Lake Henshaw is one of those beautifully protected areas where visitors can still get an idea how wild California actually was hundreds or even thousands of years ago. That is because 43,000 acres of land are protected. Vista Irrigation District began its water resourcing here in 1923. The area celebrated the arrival of the first water from Lake Henshaw on February 27, 1926. Following the arrival of water, crops of all kinds were planted in increasing numbers, and the Vista area became known as the "Avocado Capital of the World," with six avocado packing houses in the area. During this time Henshaw was operating under the San Diego Water Company, however in June, 1946, after several years of negotiations, Vista Irrigation District purchased them. Included in the purchase was the 43,000 acre Warner Ranch, a former Spanish Land Grant, which includes Henshaw Dam and Lake Henshaw. Purchase of these facilities was purely economic, in that it was a result of a search for cheaper water for the District. However, Lake Henshaw was not always a lake but instead was part of Quechla, also known as the San Luis Rey River. The river begins in the Cleveland National Forest and runs mostly along Highway 76, spitting out into the ocean in the town Oceanside. Historically, this river has provided water for Indigenous bands of both the Kumeyaay and Luiseño tribes, which include the Rincon, La Jolla, Pauma, Pala, and San Pasqual people. When the bands were forced onto reservations as a result of the Mission Indian Relief Act, they were intentionally put in areas with access to water so they could grow crops. Almost as soon as the reservations were formed, the government entered into a contract with William G. Henshaw. Henshaw wanted to build a storage dam and reservoir at Warner's Ranch on the Upper Quechla, with the intent of diverting river water for further irrigation. In protest of the dam's construction, local Indians went to court to contest the legality of the contract. The United States Government ruled in favor of Henshaw, and a dam to hold back approximately 200,000 acre feet of water was built. The water went from Lake Henshaw to Lake Wohlford, then flowed into Dixon Lake (which interestingly is filled with imported water) Those two sources are mixed at a water treatment facility next to the lake and then taken by flume to the people of Vista and Escondido. Not soon after it was noticed that during episodes of severe drought, the water would hardly flow through the reservations and their wells would dry up. In 1950 46 Indian bands, including the Rincon, La Jolla, Pauma, Pala, and San Pasqual, initiated proceedings in the Indian Claims Commission which would pay damages to the Indians from the government for failure to protect their land and water rights. In addition to damages, the Indians asked for access to Quechla's water so they could develop their own lands agriculturally. It was Senator Alan Cranston that introduced Senate Bill 1507 which provided for settlement of Indigenous claims against the U.S. Government and the City of Escondido. Unfortunately the bill never made it off the Senate floor. The continued fight for their water rights took 50 years to come to justice but finally they drank in victory. In 1967, Robert Pelcyger was a newly minted lawyer who knew little about the rights of Native Americans and even less about water rights. Then he met Patty Durro, a young woman from the Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians in northern San Diego County who was determined to reclaim her tribe's share of the San Luis Rey River. She changed his life and the fortunes of five North County tribes that had been robbed of the water they had been promised by the government. But, it took Pelcyger 50 years to right the wrong. In May 2017, there was a settlement agreed upon. The San Luis Rey Indian Water Rights Settlement Act now guarantees the 5 bands equal annual access to more than 5 billion gallons of Colorado River water. Should they not need all of the water, the agreement is that they must sell the excess water back to the cities of Vista and Escondido at market rates. Sadly, most of the elders that were originally fighting for the water rights never got to witness the feat. But it was never about instant gratification, instead, it was about creating better living situations for the future generations. Today, the lake stays around 40% capacity due to it being on a fault line, but is home to people killing algae (absolutely no swimming permitted), amazing fly fishing and many amazing raptors including a mated pair of Bald Eagles. read more

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What an absolute hole. We stopped by to check it out for future camping.. not on your life. Trash everywhere.. broken fire pits.. port potties.. and we used the toilet where the showers are.. they haven't been clean since lord knows when .. beyond nasty.. stopped up toilet.. used hygiene items loaded the trash as well as used toilet paper.. haz mat should be called.. the toilet haven't been cleaned since who knows when .. Which leads to flies. Think the worst pit toilet in a national park .. the place is run down.. not clean.. looks like it hasn't been updated for years.. you pass a selection of old trailers.. trailer park that is a hot mess. I swear you could live your own horror movie you ever seen staying here. read more

Went to the resort to apply for a job with my friend turns out that was a mistake we walk in and the lady doesn't even take a glance at me for over 2 minutes and only talks to my female friend while I'm waiting for the resumes she pulls out only 1 i really couldn't speak up in that scenario since she couldn't stand to even look at me.... made me feel extremely uncomfortable and then I just stormed out at that point but if your a male and looking for a job at this place please reconsider one of their employees not sure the lady's name she had a lot of makeup on she used red blush and had a bubbly voice but very passive aggressive with her sexism just a rude way too treat another read more

Its not the Manchester Grand Hyatt, but the cabins have full kitchenware, at night it is so peaceful and nice during the day. Just to get out of the city is great, plenty of parking and a nice cruise on highway 76 and 79 . read more

They lied to me when I inquired about boat availability. They had 1 boat available and said it was already rented even tho I was first in line... read more

This campground may not be for everyone. There are no reservations, it's based on a 1st come, 1st serve basis. There are no check-in times. Check out, they say is 4pm. The earlier you arrive you may find a good spot. They do have cabins available too. These cabins are located slightly off to the side and back of Lake Henshaw Cafe. You will go to the general store next door to the Lake Henshaw Cafe. You will see steps to the restaurant, you will take the same steps to the general store. Here you will get your parking tag and gate code to enter the camping premises. As you go through the gate you will approach a section where permanent residents reside. A lot of the the camping sites are at the top of the hill, but you will find some on the lower section away from the residence and a few off to the side that are near the residential area. Here, you may need to beware of noise control whether it's you or the residence. **** There is no one to patrol the campgrounds for noise control. I heard from one of the keepers on the ground that the lower bathroom is the newer and cleaner bathroom. The upper bathroom on our first night I heard that the women's bathroom stalls were backed up. Eventually they were locked up that evening until someone could take care of the issue. I walked over the next morning and it was still locked. Luckily some of our camping friends had a cabin and I was able to use their restroom. Later, I was told there was a restroom at the poolside. ****. Be sure to ask for a map of the area if they don't offer it. That way you will no where the restrooms are. We were given one, but I didn't get to view the map. At the time of our camp out , Tony (one of the campground employees) and his little dog, Yolanda drove around the campgrounds on occasion. They were doing a trash run. You could leave your trash bag on the side of the street during the day and he would pick the trash up for you. There were some trash cans with lids if you missed the pick-ups. There are also a few spigots in the area. I thought we had the prime spot (thank goodness a couple of us got there early)! As you are reaching the top you will come to a fork and in between this fork is a dirt area (it's dirt everywhere) this is were we camped. Our group consisted of 3 teardrop trailers and 5 cars. We had two tents and two car campers. We did have a camper friend with a dog. **** There were a lot of stickers and foxtails when we camped at the end of June. Our friend with the dog left the first night because the poor thing had stickers ( a lot) stuck in it's paws just doing a bathroom run. If you decide to camp here be sure you have feet protection for your fur family. From where we camped the bathrooms were about 200 ft away. Also on this particular campsite we had shade, plenty of oak tress scattered around. A couple of trees were good for hanging a hammock. Some of the tree branches hung low and would have been perfect to have a tent . This spot also provided not only shade, but had a good breeze which was much needed for the high temperatures we faced that weekend (high 90's). The lake is not too far away, you could walk. They have some rules and regulations so be sure to read up on them before heading to the lake. **** Awesome hike about 10 miles or so away in Warner Springs. Eagle Rock. You should go early if hiking during the summer season. Extreme heat. I wouldn't mind returning with friends. read more

This place has potencial but not a good management. No AC No microwave Lots of red ants Lots of mosquitoes Is a VERY BASIC place with lots of space but no organization. If you visit during June, get ready to be overwhelmed with the heat. Lake is bad for fishing. The rooms are in a bad shape, holes on the doors and walls, old damaged furniture. The only thing I have to be honest and share is that we had a very very white and clean towels. No doubt about it. The restaurant has a good service with really nice waitresses and food. If you just passing by and need a place to stay, this place is okay for a night. Nothing much to do in the area besides hiking and fishing. read more

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they advertised use of a pool, restaurant, and store. we were not told that the store and restaurant are not open Monday & Tuesday. Our stay was Mon - We'd. The pool was padlocked and no one was available to open it or even take our call. Cabin was filthy - greasy feel on everything in the kitchen, dust balls behind the doors on the floor, sheets and pillows had black hair on them. one positive -- plenty of clean towels. read more

Love everything about this place the nature the loving staff and very well taken care of, and managed, would bring my family back anytime!

Clean and beautiful. Just make sure you go with someone nice. It's very quiet there. Not a ton of stuff to do, however with a short travel you can find quite a few activities read more

I've been coming to this campsite for well over 25 years and my family has been coming here for 50 years. It's a safe site, I've never felt unsafe through all the years. Don't expect everything to clean like a resort... it is camping. There is bugs and dirt everywhere. The cabins are lil dirty ole buildings, I suggest bringing your own sheets and pillows. And DON'T forget shower shoes for cabins and camp site bathrooms. We stopped tent camping maybe 10 years ago and only stay in the cabins. Expect to sweep a little when you check In and maybe wipe down the surfaces. Nothing to cry about though. The sunrise view from the cabins is amazing. It's peaceful and if you're lucky, you can see Turkey or peacocks walking around. The pool can be iffy at times but my kids never seem to care. The cafe is overpriced in my opinion but it's tradition to get a root beer float every time. You get what you get when it comes to the staff at the front desk. Remember people, it's camping. It's usually people who live on the site who are working the store. Definitely not city corporate people but I love them. Ignore the resort part of the sign. It's not a resort lol. I love this place with my whole heart and I'm thankful to my grandparents for making this a generational campsite. I grew up going here multiple times a summer and now I'm taking my own kids. It's a nice getaway with the family. read more

This was our go-to camping place for our family and friends, and we decided to plan our first baby's gender reveal here and reserve a couple cabins for our family who can't tent camp. We called a while back to inquire and thought it was great. We sent the invitations out to all of our family, and after the reservation we received a call saying they made a mistake and had to cancel because it is their new policy to have to stay 2 nights on the weekends (which we were not told when we first inquired and when we reserved). Very disappointing; they ruined our first baby's event. We won't be going back again. read more

Came here to get away from our campsite at Palomar mountain. The lake is pretty and the area was clean. The lake has a small pier where people fish out of. This place definitely needs more tables so be prepared to bring your own chairs, canopy, table, etc. read more

I love this resort, everyone is so friendly, we absolutely love the restaurant and all the staff! Especially Kimmy!!! She is so sweet and brought my honey a big slice birthday cake on his Birthday! Thank you all read more

Nature is amazing. Nestled in the Santa Ysabel Area is a hot he lake surrounded by lush trees and mountains. A great place to sight see or even have a picnic. It doesn't get busy and there's always parking available. I like the slowness if the area and watching the wildlife do their thing uninterrupted. If you're looking for a place to just relax and take in nature's wonders, this is and ideal place to visit. When the casino was open, it used to be a frequent spot for me to just reevaluate life and work. These days it's now a resting spot to rejuvenate after a 7 mike hike a few miles over at Eagle Rock. What's best is it's free! Make the drive from wherever you are and see something you've never seen before. It's beautiful. You can thank me later. read more

This place is not as bad as other reviews seem to lead on. My family and I have been staying here for the past couple days and yes the campsite could definitely use an upgrade but it is by no means the worst place I've ever been as some have stated. If you stay in the middle of camp or the upper campgrounds you actually have a really nice view of Palomar Mountain and the lake, there's a couple things to do here as well you can go out for a lake day or drive up to Palomar Mountain and go exploring in the woods. The only reason it's not a five star review is the place definitely needs a refresh there's a little bit of trash and most of the fire pits are old and cracked but all together a pretty nice place to stay for a weekend. Also the staff are extremely accommodating and amazing especially Tony. read more

Lake Henshaw Resort - Our view from our tent - Hiking Near Me - Santa Ysabel, California

Visited this place the weekend of Aug. 26, 2022. We had 3 cabins. Not such a good experience. We walked up to find the porch dirty and dusty, spider webs all over, inside and out, small little bugs on the sheets, and stains on our comforter. We couldn't believe that our cabins weren't clean. The refrigerator had a horrible stench, that permeated our food that we had stored in zip lock bags. Dirt/depris along all the baseboards. Needless to say we walked in cleaning and calling housekeeping for a new comforter, we brought our own sheets and towels, and we did get the refrigerator replaced on day 2. We should not have had to clean. The doors on our cabin were on backwards. There was only a lock on the inside wooden door in the front, and no lock on the bar door, so as hot as it was, we couldn't keep the front door open for circulation b/c we couldn't lock the bar door. Fishing. The guys wanted to fish, but were told when we got there that there was algae in the lake and a lot of fish had died. Outside: We know we were in nature, but the bees and red ants were relentless. Our cabins had a gap at the bottom of the doors, and bees invaded the cabin that our relatives were staying in. No curtains on the back windows, and we had to use towels for privacy. One thing that I will say is that the staff were very nice and accommodating. Wish things could have been better. Will never come back. read more

If you have a dog DO NOT ALLOW THEM IN OR ANY WHERE NEAR THE WATER at Lake Henshaw. This water is HIGHLY TOXIC to both humans and dogs - see the 'no swimming signs'? It is not for water purification measures - it is because the algae in the water can KILL YOU OR YOUR DOG. My dog did not swim in the water - he barely touched it at shoreline and it still almost killed him, just from licking himself after! It really angers me that the shop worker did not warn me of this when I purchased the usage permit, I specifically asked if it was safe for dogs off leash. She said oh yes, no problem. My $1700 vet bill and a 1 and a half hour drive with a dog with a blue turning tongue going in and out of consciousness says otherwise! ER vet said it is amazing he is still alive.... Signage is needed to warn anything that has a pulse to stay far away from not only the water but the shoreline - this algae is so toxic only a small amount is needed for serious harm or death. read more

Lake Henshaw Resort - disgusting pea green soup colored water that almost killed my best friend - Hiking Near Me - Santa Ysabel, California

Four stars because of cleaning that she mentioned but daughter stayed with my granddaughter and had a good time. She actually made a reservation after her friend and got a better view than her friend of the lake. Cleaning wise is why I tell her always bring wipes to clean first. I'm crazy like that lol read more

My beautiful girlfriend and I have been coming here for years. Under $100 to stay in a cabin with all the amenities, restaurant has a killer mud pie, staff is friendly and accommodating. We just booked another two day stay with Katie. She answered all 100 of our questions and super patient with us, real genuine. Thanks Katie! read more

The rest rooms are catastrophically horrible. Feces in the floor, clearly has not been cleaned seemingly ever. No hot water, smells of urine and extremely filthy filthy filthy. If you have to shower or use the rest room in any way do not go here. read more

Had cabin 6, nice + cozy & the showers ran great with hot water, had a good time camping.

The cabins are very run down, which is a shame because if they were fixed up a little bit this would be such a great spot. They are more like little shacks and everything just felt grimey. Not where I wanted to spend time with my family/kid. I'm not prissy and I certainly don't mind a rustic vibe, this just wasn't even that. Just not good at all. The only plus was the outdoor areas. But...I couldn't wait to leave and I wouldn't stay in them again in their current state. The ladies working there were very nice and accommodating so the stars are for them. read more

We passed here after leaving Julian. Had to pull over for a photo at this beautiful lake. Wouldn't mind coming back here some time to explore the area. read more

Stopped for a quick coffee to get home.... BAD, bad, bad idea... I get the place was 1/8 capacity busy but the waitress.... rude, rude, rude... the coffee bad, bad, awful... We stopped to grab 2 coffees to go.... very happy and in great spirits until..... she brought bill $7.54 for 2 coffees to go.... I said wow, that's a bit spendy for 2 cups of coffee to which she snapped "you can't get coffee for that in San Diego" .... I didn't say it but I am not from San Diego but if I was I know you can get really good coffee for a couple bucks top... and to be fair I might not have written this but it was just her lackluster attitude and she obviously is not psychic but leans more to witchery and snottery but it was enough to say I will not return again to a place that used to be run by decent people who loved customers and treated them like friends.... Here's my tip... avoid like the plague... read more

Excellent getaway from my daily stress at work, there a few things some people could complaint but ill put my thoughts into it aswell: 1) There is cell reception for a few carriers but I love this because my family gets off their dang mobiles and firces us to spend quality time together. 2) Most of the time is warm, but theres also rainy days and snow at times, bring fans in the summer and realize this is mountain camping weather. 3) cabins are not state of the art but have everything we need. kitchen, utencils, furniture,bathroom, shower and they are very affordable, book in advanced. 4) Lake is not for swimming but great fishing. 5) Bugs, it is the mountain so tuff it out, youll get used to it. youll get to see turkeys, cows and all kinds of critters, woodpeckers. 6) VERY friendly staff, the store has everything you could need and reasonable prices. theres an outside grill and firering at each cabin. I recommend you try 1-2 days and if you like it stay longer, im actually inside a cabin right now typing this, getting ready to check out tomorrow after staying here 4 nights. We have been here about 6 times. read more

This camping site is located in the hills of Santa Ysabel. No reservations are needed for tent camping. My family came up during Memorial Day weekend. There was plenty of space, we had a total of 8 tents. There's fire rings for nightly fires. There's porto potty's for those who don't mind. There's also restrooms with showers, during long weekends they do get a little scary. There's a restaurant which is not that bad. A convenient store with ice and all other items you may need. The playground is out dated. There's one slide two swings and two large tires for climbing. You can also go fishing that's across the street. I will be back - one suggestion is to please put some money into this place. read more

My favorite lake to fish, unfortunately it is poorly managed. They don't seem to care about anything, bathrooms are terrible and their rules and regulations are day to day and at the mercy of someone named Frank that is not even their, the counter person just calls him and and he makes a decision over the phone, and poor decisions are made on a regular basics. For example if the wind is out of the east you can't go out in a boat, if there is any possibility of rain you can't go out in a boat. The best thing to do is go fishing somewhere else, it's not worth the long drive and not be able to fish. Also you can hope that some day they get a confident manager. read more

This is a camp ground review. The people at the store and check in are very nice and courteous. The lake is beautiful. Unfortunately, the bathroom facilities are old and not very clean. The campground is poorly maintained. Above all, there is no patrol and enforcement to rid the camp areas of rude and loud campers that blast there music from sunrise to well past midnight. If you want a great traditional camp experience, quietly looking up at the stars...forget about it. I will not go back under any circumstances. We Paid for 2 nights in advance, but went home after sleepless night of Mariachi music, which resumed at sunrise. read more

We were so excited for a short get-away & time together....talk about disappointing! When we checked in they couldnt find our reservation. I realize "cabin" usually means rustic but this place was just "filthy"! 1st off our cabin was in the front & there was blacktop everywhere even in the back! Patio chairs were dirty, covered in cobwebs we had 2 clean. Cobwebs also inside the cabin & killed several spiders. Bed was worn out so we woke up w back aches in the morning. The shower only had water dripping out so we took apart the shower head to clean out the calcium & it worked after that until the hot water handle fell off! Bathroom light worked only when it wanted to! If we wanted to sit by the fire pit on blacktop we had to drag the front patio chairs out to the back. Walking across the cabin floor my socks were black from dust & dirt! They give you no information on whats in the area. We went into Julian for lunch & found info on things to do. We had to go buy fans since the cabin was so hot & there are no fans inside. Would have brought one if they had gave a list on things you may want to bring with you. The restaurant had good food & ice cold beer but the outside of the windows are so covered in cobwebs, smudges & dirt you miss out on the awesome view of the lake. We had a rezervation for 3 days but we left after two....Definitely won't be back....we will stay in Julian next time! It's really a shame. This could be a nice place if the owners would take a little pride in their property read more

I went there Saturday for a small breakfast and the service was terrible. I had scramble eggs beacon and a English muffin.$15.00 are you kidding! Muffin was cold, beacon like ice...and the service was terrible... Next time I'll drive by and tell everyone I know 'don't go there'.... read more