I have been here for nearly 2 weeks and am absolutely delighted with the park. I'm way in the back and it's very quiet, very little traffic and I look out of my RV to rolling hills and lots of bunnies and squirrels. It is true there is no cell coverage - although you can easily walk to a few specific spots to get coverage. The paid wifi has been excellent - so it has more than met my needs by being able to work while here. The staff has been incredibly friendly and helpful. Lauren, one of the Rangers, found my dog wandering around (I had gone out and he managed to open the screen door) and she immediately put him back in my RV so he was safe (he's quite old and I wouldn't want him getting picked off by a coyote!). They weren't mad at me for him getting out only concerned for his safety! Jan at the front gate has been so helpful as well - answering all of my questions and I'm thrilled that I always get the answer I want! :) read more

I spent a week at Pio Pico in one of their new cabin that they have for rent and it was fantastic! Clean, air conditioned with a kitchenette. I had been to the park before and was unimpressed but looking at the upgrades they have made in the last couple of years quickly changed my mind. The staff was friendly and welcoming and the food at the cafe was simple but decent with good portions. My one complaint was the wifi service as it was horrendous and as luck would have it, the crews were there installing a new system while I was on site. I only got to use it for the last 2 days but it was very fast and affordable. This is a big corporate chain of resorts but the manager here treats it as if he owns it. Keep up the good work! read more

Thhis is the worst experience Ive ever encountered camping anywhere. I paid $500.00 for membership and was talked into joining.First of all they had no recollection of the guest that showed up (my niece and husband) and gave them a hard time. I told other guest not to come after that. One person said she could park her car there and another complained and told me we were only allowed 2 cars. No other campers were there at the time. On top of them being unfriendly and unwelcoming, nothing was open! No rec center, jacuzzi or store. It was very boring. I feel like I wasted my money. The one older blond lady there was especially rude all the time and actually asked me "when are you leaving?" They take your money, but dont want to render services! I have never been made to feel so unwelcome in my life! I don't recommend camping here unless you want to be miserable and be out of your hard working money. Go where you're appreciated!!! read more

This is the first and only campground that we ever just left. If you are interested in a place that has 30 amp that isn't 30 amp, no sewer, no cell service, no shade and is miles from anything this is your place. I counted at least 10 permanent "campers" that had permanent sheds and junk abound. After driving from Vegas I Looked forward to turning on the AC and just relaxing for a bit. Sorry the electric wasn't gonna allow that. We decided that a walmart or flying J would be a safer better experience and just run the generator. Do yourself a favor and stay as far from this place as you can. Too bad a 0 star isn't an option. read more

Nicely run down, clearly keeping it up to date isn't a priority here. The rumors of banning certain year RV'S is going round as some loose cannon from corporate is causing issues who obviously doesn't see the big picture - It's a ghetto campground! Work on modernization, repair and maintenance 1st, then get snobbish of who can come in or not. Roy Rogers is crapping himself in heaven right now looking down on how run down this joint has become. Who the Fook cares what the Johnsons or Smiths are camping in! They're camping and that's all that matters. This joint isn't worthy period in my opinion of any RV! read more

We stayed there for NYE and it was a great time had by all. We rented the cabins (C-13, C11, C9, C5). The cabins were perfectly stocked with everything you need from kitchen supplies to towels to bedroom sheets, blankets etc. There are 2 pools and hot tubs, miniature golf, youth clubhouse, horseshoe pits, general store and a rec center with a restaurant. We didn't eat at the restaurant but did party on New Years Eve in the center. We had a really fun few days and the kids loved it. There is also a gas BBQ at each cabin with picnic table and benches. Could not find fault in any part of our stay. I don't understand the 1 star rating at all. This was my second stay here and we will be back for sure, maybe in the summer to enjoy the pools and outdoor activities more. read more

I'm going to be staying here a frw more times this Spring so Ill update as I go along. The 5 MPH speed limit is not enforced at all here. Not even by the workers in carts. It makes it difficult to let my daughter play outside with me. She's very young and being a toddler does not like to listen. I'm afraid that someone is going to run her over because of how fast everyone goes. Its terrifying! There are 2 sides to this park. One on each side of the highway. They do have 2 pools but both are located on only 1 side of the park. As well as 2 laundry rooms. Both still located on the one side of the park. I'm glad they have those facilities I just don't understand why they aren't offered on both sides. Its hard being on the other side, and the fact that we actually go the speed limit it takes us 15 minutes to get there. The showers are nice. Always clean when we use them. Verizon does not work. I didn't dock stars for that. It is a campground, so even though we are here on business I won't take off stars for it. It's not their fault, it's our provider What was frustrating though, the wifi would not let us connect at all. Saying our emails were invalid. We ended up being flooded in for 2 days. It was scary but there were a few good neighbors who helped people get in and out of the park safely. They got my man home to us when he couldn't get in. I'm very thankful for that. There is a restaurant here which is nice and the store is very handy for when we don't want to go all the way into town. I do have to say the location is amazing. It's located perfectly 30 minutes from downtown and Chula Vista is right around the corner. It's pretty here, but the spots have no privacy. It's mostly dirt lots with electricity and water. I did feel comfortable though. I feel like all full time RVers have this unspoken connection. We all look out for eachother. I don't understand why some reviews bag on people with older rigs. Some people can't afford brand new RVs. I don't see the issue but I'm also not snobbish. There are plenty of RV parks in this area with year restrictions so if you want to be surrounded with new RVs, this place probably isn't for you. But there are good people. And that's enough for us! read more

Nice valley. Big sites. Nice swimming pool. There were renovations going on, so the adult pool was closed. Too bad, but we had a great time. It was maintained adequately. The restaurant is basic - could be better, but it's convenient. read more

I just became a member of thousand trails and with a price of $520 a year i expected better. The grounds on the pool side of the resort are well kept but if you venture to the other overflow side its a mess, the bathrooms are not kept up the sites are riddled with weeds and if you want it cleaned up your asked to maintain them yourself. They have RV sites that are messy and cluttered, I reported a Child Molester and was told i had to move and he was never asked to leave but god forbid you drop the Fbomb and it becomes a "family" campground and using profanity will lead to you being asked to leave weather there are kids around or not. Apparently summer doesn't begin for the grounds until July because the adult pool is still closed and its the middle of June, the kids rec area is only open on Saturdays for a few hours and other then that the only thing to do is play put put golf on there crappy golfing area, swim in the 90+ degree heat ( sunburn city if you stay to long), or play on the small playground. This experience has left little to be desired and i'm hoping not all of them are this bad or i just wasted a lot of money. read more

Thousand Trails Pio Pico - Campgrounds Near Me - Jamul, California

I left my spot to shop for the day and it was taken along with my patio rug and barbecue grill. I asked the rangers as I had checked in with them before I left to try to get my reservation sign. I had tried on two different occasions but they claim their computer wasn't working. Of course what was their excuse about my space now taken? You needed to post your sign to reserve your spot. I asked about my missing stuff, my rug and barbecue grill. The rangers said they didn't know anything about it. I will never go to camp at Pio Pico. Next thing is someone will end up dead or missing or both from there and nobody will know a thing about it. Pio Pico is a camp for liars and thieves and, as such, is unsafe for family-type people. I wouldn't recommend this camp. read more

This is not a nice campground. Its old ,run down, dusty, dirty. with lots of old rvs that look like they have been there a long long time. The web site, photos & video are not accurate. No phone service. The store is nice & some other buildings have been upgraded but they have a long way to go. Plus its not cheap. We were charged $58.00 for a 30 amp site without sewer. Our electric post was rotted off at the ground & wobbly (held up only by the conduit) read more

Wonderful! Cristy always cleans the cabins very good ! And is also a very good staff member ! Very nice at pio pico!

The park is not well-maintained. There are a lot of hidden fees. For example, a park is two separate sections. If you make a reservation that does not get you a reserved spot. Those who show up later in the day get put in the " Lower level district". They do not have sewer connection over there. And charge you an extra $10 for removal. Or you need to go to the drive-by which is not practical for a fifth wheel. There is a high price for Internet which also has two levels. The cheaper Internet works so poorly it is not worth buying at all. The " better " internet is $50 a month and horrible, not only slow but cuts out a lot. Forget cell phone service it does not work. When I got there it had just rained most spots were underwater. People who were there before the rains could not get out of their units without walking through 6 inch deep puddles. The staff is rude and nasty. I can't believe thousand trails allows the place to be a park in their organization. After staying here I wish I never would have signed up for thousand trails read more

We have had a Thousand trails membership for 12 years. Pio pico is very seedy on the northside and decent on the southside. I would not stay here if I had to stay on the northside where there are many rundown RVs and apparently permanent residents who are down on their luck. Thankfully we were able to cross over after one night on the northside to the southside which is much better. The northside lacks sewer hook ups and is very run down. Both sides have way too many leased sites which limit your options when it comes to finding a site. Wi-Fi and cell service are very poor wherever you are at this park. You have the option of paying extra for Wi-Fi but I was never able to get it to work after five tries. On the plus side, the meals at the café were pretty good, store is pretty nice, and there was a car show while we were there that was cool. We did not try a lot of the amenities such as the pools or games so I can't comment on those. The restrooms and showers were good but on the northside very busy due to the lack of sewer hookups on that side. All in all, it was a pretty nice stay, once we found a good site. But every time we stay at one of Thousand Trail's parks we come away wishing they would spend some money to maintain them. read more

I'll start with camping is great with great company. This place, the rangers were rude, upon arrival - we told them we have a site with FULL hookups, the rude ranger said "we tell everyone there's full hookups, but it's a lie." We find a decent site, our friends back in, we pull in so our doors are on the same side, after day 3 of being like this every ranger stopped to tell us to turn around. Bottom line: first, last and only visit, pools nice, no cell service, WIFI is $3.95/day, questionable residents with mean dogs that aren't on leashes, that attack other dogs running rampant. Tons of these lovely folks live there with their messy quarters! It's just a meh campground, I wouldn't recommend it! I will not be taking my kids again! read more

We were hesitant to go after we read so many bad reviews on this campground. But we already had it booked so we decided to try it out and we honestly loved it!! The campgrpund itself was beautiful and well kept. It was huge so you definitely need a bike to get around (you can also take a golf cart). They had 2 seperate pool areas, with 2 pools in each and each with a jacuzzi. We went in novemeber and they had the pool warmed. They have a kids activity center with books, toys, board games, pool table, all kinds of fun stuff. They have a mini golf course, playgrpunds, horseshoe pits, basketball courts....and you can check out the equipment needed. The little cafe/resturant was super yummy! We ate there a few times. There is also some off roading tracks thay were alpt of fun. We took our golf cart. The staff was SO nice. The only downside was that there were 2 sides of the campground and the north side didnt have full hookups. No sewer.....but they have dump stations right there. It wasnt a problem for us at all. Each campsite was huge, LOTS of room. We were definitely happy we decided to go and see it for ourselfs. we had a great time. read more

Horrible!!!! Dirty, dusty, trashy. Mostly permanent folks living there with broken down RV, broken down sheds and trash. Cannot believe 1000 trails Encore would allow this, they must be desperate for the small amount of income these permanent folks bring in. More like a mobile home park than a RV Resort 1000 Trails boasts. Extremely disappointed!!!! read more

Talking about rip off! I was looking forward to take my family out this weekend for a little getaway with our RV. But for unfortunate reason something happened with our RV that needs maintenance attention so I had to cancel our reservation. Thinking that I still have plenty of time to cancel my reservation without getting charge of anything was a bad mistake. I was charged an admin fee of $25 for cancelling my reservation. I don't even know why the lady even bother to ask me what is the reason why am I cancelling my reservation if they will charged me an admin fee anyway. Their policy is so screwed up because no matter what your situation is for cancelling you are on the hook for $25. I will never ever book on this place ever again. Bad customer service. read more

been camping there for years Staff is nice and accommodating. could be a little cleaner but than again, it's a campgorund.

Like others, I can't understand why Thousand Trails doesn't maintain the park better. Besides the complaints some others have had (all valid), some of the electric service is in bad shape. Ours drove our surge protector crazy. We had guys come out to work on the electric pillar twice, but it remained dicey. Nice distance to San Diego and great shopping nearby, but it's really rural. You see a lot of INS activity, both vehicles and helicopters. Very spotty cell service. If you are a TT member and go in snowbird season, expect to wait a day or two across the road in the public sites before you can get in. They have an interesting lottery arrangement for choosing your site, so if you have to wait, walk around and check out the sites the day before. We too are sorry we bought into a (very expensive) Thousand Trails membership. We've been to some good TT campgrounds, but too many are just so-so. It's a shame. read more

BEWARE!!!!! I attended this RV resort two weeks ago and was very disappointed. We went to a cabin for the weekend. When we arrived about two hours early we went to the activity center/café and had some lunch. The whole building was so hot and humid with no A/C. The café food and staff were wonderful. I can't believe you expect your staff to work in such harsh conditions and especially having your guest subject to that too. You might want to think about investing in some AC if you want to call yourself a so-called resort. we arrive at 3pm in our cabin and the refrigerator temperature was warm so we adjusted it to cold and at 6pm the temperature stayed the same. Call the maintenance people to come and fix and their excuses that it needed more time to cool down so he came back 8:15p. The maintenance guy Jose said there was nothing they could do because the whole resort was full supposedly so I would have to deal with this refrigerator so he recommended I put things in the freezer and put the temperature in the freezer down to minimum which at that time was at refrigerator temperature. Apparently overnight the freezer froze all my fruits and vegetables and when they were thrawed they were very soggy. So I had no refrigerator for 24 hours which created my milk and my other refrigerator products to spoil. The pool was pretty dirty which I was disappointed and was told they only clean the pool once a day which is ridiculous if you're at full capacity. I could feel that you guys were very short staffed all through the park which is crazy if you're going to call this a resort were you going to cater to your your guests. I feel you guys Owe me money for my food and a refund for not providing this service I was expecting. The pictures looks glorious on the website but that's very deceiving don't go there. I was considering becoming a member but after the first experience I'm not sure if I want to waste my money read more

There is only one positive thing I can say about our stay at this campground and that is that every employee we encountered were friendly. This was the most disappointing camping experience we have ever had. Not only was the campground badly run down , but they have turned 40% of the sites into a residential trailer park with piles of stuff all around those sites. When we made our reservations we should have been informed of that, Instead of finding it out when we arrived. The campground was so full of these 25yr old trailers and Rvs that there was not full hookup sites available for us when we arrived. We were sent to the other side of the Hwy far away from the club house and pool areas. When we paid $68 a night for full hookups that's what we expected. We did have electric and water, but no sewer. We had no picnic table and even after asking three times didn't received one untill the next day. I would never return to this campground again. Beware!!!! read more

so we just spent the weekend at pio pico. i would have written the review while there, but alas, they have no internet or cell signal. they give a nice little speech in the welcome package about wanting you to get away from it all, but then they are willing to sell you internet service, but they dont guarantee the speed or even that it will work. not my kind of internet service, thanx anyway. staff seemed very nice. must show current registration and proof of insurance to get in, ok, thats great, but i saw some rvs there that im quite sure have neither. we got shoved over to the "other side" of the complex. so i cant say anything about the main side. the other side? its basically a dump. all dirt, partial hookups. our power and water worked fine. there is a no sewer. oh but they have dump stations. with my RPI discount im paying fifty bucks a night for a dirt lot, no cell or internet, no sewer, oh, and no shade to speak of. those lots are taken by the long termers. the restrooms were quite clean this morning. so thats a positive. if you want to rough it? i think youd stay elsewhere for much less money. i would not go back to this place, but i can see that it might be ok for some. just know what youre getting into. they do have tent camping, nice little track for little kids on bikes with some little jumps to it. lot of nature. but resort? no, its not that. read more

If you're looking for fresh air, an escape from the city and a fun place to spend time with family, Pio Pico is it. We had a wonderful experience staying in a getaway cabin. It was immaculate! On-site, there are lots of things to do - a fun rec room for the kids, a large pool and more. My favorite part of my stay at Pio Pico was the restaurant. At first glance, it looks really simple and basic, but the food is truly home cooking at its best. I had the chance to meet the staff, and they are a family of four (husband, wife and two children) all helping out. We enjoyed a delicious steak, freshly BBQ'd on the grill, along with a crisp salad and delicious sides. Honestly, it was better than going to a fancy 4 star restaurant and the price couldn't be beat. I would come back here again when I'm hankering for some rest, peace, quiet and to be surrounded by nature (and home-cooked food to give myself a break in the kitchen!). read more