Always a pleasure to stay here. We needed to move sites due to people parking in our site and kids running over our lines. Went up to the kiosk and asked and sure enough were able to move. We have stayed here a number of times. And will come back in March. Special shout out to ranger Mike who is funny and does about everything. read more

Haven't been there in a while but while we were there we had a great time rented a boat didn't have enough cash but they took my debit card and I thought that was kind of cool in the middle of nowhere we had a good time with my two children haven't been back cents but will definitely go again it was in the summer and it was very hot read more

The absolute wiorst lake I have ever been to.. horribly managed... a completely wasted day...an absolute joke...

You know what, you all missed the point! Lake Skinner is just a truly beautiful place to visit! And, for me, close to home. Maybe you had some troubles, with rentals, camping, etc, but, you'll have that anywhere- all that can be worked out. This place is just worth the trouble, and every $6 you're asked to shell out. Get the family out together, or like me, just a solo day trip. Take in the beauty, & really stop and feel the nature of it all. Oh my gosh, the views, the birds, the water! I've spent many a day off, at Lake Skinner! And, point out the mean peeps to me- the only peeps I meet over there, are true gems. Like, I consider them my friends. And, best Camping Store ever! They have goodies for the kiddies and goodies for the big kiddies. Okay, get yourself, or yourselves to Lake Skinner! Love that place! read more

This place is a nice day spot for time with my grandkids. But it's not ideal for what I personally look for in a camping spot. It offers a lot, but to me I need more trees and less "resort". read more

I just visited Lake Skinner for the first time w/ my dad & family. Minus the rude staff & 6$ per person charge, I felt the lake was was beautiful, and enjoyed myself read more

Great place to camp. I have been coming here for 2 years and plan on continuing to go here for an annual camp trip. Great time spent fishing, although I still have not caught anything. The restrooms and showers are fairly clean. There is a camp store near by where you can purchase anything you may need. I would recommend to try and bring everything before hand, or head to the near by supermarket for items, if you want to save some money. Overall great time. read more

Being fairly new in the IE, my husband and I were interested in checking out local recreation areas, so we drove out to Lake Skinner last week to just take a peek. We arrived at the gate at 2:45, with the intention of just looking around. We were told it would cost $14.00 to gain entrance. We explained we had no intention of camping or boating or anything else, we just wanted to check out the facilities to see if it was a place we might actually wish to return to with our grandkids. Again we were told only paying customers could go past the gate, Now why would I pay $14.00 just to look? I can look at a 5 star resort for free before I choose to stay. If the management of Lake Skinner is not interested in letting the public know what they have to offer without gauging them for a peek, I suppose it is not a place I ever wish to visit. read more

I didn't even make it into the park, how rude the woman was at your entrance made me bring my son and dog back home. I could not believe the attitude and ignorance from that troll! read more

So close to home and it is a nice lake, larger than I thought and so it is a nice place to be. There are several playgrounds that are higher and well kept. The waterpark is really cute. The day use areas are very grassy and nice. Would be a great place to spend the day. Now, when it comes to camping there in a tent... here are the drawbacks. 1) the sites are small. They are essentially pull through narrow sites. For our group of 5 with two cars, two tents and a dining tent we needed every bit of two adjoining spaces; $25 a night each. Worth it. 2) they allow RVs and 5th wheels in with tents even though full hookups are elsewhere. For you inexperienced campers or rental RV people this is bad for us tent folk. You guys need to stop running those generators after quiet time. So, campers beware. We also noticed a few RVs dumping their water onto other people's sites. It's just bad etiquette. 3) the rangers don't enforce much. You'd expect they would quiet people down after 10, keep kids off the playground after dark and talk to people about the generators but they don't. Ultimately, I feel it's on the rangers to keep the peace so campers come. They get a bug F for this lack of effort. As for the demographic of camper... crap. They were noisy, let their kids ride bikes up to 1am-in the dark, music playing... you'll need ear plugs or buds if you're going to make it through the night. We won't go back there to camp unless we read reviews that the enforcement is getting better. Oh, super important... you should buy wood where you burn it you know to help with bugs etc BUT their wood was crap. It was $7 a bundle and is so wet it won't burn. Several campers complained. So, BYO. Good luck!! read more

Lake Skinner - View from tent sites. - Boating Near Me - Winchester, California

I live in San Diego and I wanted to find a campsite that was easily accessible, with good facilities, a lake and close enough to LA and OC to accommodate my friends. Lake Skinner seemed to fit the bill. Lake Skinner is located in Temecula Valley. Driving to the lake allows you to drive through Temecula wine country. Dozens of vineyards line the roads to Lake Skinner. Once you reach the main gate of the Lake Skinner Recreational Area, you still need to drive a 1/4 mile until you reach the campground. It's nice that there are no main roads near the campground. There is a nicely-stocked camp store as well as a cafe that I believe is open only on weekends. The store opens at 6am and provides some of the things you might need from packaged food and drinks, firewood, ice, fishing licenses, tackle and other miscellaneous camping items. A big plus in my opinion is that once the camp store closes around sundown, they load up a trailer with firewood and they go around the campsites selling wood to those forgot to get some. Lake Skinner is surrounded by hills and there are virtually no reminders that Temecula is 10 minutes away and you do feel disconnected from the city. There are 3 major campsite areas. The majority of the RVs are in sites B and C. I have always camped in site A as do most of the tent campers. Each of the sites are adjacent to each other and on busy days it can feel like your neighbors share the site with you as there aren't many separating you. The sites are all dirt and there are a few bushes and trees but mainly open space. There are some spots that are next to public grassy areas but you are not allowed to pitch your tent there. The tent spots contain a fire ring with a grate for grilling, a water faucet and a picnic table. There are no individual trash cans but rather community dumpsters that are only a short walk away. The ground is relatively tough to hammer a stake through. Be prepared to ruin many of your standard aluminum stakes that your tent comes with. I recommend upgrading your stakes to something stronger. Noise at night has never been an issue when I have camped at Lake Skinner. Some nights you can hear the coyotes howling as you lay in your tent. During the day, a playground area next to site A , can be filled with kids quite early so you may want to choose a site away from it. The restrooms have always been clean and well maintained. I have seen a cleaning crew there every time I have gone camping. There are usually 2 showers per bathroom and don't forget the quarters. I believe it was 5 minutes of water per 25 cents. The last time I was there only one of the showers offered hot water so choose wisely. If you happen to forget quarters, there is a change machine at the camp store. The main attraction here is the lake. There is no body contact allowed in the lake because it is a domestic water supply. That means no swimming and only certain kayaks are allowed. Private boats are allowed but there are some restrictions due to the Quagga Mussel infestation. Please check the Lake Skinner website for more information. Fishing is very popular here and you can rent 4-person boats or 10-person pontoons for the day. If you want to stay on land, the launch ramp #2 is also very popular. You can rent boats or find out the latest fishing reports at the Lake Skinner Marina which is within walking distance from the campsites. Other features include a public swimming pool which is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day. There are also hiking and nature trails all over the lake area. The lake also offers day-use areas for picnics and BBQs. Lake Skinner has great facilities and is very accessible. It has been the perfect location for my friends and I over the past year as most of us are just casual campers. If you are looking for an isolated camping experience surrounded by trees then you should look elsewhere. If you are the type of camper who enjoys making friends with your neighbors, enjoys fishing and likes to be close to a great winery then Lake Skinner may be the right fit for you. read more

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If you're looking for a place to go kayaking or fishing for the day, then go for it. If you're looking for a place to camp overnight, RUN. Someone below wrote that it's like being in an apartment complex without walls, and that is dead on. Campsites are situated incredibly close together so you basically feel like you're camping with fifty other people around you. We had a horrible experience with our "neighbors" - a group of young people who decided to get in screaming matches and fistfights at 1am. The screaming and use of profanity didn't stop until after the sun came up. I literally did not fall asleep once. When other campers asked them to quiet down, they threatened to beat them up. I'm NOT JOKING. Luckily I was there with a group of friends because if I was a parent, I'd have been even more livid. When the park ranger FINALLY came around the next morning, we were one of 13 groups that lodged a formal complaint. The cops even came, but it was too late to have the people arrested. Apparently there was another incident in another part of the campground as well. They tried to offer us a free night's stay, but you couldn't pay me to return to this place. read more

We have been coming to lake skinner for a few years and have loved it. We come for the day and have camped here as well. Our kids love the playgrounds, the splash pad, riding their bikes, and just running around. We haven't been here in a few months and today I brought the kids for the day to play. They have raised their prices and it is ridiculous for day use. It used to be $6 per car. Now it's $6 per adult and $3 per child. I paid $15 for me and 3 kids to play on a playground. The splash pad is only on during the summer months. If my husband was with us it would've been $22! The camping fee is $25 per night. The price for day use should be nowhere near the overnight camping fee! We may come back when the splash pad is on but definitely not worth the price, just to play. There are plenty of free parks for that! read more

Skinner is extremely convenient if you live in the Temecula/Murrieta area. The place can get really busy during the summer. They do have a water playground which is great on the hot days. I have camped here (although I mainly come here to go for a quick fishing adventure). The camping is pretty good. Again, when the weather heats up the crowds come in. Sometimes (from a camping standpoint) it can be a bit much for me. The staff has always been very helpful and a pleasure to deal with. From a fishing standpoint it is okay. I am new to the sport so I can't say, yeah, I have a great skill set and the fishing stinks. I will say that I have caught small mouth bass, catfish and a striper...had a carp at one point but it snapped the line. I have rented a boat here (twice now) as well. The staff there was fairly helpful. The equipment is pretty basic though, so don't expect anything fancy. Down to your chairs (if you get a pontoon) it will probably be a plastic outdoor chair. Nothing wrong with it nothing great about it either. Anyways, it is my hometown lake and the fishing can be good. So I do swing by on a pretty regular basis. read more

horrible! This is definitely not what I consider camping. The spaces are really close together, with little to no shade. We also encountered drunken teenagers in the next campground. They were extremely loud until 6 am. The park ranger came out and so did the local sheriffs. They could not kick the teenagers out due to the liability on the campground if they left drunk. They camp ranger also said there were other issues at another site. Overall, the quality of the people staying here is low. read more

Drug addict on staff. Its a nice camp ground and Lake. Yes, more rules than typical places but that's OK. I don't think fish exist in the lake. 10 hours in a boat, 5 poles, nothing. (half joking) The reason for the review is to hopefully call out and have written up the BLONDE LADY that checked us in, acted all nice even fake complementing the "cute kids" only to later yell at us for being in the same golf cart she saw when checking us in? I am a rule follower and sign reader. Respectful and courteous, especially to "authority" We were there for only 30 minutes b4 deciding to take a cruise to see the place.. in our golf cart. Not razor, electric stinkin' golf cart... She sped up behind our golf cart in an un-marked white truck, probably her personal vehicle and flagged us down, i was like...? She immediately and aggressively asked me for the DMV paperwork. I told her i dont have it on me and i was sorry, asked if it was ok and she barked "Ill let the ranger take care of you" and sped off. This upset very much my 8 and 4 yr. old daughters. So, with them in tears we go back to camp sorta worried we did something wrong. as it turns out the "real ranger" drove by our site and golf cart dozens of times over the weekend. He was chill, just waved and kept going. LIKE A NORMAL PERSON. She is a hot head past or current HARD DRUG USER. NO DOUBT. We nicknamed her "Craky Jackie" due to her behavior. I personally have been trained to know what a meth head looks and acts like and they have one at the front gate. Shoot she even drives around pretending to be the ranger yelling at kids. Bananas. This is a great place for older people who do nothing "fun" or young people who don't like children as you wont encounter too many here. my opinions only. but seriously someone please test that drug addict. read more

It was our first time taking a travel trailer out so we selected Lake Skinner because it was close by and they have full rv hookups. We went on the 4th of July so it was very hot and we were disappointed to find out the lake was a drinking source so NO SWIMMING or BODILY CONTACT. It's posted on the website so it's our fault for not reading closely. At least they have a very nice splash pad/wet zone for our kids. All in all it was crowded but that's to be expected on the 4th of July. Staff was not too friendly but they may have been stressed due to the crowd. Close to Temecula so it's very convenient when you forget to bring something. The biggest disappointment is that they didn't make any exceptions to the gate closure at 10pm on the 4th of July so we didn't get to see fireworks. There were shows as close as 10 miles away but there's no way we would have made it back in time before the gate closed so we had to stay put. Oh well, we'll remember that next year. read more

Just got back from a fabulous day at Skinner! We're a family with 3 young children and had a wonderful time. We went to the newly open Splash Pad area - it was great for the kids. They had so much fun. Everything seems to be recently redone - bathrooms were super clean / brand new - all fresh paint, new materials. Lots of sidewalks and walking paths to ride bikes. Ladies at the front gate were very friendly and helpful. We will definitely be going back! read more

Lake Skinner is so beautiful. A campfire with the full moon is an event not to be missed. To wake up hearing the birds singing and then take a stroll along the lake or go fishing is awesome. The mountains and sunsets are magnificent. Slow down, bring your bike and enjoy. read more

Lake Skinner - Boating Near Me - Winchester, California

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Great place to camp, close to home! We live very close, but choose to come here almost monthly. It is an affordable campground that although is close to home, feels like you're far away. Fishing is good, boats are ok to rent. The new restaurant is great! The owner takes a lot of pride in his establishment and is doing great things, highly recommend having some wings, a sandwich and a cold beer there. The store has the necessities at good prices. We will continue to camp here as long as we have a trailer. read more

We have camped here a few times and every time has been a fun experience. We have smaller children so the play grounds and splash pads are right at our speed. We really enjoy coming here and relaxing. The grounds are clean and the staff is very helpful. Definitely recommend! read more

I've been to this lake twice and I would definitely come back again. I've been here to fish and for a quick bbq and it's quite perfect for both. The lake is huge and looks never ending and their were tons of boats on the water. I rented a 10 person boat for 3 hours for the price of $80 (super cheap) The boat was nice, clean and very spacious. I spent most of my time in the water but I was also able to take advantage of the bbq area. Their's benches and picnic tables to fix up a quick meal and they've also got nice grills in case anyone is interested in barbecuing. The staff is also very friendly and were very helpful. They were full of smiles but are strict and stern about the time the park closes. definitely my fishing lake of choice. read more

Awesome place. We had a great spring break camping with family. Campsites neighbors were nice, bathrooms were clean, Marina was always helpfull with fishing. It is super hot but we definetly enjoyed our trip and will go back read more

I don't think I'd want to camp here. The camp sites are too close together and offer no privacy. But the wildlife ... holy shyte! Lake Skinner County Park sits within the Southwestern Riverside County Multi-Species Reserve, which itself consists of 11,000 acres surrounding and connecting Diamond Valley Lake with Lake Skinner via the 2,500-acre Dr. Roy Shipley Reserve. What all that open space gives us is a lot of room for critters to roam. And open space is the number one requirement for happy, healthy critters. As birders, that means we never fail to say ~50 species every time we go here. Which is quite a few. Notable birds include Ospreys (AKA Fish Eagles) in large numbers, hawks and kites, many duck species, loons, numerous songbirds, and the amazing Vermillion Flycatcher. The last time we went, we rented a motor (fishing) boat and birded from the water side. The guys working the boat rental were very nice, the boats are capable, and at $28 for 2 hours + $5 per extra hour, reasonably priced. While a boat didn't do wonders for our bird count, it was definitely worth doing once. Use ebird! read more

Went on Valentine's Day for a sunset picnic. At the booth we had to pay $12 and they told us it closes at 5:30. That's fine by us. We only wanted to have a quick picnic. We were there at 4:45. Went down to the lake to the gate actually being closed and couldn't even get in. We were back at booth by 5:02ish. Asked the lady about it why the gates closed and they didn't let us know but charged us saying we had till 5:30. Her response was rude and said well it's close enough. We didn't even want a refund just a new day pass we could of visited another day since we paid. read more

My boyfriend, kids, and I chose this place strictly on the actual website. We love camping, fishing, and exploring new places. Skinner did not disappoint. The kids LOVED the splash pad. The restrooms were clean, but the showers were out of order. The staff worked quickly to fix the problem. The campsites are closer to each other than what I'm used to, but it wasn't a bad experience. There were a variety of visitors and that made our weekend trip interesting. There were a couple of party animals, but after the last partiers chilled out, the whole camp was quiet and everyone went to sleep. There are paths everywhere to walk, explore, and bike. The lake is beautiful. We fished, but didn't catch anything. The general store is a bit pricey, so buy your stuff in town before heading to camp. We're definitely going to be back. read more

Amazing location. Lightning in a Bottle festival is happening there on July 11th-15th 2013 and definitely worth going to! read more

Lake Skinner - Lightning in a Bottle 2013 presented by The Do LaB. It happens at Lake Skinner from July 11th-15th. - Boating Near Me - Winchester, California

I went camping and stayed the weekend at Skinner and at night time I decided to go down to go fishing and I got popped by the ranges so I guess fishing at night time is considered poaching would like to know that once I bought my campsite and two fishing passes for 2 days also don't buy their Wi-Fi if you're in campsite B or C because it is not gonna work the staff is rude af read more

The bite here is mediocre. My brother and I were doing well when fishing by the marina. Apparently you can't fish in that area though. We were asked to leave that area. read more

Lake Skinner - Boating Near Me - Winchester, California

This lake is one of My favorites in the I.E. Great Fishing(Bass and Trout). Camping is available too. It is a nice big lake with creatures big and small.(I have seen Tarantulas,Coyote's, hawks, Turkey Vultures and while going through some brush came up to a pair of skunks. I carefully moved backward and did not get sprayed-Thank God! Many lovely sunsets and nice views to enjoy. The Only bad thing here is there is a zero tolerance policy to going in the water. read more

A great place to take a walk around the lake or spend the day relaxing with family. Beautiful mountains in the background. Never a dull moment. read more

Lake Skinner - Lake Skinner in 2014 when it snowed. Snow capped mountains in the background. - Boating Near Me - Winchester, California

Drove 1 hour 30 minutes to get here to rent a boat only to find out that they are completely out of gas. Could have put it on the web site or even made us aware when we called asking about boat rentals for today. I just don't understand how you can run a specific business that relies on GAS AND CANT Even KEEP IT stocked. Btw after you get your fishing license once you come to the first gate you have to pay for each individual person. This place sucks and all they want is your money read more

We have rented their fishing boats a few times. They call them platoons, I call them very dented up pieces of floating medal. The last time we were there they raised their prices by $20. At first I was excited, since maybe they had bought new boats or some other new feature since the prices were raised by 1/3. Nope, the same old unhelpful employees were working. This was our last time at this lake we won't be back. read more

Solid spot beautiful lake, went there on 10/30/2018 caught a bass small but fun to catch. Will be going there for a long time. Fish were busting all over the lake in the area that I was in. Caught the bass right next to shore on the out skirts of the reeds. read more

I have taken my kids fishing here a few times and rented boats. We have always caught fish, and the guy always working the docks as always very friendly and accomidating. read more

They post the week of trout stocking, but when you get there, and after you pay your entrance fees, they tell you stocking won't take place until the following week. Gate keepers are horrible!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Awesome place! Awesome people! Lots of FUN! Been coming here since I was 16 years old, the place is great sure a lot of places have their ups and downs but this place is amazing it always has great events the annual Balloon & Wine Festival every year and a lot of friendly people! I have camped there ever since I was a child! read more

I like this place. The group campground should have its own shower/bathroom area. You have to use outhouses or drive a little way to the real bathrooms. read more

If I could give this place a zero I would. Was met today by the rudest lady up at the kiosk. Not helpful at all when asked questions and despite my husband being polite towards her and her nasty attitude. I get we all have bad days but that is very unacceptable and unprofessional on her behalf. We were just looking for a day to decompress after my husband has been gone fighting fire but instead our day was ruined by this lady. Thanks won't be coming back again we'll make sure to tell the fire family to avoid this place at all cost. read more

The rudeness by the so-called staff employee with his rude evasion of our campsite was entirely unexpected and dampened our spirits the evening on June 23, 2017. I would not recommend this campground for family and friends. This is for locals only (if you know what I mean). The Ranger that came to site 103 on June 23 violated our civil rights based on a complaint from a staff employee who cut across three sites stating that we were using profanity and talking loud at about 8:30 pm was unnecessary and untrue. We have been at many RV Resorts and Campgrounds and never experienced what we did at Lake Skinner. I am very disappointed and will never come back to this place. PLUS THEIR SPLASH PAD WASN'T WORKING AND IT WAS 120 DEGREES. VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND MISLEADING. read more