We had our very first trip up to Lake Hemet Labor Day weekend 2026! Let me say this .... WE HAD A GREAT EXPERIENCE!! And we will definitely be going back! And it all started at the gate as we entered the park. We were greeted and received by theeeee most kindest, most polite, professional young lady ever! That was such a blessing because we really had no idea what we were getting ourselves into :/ Sienna ..... you were an absolute delight!! And we can't thank you enough for answering our 50 thousand questions lol And yet! You did it with grace, and with so much patience. We will FOREVER be thankful to you, and I hope and pray that you will be a part of the Lake Hemet team for a very very long time! Because they definitely have a "Gem" on their team! read more

I rented the eagle crest premium camping cabin from Wednesday until Saturday. There's WiFi, private bathroom, air conditioning, and TVs with the premium cabins. There is a portable Ac in the living room and a window ac in the bedroom. My child slept upstairs in the loft bedroom. The main issue is that you can't run both the portable and bedroom ac at the same time because it pops the breaker. The window ac is very noisy and makes a rattling sound. Don't even try to use the toaster and ac at the same time. It was 90s during the day and still very warm at night. It was an inconvenience not being able to run both AC units at night. They provided towels, toilet paper, soap and pans but no hair dryer. The groceries at the market are extremely expensive. Best to buy all your food at the stater brothers down the mountain to the campsite or go to the grocery store in Idyllwild. I rented the pontoon boat for fishing and that was my favorite part. It was so relaxing to cruise on the lake and enjoy the beautiful Mountain View. We caught a very large cat fish with the night crawlers. I recommend coming in the spring or fall to avoid the extreme heat during the day and bring all your food with you to save money. Come during the week for a more peaceful experience once Friday night hits, lots of families are arriving. Theres cafe in the market that has pretty good food but they have odd hours during the week. Idyllwild is a 15 minute drive with fun quirky shops and good restaurants to explore. read more

This camp is different than most. It has typical tent, yurts and RV spots. And it has people that live there! Most of those spots look pretty beat up and trashy. But this place is surrounded by sheer beauty. Mountains, meadows and the lake. That alone is worth it. The lake has plenty of fish but right now the algae has taken over so the water quality and maybe the fish quality is questionable. The staff is great. Hard working people. Great attitudes. read more

Lake Hemet was a great place to visit for a day trip. My family and I were in the area celebrating my son's birthday and decided to spend some time at the lake. The campground itself is nice, and there are plenty of areas to enjoy throughout the property. The staff was friendly, helpful, and informative, making the experience even better. We purchased a day pass for $25, which I thought was very reasonable. I also paid an additional $10 for a fishing pass, although we ultimately decided not to fish and instead spent our time exploring and enjoying the day-use areas. One of the highlights was the inflatable water park. My boys had an absolute blast on the water slides and other attractions. The weather was beautiful, and it made for a fun family outing. If I had one critique, it would be that some areas of the campground appeared to need a little more maintenance and upkeep. Nothing that ruined our experience, but there were a few spots that seemed somewhat neglected compared to what I remember from previous visits. Overall, Lake Hemet offers a fun and affordable outdoor experience for families. Between the lake, recreational activities, and scenic surroundings, it's a great place to spend the day. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a family-friendly adventure in the mountains. read more

Lake Hemet - Campgrounds Near Me - Mountain Center, California

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Such a nice getaway for the weekend definitely coming back again we had a great time such a beautiful place so much peace read more

Lake Hemet - Campgrounds Near Me - Mountain Center, California

Wow!!! We love Lake Hemet and so does are dogs. From the daily walks to the store to get amazing ice cream with homemade cones to renting a pontoon boat for a 4 hr Cruise that welcomed our dogs was the best camping trip in our life. We have been camping for so many years. Seen a lot of campgrounds Hemet is our favorite. The spaces are so big with easy to use full hookups and the spots are big and super clean. All the worker say good morning and check in with us to make sure everything is great or if we need anything. We appreciate the dog park, providing poop bags and raking the dog park daily if not more than once a day. I've seen a lot of dog parks at campgrounds and this by far is the cleanest and I appreciate that. Thank you Lake Hemet for another awesome camping trip. We will be back shortly. read more

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The camp ground is well taken care of and a wonderful place to spend in nature. Bald eagles live at this lake (but wasn't lucky enough to see one this time, but I did hear one!) I did see a turkey vulture and heard owls at night (and the echo made it so magical). I was in spot 407 and it was perfect! Great view of the lake and a decent size spot to spread out. Several trees for shade but of course pretty sunny at noon when the sun is directly above. The bathrooms and showers are close to this spot (with running water) and right next to the camp host which was great since I camped solo. I'm already thinking of my next trip back out there! read more

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This was a new spot for us to try out. It is my 7th time camping this year. We found it returning from a camping spot in Idyllwild in September. Reservations are easy. The staff is helpful and friendly. The lake is very large, non contact, but you can rent boats and things to go out on the lake. There are ducks and other birds on the water. There are individual camp sites, group camp sites, RV camp sites. Quiet hours are 10 pm - 8 am. People were respectful and quiet after 10 pm, some of the birds not so much. There are basketball courts, volleyball courts, a walking path, and other things to do. You are nestled in the mountains providing a scenic backdrop. Check out my photos. Check your gear and the weather and be prepared for cold temperatures. Good spot to try for camping if you have not already. read more

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People live at the campground and it does not allow the camping experience you would expect.

We rented a RV for a couple of days with our family and our dog. Check in and check out was super easy. The RV was old but very well maintained and clean. We've interacted with several staff members and all of them were nice, extremely helpful and accommodating. The lake had beautiful views of the mountains and everyone had a great time. During the summer weekends, they have water play for the kids. There is a playground, volleyball and basketball courts and plenty of paved roads to ride bikes or scooters. The RV itself said it accommodates 6 people but personally I think it's good for 3-4 people. If you're very tall, the beds will be cramped for you. Everything you need is provided. Just bring your own food and drinks. There is a market at the entrance to buy some snacks, ice cream and drinks. All in all, we were very pleased with the campground and the great people working there. Highly recommended. read more

The access to the campground was good for a 35 foot travel trailer and the sites were clean. We didn't have any issues with hookups, very quiet area, the 10 pm quiet time rule seemed to be enforced. The lake is beautiful and decent fishing, little market and deli at the front entrance, it's great that idyllwild is right up the road which is always awesome to visit. One of the amazing things is you can have actual campfires in their nice provided fire rings at the campsite. I wish there was more access to hiking trails. They did have a little water slide area set up for the kids which they enjoyed since it was a little warm outside. Also the RV spots with full hookups are shaded with big beautiful trees. read more

The grounds were clean, quiet-time adhered to, great market with scooped ice cream, friendly staff, restrooms were clean, nice dog park. We didn't go on the lake this time but it's beautiful! Our spot had shade! It has a mountain feel without the winding drive. Warm, breezy days and cool nights. read more

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this campground was so beautiful. I need to go back again soon our spot was really spacious in the campground was pretty decent, including the bathroom. read more

Lake Hemet - Campgrounds Near Me - Mountain Center, California

We stayed at Lakeside #267 and it was truly amazing! The staff and residents were very helpful and friendly. Would highly recommend for a family! read more

Lake Hemet - View from Lakeside #267 - Campgrounds Near Me - Mountain Center, California

It is beautiful, they stock the lake in March and April for fishing, plus you can camp or rent boats here.

We had so much fun with our two girls. Bike riding was one of the most enjoyable activities my girls got to do. Relaxing people around are respectful. read more

I just completed My second year of fishing and camping here with my grandson. I love this place simply because of the staff. its camping, so things sometimes dont go as planned but the staff are always extremely helpful! Ed is the person who stands out for me. That guy goes out of his way to do what ever he can to make my visit enjoy for me and my grand-dude. The residents of the lake are also very helpful, welcoming to guest. There was a 8 yr old kid name Tauren who with his father's ok, walked up and down the shore to assist visitors in catching fish by offering his extensive knowledge of the lake and fish habits. Im already scheduling another trip. The water was low for the 2nd year in a row but I cant blame the lake for that! My one complaint is really trivial but the pillows and beds in the cottage were too hard and very difficult to sleep on. Also, the cottage I was in had two uncovered windows in the kitchen and the neighbors can look directly into the cottage at any hour. read more

Very clean and friendly campground. The staff was on top of upkeep and making sure their guests were comfortable and that quiet hours were observed. I appreciated that most of all! Our visit was very fun and relaxing! read more

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I've been up to Lake Hemet numerous times for tent camping with the same group of families and friends back in the early 2000's and went countless times for the free shoreline fishing from my late teens years to up when I had kids of my own. This last weekend I booked the Woodlands #24 mobile home for two nights, wow! It had more than everything I needed, plus all the staff were amazing! From back when I first booked and needed to change dates (multiple times) the staff were not only able to do it but seemed delighted to. Thank you Lake Hemet staff read more

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We had driven 30 mi to get to the lake to pick out our family campsites for an upcoming trip. After my morning Starbucks I had to use the restroom and my husband accidentally turned into an area that didn't have a restroom or campsites. So he flipped a u-turn so he could pull back on the road and turn into the next camp area. The uturn was probably about 7 mph so it caused a little dust to start before we could pull back out on the road to go to the next site for the restroom. We were blocked by camp hosts, jumped out of their golf cart and ran at our car screaming aggressively. I'll post a correspondence below that show the back and forth communications between myself and management. Management claims she was on site during the altercation but never once came up to the front after I requested to speak to her. She only listened to the two camphosts that were both together on the golf cart (so of course they chose the same story). We've already had two separate incidences in the past with this same camphost and have had to report him multiple times. He comes at you extremely rude and mean and aggressive. My family is a mixed family and I truly believe that he's racist. That's the only reason I could believe we continued to be singled out. We even made our reservation in a back corner where he wouldn't be near camp host to avoid him. I came home and sent an email to management asking for them to again reach out to me to speak to someone. The only thing I woke up to this morning was an email cancellation of my upcoming stay and refunded my cash onto a card that I don't even know supposedly linked to my account. Now I have to just wait to find my money. They claimed that we were aggressive. My husband is handicapped recently had knee surgery and we never left our car even after being blocked in and trying to drive away to de-escalate. We were chased again. But they said they felt for their safety My husband is not stretch Armstrong and was never once threatening in any way. We just asked them to calm down stop yelling at us, we acknowledged we turned around too fast, Apologized repeatedly while be constantly berated. I'll never again give this place my memories or money! I realized that I actually don't want to stay here cuz now my family doesn't feel safe, and maybe this is Faith's way of showing us a better place. I'll post below all the correspondents. It seems like all these experiences have been allowed to happen since the new management took over. read more

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The campground was kept up very well and clean. The issues we had were there wasn't any water contact and we didn't realize we couldn't swim in the lake. The other was, 10:00 pm was supposed to be quiet time and people were up partying to early morning hours. All and all it was a good experience. read more

Lake Hemet is a great place to camp. Very clean and the staff is wonderful and professional.

The best spot with a Lake View and a nice shade, space 458. Booked 6 months in advance, highly recommend. Although Father's Day was crowded we had a pleasant experience. read more

Lake Hemet - Campgrounds Near Me - Mountain Center, California

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I'm generally a tent camper, but I'm getting older and I thought I'd splurge on a cabin. It was so nice. Clean and well maintained, dedicated bathroom and shower, and with a nice view of the lake. All the host staff were friendly and helpful. I spent my time enjoying myself, with far less set up and tear down. Definitely relaxing. Ted H. read more

Lake Hemet - My best friend at Lake Hemet - Campgrounds Near Me - Mountain Center, California

Lake Hemet Campground exceeded our expectations. It was so beautiful. The camping spots were so spacious. The bathrooms were spotless. The staff was so welcoming and friendly and it felt like they always kept an eye out. An employee named Holly witnessed our puppy break away from her leash to chase a Blue Jay and offered to loan us one for the duration of our trip. We are so grateful for her kindness. It was fantastic. We will be back. It was a little challenging keeping our water dogs out of the lake, but that is for their safety obviously. Loved Lake Hemet. read more

It's was beautiful and very quiet. I did think our spot would have been all campers but we were in the middle of the full time residents which was fine. We rented a boat and it was so nice the staff were all very helpful and always smiling. The Market has the best ice cream and rootbeer float is a must have. Lots of shade and beautiful scenery! It was our first time and I'm sure we will be back. read more

Lake Hemet - Campgrounds Near Me - Mountain Center, California

The view is amazing, and the camp store pretty much has everything you would need during your camping experience. The "no bueno" parts.......... Premium spots are not what we expected compared to our 10 years of experience traveling all over California and Arizona, specially for the price. That sports are regular dirt like the rest, and our spot was not leveled, with a 6 inch difference left to right. Although the sites are long, you can't back in all the way, or your standard sewage hose won't reach the drain (it's located in the middle). Speaking of the drain, the drain pipe stuck out of the ground about 6-8 inches, which empedes the free flow of sewage. Anyway, the sports are long but, very narrow. Literally about 10-12 feet between our trailer door and our neighbors' slide out. What annoyed me, and still bugging me today....... we paid the "premium" site price, which is priced above most campgrounds. But wait, you pay that price but, it doesn't guarantee your spot!!! You have to pay an additional $10 feet to guarantee the site you want! But wait, there is more!!!! After paying for the premium site, and the $10 for the guarantee, they still put us on another spot!!! The lake water level is really low so, there was no lake behind our "premium" spot. We checked-in on Friday, and checked-out on Sunday. The 37 mph winds were so strong, and blowing the dirt everywhere, that we didn't have the opportunity to set up our patio, or roll out our awning. Our chairs were being blown over, I used 8 stakes to hold the carpet, and I even had to put my firewood on top of it to help keep it down. I know they can't control the winds but, as far as premium sites go, it had full hookups, and that's about it. We might return, when there is no wind, and the water level is much higher. Like I said, the view is amazing! read more

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Edd made our lake day easy and stress-free. The boat was clean and well-maintained, and he explained everything clearly before we headed out. We didn't catch any fish, but we made great family memories -- and that's what counts. Would absolutely book with him again. Thank you Edd read more

Lake Hemet - Fun - Campgrounds Near Me - Mountain Center, California

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Got home yesterday after another GREAT weekend at lake Hemet ! Pretty sure this is now my favorite lake and can't wait to go back in the summer time. Had a great time and all staff were once again super cool and pleasant to interact with. Was super excited to see my favorite bird swoop down and pick a trout from the lake surface and fly back to its nest. read more

Lake Hemet - Caught this 3.1 pounder lighting trout on an orange mice tail !! - Campgrounds Near Me - Mountain Center, California

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The views are stunning. We tent camped two night in the middle of January. We typically desert camp, so this was a change. Woke up in 27* weather with everything frozen although the weather app showed low of 49*... so prepare for unexpected temps during your stay! I captured the most amazing photos of it all. We even drove down the road a bit to the Ramona Trail - beautiful hike! Will return again - but maybe this time in the spring when it's warmer ;) There is NO cell service - you can get WiFi at their market at the entrance ONLY. read more

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We went from the 10th of May to the 12th we just went out there to just relax and get away. So we got there and got everything unpacked. And found out that the bottom of the refrigerator did not get very cold so I was actually worried about all of our food going bad so we called the front and let them know that the refrigerator was not working. The freezer worked fine so they sent somebody down to check it out. And he brought us a small refrigerator that he put on a table outside. So we could put some of our food in it so we did that, but notice that the refrigerator did not work very well. Either. But anyways, we just kind of dealt with it.. Then the maintenance guy came back and told us that they are giving us a free 2 hours on a pontoon boat for the inconvenience. I truly highly recommend this place, they truly make sure that you are comfortable. And they do try their best.I give these guys five stars.. A few things in their trailer should actually be updated. But we made things work. We will all definitely be going back there.Hopefully, they can get that trailer updated on the mattresses. The refrigerator. And just overall, the cleanliness of the trailer actually was not up to my standards, maybe they could do better, but other than that, it was awesome, very relaxing, enjoyed the nature and most definitely enjoyed the pontoon. Thank you again so much , and we definitely will be returning read more

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This was such an awesome family trip! We enjoyed every second here. It was our first time camping, and with 3 small children we were a little nervous. But this place is absolutely perfect for kids. The splash pad was excellent. The volleyball and basketball courts kept them busy, and the lake was beyond gorgeous. The staff were friendly and welcoming. We can't wait to visit again. read more

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This lake is nice. We went on a week day where there was not a lot of people. Literally nobody camping nor fishing. We went to the very end of the lake and after some time an old man and old woman came rolling up on a golf cart. If you want to be yelled at, told to leave and that you're being watched then come here. Apart from other people fishing in the same area this old man made it a point to come and yell only at my husband. He was rude and my husband even apologized and the old man kept on with his yelling and just kept saying stuff. We will not be back why go somewhere where they allow staff to belittle and yell at you! A simple sir excuse me I'm sorry but fishing is not allowed in this area! Not sure why they would allow staff to yell at campers and visitors but not worth it rather go somewhere where the staff is educated and not rude ! Like sir who are you to yell at me watch your tone ! Staff like this is what makes establishments go under ! Will not be back ! So I can get yelled at ! No thank you! Also they are perfectly ok with this older gentlemen yelling at guest this is not a one time incident ! read more

Expensive for a lake with reduced water levels and an algae bloom that prohibits any humans or pets swimming in it. Next time will try Hurkey Creek down the road 2 miles. Looks much nicer for hiking and views. Good thing is the location for both is only 20 mins to Idyllwild sweet mountain town. read more

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This is the second time we visit lake Hemet. Nature at its finest, restrooms are very clean and well kept. Not speaking of individual restrooms I'm speaking of the building they have where you find the men's and woman's restrooms. The cleaning person was getting ready to clean woman's restrooms at around 7 AM. The restrooms were left very clean. I think he deserves a raise as they also have showers in there and they were spotless, I was very pleased to see that since at most camp sites restrooms are very dirty and smelly. Not At lake Hemet, restrooms even have heaters on when you walk in early AM. Totally enjoyed it and feel comfortable knowing I have the essentials even away from home, makes it more enjoyable. read more

Lake Hemet - The campsite - Campgrounds Near Me - Mountain Center, California

Saw a post about this place on TikTok so decided to try it out for one weekend since it's not too far from OC. We booked a lakeside dry camping spot #400 in Camp 4 and locked it. What we loved: the place is well established and offers many options for camping such as cabins, glamping tents, dry camping, rv camping. Bathrooms were cleaned regularly with flush toilets, free showers, hand soap and hot water which is a luxury. Campers all were so nice and friendly. We were next to a volleyball court and had friendly VB games all weekend with our camp neighbors and their kids. There's also a bball court. Kept the kids busy. The place also offers lake activities such as kayaking, pontoon boats and motor boats. We booked a 4 person one for $85 For 2hrs for my son to go fishing and we had a great time. You can also drive your car and park right at the lakeside itself, many campers did this and hung out at the lakeside fishing with their cars. This campsite def offers alot of options for group camping bc they have sooooo many sites and there were many big groups of families who were having a blast and were enjoying themselves even past the 10pm quiet time and the host didn't seem to mind- a plus for us because we can be loud ourselves and nothing ruins a weekend quicker than being yelled at by a host to be quiet. The entire campground was fenced off with an entry gate with security so it felt very safe to take hikes and leave our site unattended. Friendly Security was also always driving around checking up on everyone and asking if we needed anything. Wildlife: cows grazing by the lake, big trout being caught by ppl fishing the lake, hawks flying overhead catching squirrels, coyotes howling at night- we loved all of it Cons: lake receded so much that our lakeside site wasn't really next to the lake (out of their control). Onsite store didn't have much and except for snacks and drinks (we needed shampoo which they didn't have) so plan to bring what u need. Lake was off completely limits to any body contact due to algae bloom and was green but lake was still clean and nice to boat in and had nice views. They also offer a little kiddie water slide and play area which is nice since you can't swim in the lake. A community pool would've been the icing on the cake to cool off for adults and teens since it was hot and dusty and u cant swim in the lake. Overall had a perfect weekend kids said it was one of their favorite campsites and def will be back again 10/10 read more

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Place was nice fishing was ok but $25 to get in and $10to fish is kind of pricey although I still paid it Hopefully it all goes back into improving the lake or fishing stocks The guy at the gate and the girl in the store were both friendly The views were really beautiful Maybe it's better to camp there instead of day use because campers get 1 free fishing pass but you have to book 2 night which also sucks read more

Lake Hemet - Mt Lassen rainbow trout - Campgrounds Near Me - Mountain Center, California

Very clean, nice staff, well maintained. Go mid-week like we did. Weekend way too crowded. Great access to hiking and the town of Idyllwild. Only bummer is algae buildup which keeps people out of the water. Fishing can be pretty decent early morning and around sunset. I was pleasantly surprised. read more

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We had a great 4 month stay this summer! This was our 5th summer at the Lake - as it's the perfect escape from the desert heat!! The staff is what makes it such a pleasure! Every single one of them are just wonderful "stellar" people!! A special big thank you to Jeff Walls! He was very instrumental in setting us up for a perfect situation to make our future returns even more amazing for years to come! Jeff is attentive and works hard to build a good moral within a very diverse community. He makes himself available for any and all situations. We appreciate all the staff and their conscious support of keeping the grounds safe and efficient for the many who call it home! Thank you! Looking forward to next summer already! read more

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Lake Hemet is a great campground. The lake was nice and clean and the fish were biting. The only thing I would say is if you're camping there in a RV and choose bear campground Make sure you check your hook ups. The dumps are really far in 332 and 333. We had to dump in another site that family members were using. 333 had its dump on a bad incline so dumping was just not possible it just ran back even while raising the hose just not practical for a full hook up site unfortunately. That was the only downside of the trip. 4.5 is the best I would give due to this issue. Staff were great and public restrooms were clean. 332 on the map shows empty on the side of it but there is a living quarters for someone there, so if that's an issue for you do not book that spot. I would definitely come back but unfortunately not to the spot I had. I loved it but the dump was a big inconvenience for a full hook up site. Ps get the Turkey Sandwich from the store you won't be disappointed! read more

Lake Hemet - 332 on the left 333 on the right. - Campgrounds Near Me - Mountain Center, California