicle is, a truck pulling a trailer, a motorhome with a tow car, a single vehicle (Truck, Van, Car, Truck Camper), or two motorcycles. Parking vehicles off-​site and ferrying in persons and/​or camping gear is not allowed.
The vehicle will be charged for (space permitting) and assigned a site regardless of circumstances.
Within the maximum one vehicle per site requirement, the following apply:
1.) There is a maximum of 6 persons and 2 dogs per site. Persons 3, 4, 5, and 6 are $ 3.00 extra per night and Dogs are $ 3.00 each per night.
2.) RV’s and tents cannot occupy the same site.
3.) There is a maximum of 2 tents per site.
All vehicles entering Pinezanita must be registered, so If you will be having any visiting friends or guests, they must register and check-​in with the office as there is a Day Use fee that applies.
*** This really threw a wrench in our plans; another couple couldn’t come up with us because she had to drive to LA to drop off her son (custody).How do you get four people and all the gear, firewood and food for three days in a truck? We paid $ 90 for three days and didn’t have room for the truck, two tents, little to no shade, no flat surface and too close to the fire. The picnic table was up on a little hill and tough to level… Well after asking if we could park the truck someplace else, we find out that we only had ½ of our campsite. The management offered us some other options if we wanted to take down the tent, pack everything and move. Why they didn’t tell the two gals that had moved the fire pit and table, to move out of our area and back into their campsite? We were already set up and they were leaving the next day. So it wasn’t that big of a deal — After they left the squeeze was much less.
Wild life: Deer and all types of birds! Take a good bird book, a star chart and binoculars.

The 3-​star average does not do Pinezanita justice, in my opinion. Let’s first keep in mind that this is a CAMPGROUND, not a 5-​star luxury hotel resort. Highlights for me included:
— VERY friendly and attentive staff, both on the phone and at check in
— Obvious effort to maintain the grounds and facilities. It’s clearly older, but everything shows attention — newer paint, well paved roads, etc. Remember, not fancy, just well maintained, clean and functions.
— Beautiful surroundings and lots of shade.
— I found the sites to be pretty spacious compared to other campgrounds we have visited. Also, they aren’t really cookie cutter side-​by-​side sites, so you can position yourself away from your neighbor.
Some things to be aware of… not bad, just the way it is. Sites are gravel. Great for an RV, maybe not so much for a tent? Grounds are hilly. It’s the mountains, go figure. There is a lot of bird life and they are NOISY. Again, just part of being in the wilderness. It’s about 4 miles to the town of Julian and there’s not much else around.
Bottom line, we really enjoyed our stay and plan to return!

Last weekend, my boyfriend and I decided to go camping with our two dogs. We didn’t plan ahead very well and ended up being lucky to find a spot at Pinezanita. We literally called on our way out of San Diego and thankfully, they had an open spot for a tent. While we didn’t fully investigate the other camp sites, we feel like our spot was perfect. We were near the fishing pond (nothing to be overly amazed by but it was still a nice touch and added a bit of scenery) and the restrooms were only a short walk away.
A big benefit to the restrooms were the free showers. I waited until late afternoon to shower and there was plenty of hot water and no wait. When I stopped by the restroom in the morning, there were a couple of other people in line for the shower but it wasn’t unreasonable. The restrooms were clean and well stocked, which was nice.
The other big highlight for me was the water spigot right at the campsite. Made cleaning off the pups and filling their water bowl easy.
One of the only negatives was the all-​gravel campsite but I plan to remedy that with an airbed (on top of blankets) on the next trip.
We’re thinking about getting some friends together and going back this fall.

Things that were UNTRUE in our camp
Rude workers
Things that were TRUE
quiet
strict policies
gravel sites (My brother says it’s for our protection so you can hear people walking, which makes sense)
Private
Clean
Free showers
Things you need to know
Only portal potties by campsites and FREE showers and stall bathroom in the front
$ 25 per site for 2 people
$ 3 additional person
$ 3 for pet
This place is recommended for people with kids over 6+ Why do people bring crying babies. so dumb.