We were looking for a campground that was close enough for a weekend camping trip. Something that was within reach from all of our spread-out locations in Southern Cali. I looked around San Diego for a place we could all meet. After some research, I found a great place for camping in San Diego.
I found a place called La Jolla Indian Campground which looked interesting. After reading some of the reviews, I decided to find a place that offered reservations. The reviews differ on every site, but read them if you have a chance- they’re quite funny. La Jolla Indian Campground was a first-come-first-served type place. I knew we’d be getting there late since we all worked. It appears to have a nice river for tubing, and a zipline. Supposedly it has a small casino for gambling since it is the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians reservation. We’ll have to save that for another time. Plus none of us gamble anyway. It was also still another 1.5 hours from La Jolla, SD, which would have been inconvenient for all of us.
After a bit of searching, I found a quaint little spot just 20 minutes from the University in San Diego. It is part of the San Diego Parks, and located in the Kumeyaay area of La Jolla. The Kumeyaay Lake campground was small, near a lake, quiet and clean. The showers were free, and each camping space was far enough away from the next person to feel private. We stayed in campsite #6. I wish I had taken some pictures, but I was preoccupied trying to keep our campfire lit lol. For the tent, I purchased a 6 man Colman tent for the 4 of us. I thought it would have plenty of extra room but it was really just enough room for 4. The price was reasonable at the time, so I was glad I bought it.
We hiked up the Kwaay Peak Trail where we saw the view of the city.
We then hiked over to the Old Mission Dam which had an interesting history. The interesting thing is that the Natives of the area, the Kumeyaay, already had their land management methods on lock. They knew how to use the river for their agricultural resources and had lived there for over 10,000 years. But with the Spanish invasion of 1769, all this land and the river was taken from the Kumeyaay. Many of the resources were eventually destroyed. What a sad story.
We were excited to see the various animals and insects at the small lake at the dam. We saw a tiny bat flying from the dam wall to the trees in the middle of the day for some reason. There were tadpoles, frogs, dragonflies, and fish.
At night, the kids and I recorded a podcast. I haven’t posted it yet, but soon, you’ll be able to hear what we were talking about. Check my home page to stay updated on new posts and podcasts I’ll be adding.
On our last morning, we went to grab donuts at the DonutBar in San Diego. My daughter and I went early and brought them back to the campsite. They were pretty good, but I wouldn’t say they’re any better than your local donut shop. They had a variety of donuts, like the French Toast donuts, or Apple Crumble donut. Nice idea and great fun!
At Kumeyaay Campground, one can feel a little secluded, yet close enough to grab things you missed at Target. If you are looking for local convenient camping spot then the Kumeyaay Lake Campground is ideal. Camping in San Diego has never been so easy.