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Member since June 2023
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Reviews

Nick Spreitzer

This park was absolutely breathtaking! Both in the good way (because it was so beautifully scenic) and the not-so-good way (because the high altitude really knocked the wind out of our sails.) It helped that were there late September / early October when the trees were starting to change color and the park wasn’t crowded. We really enjoyed our time here. Our main disappointment was only staying for a week. The bathrooms and showers were very clean and nice, the park grounds were immaculate, and the owners was very friendly. The sites are definitely on the cramped side and the roads are fairly narrow, but we didn’t have much trouble maneuvering our 30′ Airstream in or out. There were some much larger 5th wheels in there, so clearly this place can handle big rigs. There wasn’t much to do in the immediate vicinity outside the park, so any exploring requires a drive. (This isn’t terribly surprising; it’s in a fairly remote area.) Since we were only there a short time, we didn’t get to do much exploring, but there was a nice hiking trail right behind the park that has been marked with reflectors on trees by the owners. We did this several times during our stay. (Just note that the trail is not on AllTrails, so you’ll have to ask the park staff for directions.) There weren’t many trees inside the park, which is good for Starlink, but there is no shortage of trees in on the park’s perimeter. Highly recommend this place. Just be prepared to take it easy the first day or so because of the altitude.

Nick Spreitzer

We’ve stayed here twice, and unfortunately both experiences included negative aspects that probably will keep us from returning in the future. On our first trip, the park seemed brand new and almost everything was very nice: the landscaping, the rec room, the gym, the hot tub, pool, and poolside bar. The park had pretty walking trails and I recall the bathrooms and showers being stellar, although we did not use them. (We generally prefer to use the bathroom in our rig.) The park was quiet and the bar is situated a good distance away from trailer parking, which was a good design decision because the party animals don’t disturb the early birds. We met some pretty cool people while we were there and overall left with good memories. However, the one thing that detracted from all the good vibes was the extremely muddy area surrounding the utilities. It had rained before we arrived, but not at all while we were there, and the mud was literally ankle deep. I had to slog my way through that mess just to connect and disconnect our power and hoses and every time we had to dump. It was a serious inconvenience. We talked to the manager about it and got the impression there was some sort of water management problem that caused the grassy areas to get overly saturated. We were compensated for our trouble, which I appreciated.

We returned about a year later and stayed in one of their cabins. The park had changed substantially in that time. A fire had damaged the rec room, the hot tub was out of order, and the grounds looked very neglected. All the green grass had become brown and unattractive. Then, we found that our toilet was leaking from where it was mounted to the floor. We had water all over the bathroom floor. We complained, and they fixed it, but at that point the good vibes from the first trip were gone. In all fairness, it’s been a few years since all this happened, so maybe management has returned the park to its former glory, sans the muddy utilities area. I’ll let other reviewers indicate whether that’s actually happened or not.

Nick Spreitzer

This is a fantastic KOA. It’s huge with lots of amenities. Two pools. Two hot tubs. Pickleball courts. Laundry. Really, everything you’d expect from a “resort” style park. The staff are super friendly, helpful, and fast. When we asked for someone to help us refill our propane tanks, an attendant appeared before I could drive the 500 feet from our spot to the refill station. When we stayed in December, the park hosted a Christmas pot luck dinner. The park provided a ham and guests brought in a huge variety of tasty sides. It was all very yummy and was a nice excuse to meet a few fellow travelers. The sites are nice. Gravel pads. Reasonable spacing between sites for a commercial park. Utilities are conveniently located. Bathrooms and showers are very clean, spacious, and nice. (Although my wife had some problems with water pressure in one of the women’s showers.) If you’re staying in the summer, you might consider a spot under their “power parasols” to get out of the sun… unless you’re using Starlink, which may not work so well with those things overhead. The only downside to this park is the surrounding neighborhood, which is packed with homeless people everywhere. Just outside the park is the Julian Wash Greenway Bike Path, which is a paved pathway for running, walking, and cycling. Amazing to have that so close by! Unfortunately, lots of homeless use the underpasses there for shelter. One homeless woman lives in the wash with multiple unleashed dogs who behaved very aggressively toward us, barking and growling. We had to completely avoid an entire section of the pathway because of her. If you go walking here, keep your head on a swivel. Sucks to have easy access to a gift like an urban trail, only to avoid using it because of seedy elements.

Nick Spreitzer

This campground is nestled deep within the San Juan National Forest, giving it something of an isolated, remote feeling. It’s very beautiful, with dense groves of trees in every direction. The sites are slightly on the cramped side, but not so much that we found it bothersome. The park wasn’t too full when we first arrived, making it feel more open than when we left because most sites were taken by that point. We had no issues navigating our 30′ trailer around the park, but you do have to be especially careful because of all the trees and large rocks. There were a handful of large Class A’s in the park, so clearly it’s possible for them to safely navigate around as well. Our site was pretty level, but the ground was soft and a bit muddy from rain. (It rained nearly every afternoon we were there.) Site had a campfire pit, and fires were allowed. Firewood was $8.00. Walking distance to really nice hiking trails. There’s a small grocery store and general store a few minutes down the road, along with a pretty decent restaurant. We went running on the main road, which worked out okay but is a tad sketchy due to a lack of shoulder in certain areas. The Vallecito Reservoir is a short drive away. Very pretty and is open to boating activities, such as stand up paddleboarding. The cellular reception was better than we expected. At times, we got 20 mbps down. (We have ATT and Verizon. Didn’t take note of each provider’s speeds.) I think the only downside of this park was all the poorly behaved, excessively barky dogs. It was enough that we commented to one another multiple times that we wished folks had better control of their dogs. Setting that aside, it was a wonderful park with friendly, helpful staff and we can’t wait to come back.

Nick Spreitzer

We’ve stayed at this park more than any other over the last 3 years, but only because it’s a convenient overnighter on our route between Texas and California. It’s pretty run down and unattractive, but it’s level, inexpensive, has full hookups and clean bathrooms. It’s super easy in and out. The surrounding neighborhood isn’t great and we don’t feel super comfortable walking around outside of the park—but we do it anyway, with our heads on swivels. The freeway is only a couple minutes away, but you hear zero road noise at the park. The park itself has always been super quiet and sparsely populated with other RVs. Setting aside the somewhat trashy/industrial surroundings, the views are surprisingly pretty. There are mountains in the distance and we’ve seen some spectacular sun rises as we prepared to leave. We’ve never used the showers here, but they look as clean as the bathrooms, which are well maintained. All in all, this is a great place to stop and get some rest but hardly a vacation destination.

Nick Spreitzer

Absolutely amazing state park. Beautiful views, easy access to hiking, gigantic Saguaro cacti everywhere, plenty of lightly traffic roadway for running moderate distances, exceptionally clean bathrooms and showers, very quiet. We were only here for a week, but would have stayed longer if we could. We stayed the first week of October and the temperatures still got close to 100 every afternoon, but it was cool in the mornings and evenings. Two negatives about the bathrooms: First, there is no temperature control. Instead, there’s a button you have to press in order to get 60 seconds of water. The temperature is preset and not as hot as I’d prefer. That said, when we first arrived, there wasn’t even warm water. It was cold! We complained to a camp host who told the park ranger who evidently turned the heat back on. The other negative was a persistent ammonia/sewage smell in the men’s bathroom of Loop A. Not horrible, but not nice either. The park is situated very close to shopping and grocery stores. We can’t wait to come back!