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    Vail Lake Resort

    3.4 (351 reviews)

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    Cigarette butts
    Breann A.

    We were really looking forward to our stay, but when we arrived at our campsite, there was an active colony of large harvester ants throughout the area where we were supposed to pitch our tent. These ants are known for having one of the most painful stings in North America, so we didn't feel it was safe or reasonable to set up our tent there. When we expressed our concerns, we were initially told, "It's nature," which felt dismissive. We understand that insects are part of camping, but an active colony of stinging ants directly in the campsite is different from seeing a few bugs. We also noticed cigarette butts scattered around the campsite, which made it seem like the site hadn't been cleaned or maintained very well before our arrival. To the campground's credit, they explained they were completely booked and couldn't move us to another site, and they did provide us with a full refund, which we appreciated. We just wish the campsite had been inspected and cleaned before guests arrived, and that our concerns had been taken more seriously from the start. We had no other choice but to go home. Waste of money (buying camping gear, food and gas to drive there) and time!

    Justin F.

    We came here for a beer event, we stayed in a cabin for the weekend. We usually bring our trailer, but it was in the shop. The pros: The cabins here are pet friendly, spacious, they have a full kitchen and BBQ. Cons: There are rodents in the cabins. The mice get into everything, the cabinets, dishware, silverware and pots and pans. There was also mouse poop on our bed. I was so disgusted, I almost drove home. Luckily there was an upstairs loft, we couldn't stand up all the way because of the low ceilings, it seems like it was meant for kids. We didn't see any mouse droppings, but the sheets were dirty and used. And there was a lot of hair all over. There were fresh unused sheets on a cot we used. We were expecting clean and sanitary condtions for the amount we paid per night. I reported this issue to the front desk, they refunded us for 1 night, and changed the sheets in the main bedroom. They neglected to clean the mouse poop in the cabinets though. We used the BBQ whenever we needed to cook.

    Cindy R.

    A camper came into the campground and knocked over the water pipe causing the water to be knocked out for the campground! Additionally, the campers down the lane were going to be flooded. Our cousins got their tools, while the maintenance person and manager stood around really not knowing what to do, except to call the water district. They saved the campers hours of being without water and the other campers from being flooded, because that's what would have happened. Now they are trying to claim that their handymen would have fixed it. That's total nonsense! They didn't know what to do and they had no tools to do it! Our cousins handled it within an hour. Now they/KOA don't want to compensate them at all - not even giving them a night or weekend free! KOA is horrible! I will definitely be calling corporate office to complain about this. Someone ask the manager that was there! He knows they saved everyone hours of an undue nightmare of being without water for hours AND having their campgrounds flooded!! Totally disappointing that KOA will not compensate them!!

    Megan A.

    This was my first time here with my family and it was amazing other than the price! It can be pretty expensive for camping but I will say the amenities are awesome. They have mini golf, jumpers for kids, the lake, pavement for riding bikes, clean bathrooms and showers, pickle ball court, trails to hike, beach volleyball court and the pool. We made memories we will never forget and you can't put a price on that.

    Trisha L.

    As a tent camper they have remodeled that area and removed the old tent sites. They used to be at the Arroyo section and they were big. I had no complaints until we just went and saw that not only have they moved the tent sites but they've stacked them on top of each other. They gave me site T03 and I had to walk over rocks to climb up but also walk through someone else's spot in order to get to mine. I was very displeased with the whole situation. Even though I don't have an RV, I still wanted to enjoy camping. We used to love camping here but I did ask the front desk if there was something else for us and she offered the RV area Chardonnay, saying they have 5 designated spots for tent camping during the construction. Yes, they are still doing construction in the Arroyo section and yes the construction fence was also an eyesore from the original tent site. Thank God I was offered a different site, but I'm still upset about the tent sites which is why the 2 stars! I don't know if I'll be back as a tent camper, I just love the pool. Ok, 1 more star for the pool. It's hot so bring your cooler, umbrella or popup!!

    Brand New bathrooms in Arroyo Seco. Showers are in individual private rooms.
    Savanna O.

    We had a great time camping @ Vail Lake Resort. The newly renovated Arroyo Seco had all brand new, stunning bathrooms and private showers. The tent pads are spacious, and have power hookups! There are cozy string lights, picnic tables, and fire pits for each tent pad. 10 out of 10 recommend for a fabulous "glamping" experience!

    Monica P.

    Loved our stay at Vail Lake! This was our 2nd time camping here. We camped in the Chardonnay area -- great spot with beautiful sunset views. We brought our eBikes and explored the property, enjoyed a campfire, and had a couple of drinks at the bar. Super pet-friendly too -- our dogs had an absolute blast. Highly recommend for a laid-back SoCal getaway! We'll definitely be back.

    Jennifer W.

    Second time coming here. The first time we camped in the barren wasteland of rv sites in the upper level. The restroom/showers were heavily dilapidated. This time we tried a more expensive, shady site with a firepit. Site was nice but again, the bathroom in the nicer area looked like a prison. We have a van rv so we had to take a shower in the bathrooms. The site across the way put up a monster LED studio strength light that illuminated the whole area like it was daytime. Nice they had a café sandwich place - chicken wraps were delicious. There's also a bar on the premises which was nice. Overall - ok. Please PLEASE upgrade the bathrooms. I cant believe Im saying this but the bathrooms are 10 times worse than a State Park.

    Small dining table in the central kitchen of cabin.
    Beatrice A.

    Had a wonderful stay at the Temecula KOA in July 2025, staying in the cabins in the Rincon area, site RC07 specifically. The cabin was very spacious but yet cozy at the same time. It had 2 queen bedrooms and a loft with low ceilings with 2 single person floor beds not quite a twin size mattress but comfortable enough for the kiddos. The kitchen was amazing and having 1 and half baths was an absolute luxury. Glamping at its best! The only one thing that was frustrating about the stay was that there were ants throughout that kept finding our treats! We just did our best to seal up all the goodies and not leave food out so the ants didn't annoy us too much! Being in the great outdoors, a visit from the ants was not too unexpected!

    Our spot
    Kara G.

    The staff is top notch and the land is absolutely beautiful. There are great views, lots of hiking trails and a beautiful lake. The pools are always clean and the property is very well maintained. The events during holidays- especially the 4th of July, can't be beat! Even the other campers are kind and friendly!!! If I could rate over a 5 star rating - I certainly would!!! Visit for both peaceful and party fun!

    Ladies, restroom, and showers.
    Debbie C.

    Ladies facility are so unacceptable. If you don't have full hook ups, this is what people are forced to use for a shower. She put some money into the facility instead of trying to build all these little new cabins. Shame on you KOA

    Darci M.

    5th annual camping trip and we'll all had a great time There was 6 campers all together and we really enjoyed our visit! Lots of kids riding electric bikes and scooters- lots of adults driving golf carts - we even noticed a CutWater cart going around and it was all set up for Halloween and plenty of bands playing music and kids events

    Stocked with lots of towels.

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    3 years ago

    Website is lacking photos of the village, cabins, and pools, so it's really hard to gauge if it's worth going.

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    8 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Soooo loud, not our kind of "camping'. Lots of sites close together, lots of loud music and vehicles driving around

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    5 years ago

    Maggie and the crew are the best. So helpful, such a great representaiton if your company. Give these ladies a raise.

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    Page 4 of 9

    Ask the Community - Vail Lake Resort

    Is there cell phone service?

    Yes, there is cell service, but it is spotty in some areas.

    Can you set up a tent next to your rv in the same spot?

    I've been going there with a large group for years and many of us have shared a friend's RV space and set up a tent next to them. As long as you're in their space, not encroaching on anyone elses, you can set up a tent within your RV site.

    How many cars can you have per camp site?

    Two, you can have additional in the overflow parking.

    Can you go fishing?

    We saw a fair amount of people walking to the lake with poles. I'd check with the campground to be sure.

    Do the showers have hot water?

    Yes very hot!

    Is it possible to walk from one campground to the other? For instance, from Arroyo Seco to Chardonnay Mesa?

    Yes. It's a big campground tho, but totally walkable. Many people use golf carts or bikes to get around.

    Is the campground near the lake?

    Unfortunately, the lake has been closed for a few years.

    Can we set up a tent in addition to our RV at Lower Merlot?

    Is this the old Butterfield Country campground site?

    yes, it is.

    Has anyone used uber/Lyft from here to go wine tasting?

    Can we swim in the lake and also do we have to pay to get in?

    No you cannot swim in the lake there is a pool and yes you do have to pay to get it

    Does Chardonnay or Chardonnay Mesa areas all have picnic tables and fire pits at each site now that they are a KOA?

    I stayed in upper Chardonnay and there were no picnic tables. There was a fire pit.

    Is it open to public? If so, is there a fee to go in and What's the earliest to go hiking on a Saturday?

    The park is open to the public for camping, there is no day use, the $5 fee you are talking about is for mountain bike and hiking trails only.

    How far from South Coast Winery?

    about five miles from Vail RV Resort to South Coast Winery.

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    Review Highlights - Vail Lake Resort

    Many activities for the entire family: miniature golf, swimming pools, frisbee golf, hiking, etc.

    Mentioned in 15 reviews

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    Native Falls Campground - A bird that landed on our deck this morning

    Native Falls Campground

    4.6(276 reviews)
    7.4 mi

    This place is Amazing. We rented three cabins which were…read moreclean and roomy. Had everything you needed while you were there. I would definitely recommend going here. The one thing we wished they had was ice on the grounds but then there is a small store a few blocks up the main road

    There is a huge aggressive raccoon that almost attacked my husband and the campground refuses to…read moreeven put a trap out after the thing has come back 3 nights in a row and came within a few feet of my son saying they cannot do anything to guarantee our safety. With small children running around this is a serious safety issue. The lady at the front laughed in my face and insulted me asking where I was from. On top of that they decided to start cutting trees at our campsite while we were camping. Couldn't even access my children after coming back from the bathroom. The workers are now harassing us parking in front of our site to intimidate us. BEWARE. CAMP at your own RISK this place does not care about their guests and will do nothing to ensure safety. UPDATE: Shortly after posting my honest review, campground management informed us that we were no longer welcome because of the review we left. Instead of addressing the serious concerns we raised, they chose to retaliate against paying guests for sharing their honest experience. I would like to add that the front desk lady informed me this was an ongoing problem and it was not just our site that was having aggressive raccoons, in the midst of insulting me. Therefore, the problem couldn't be fixed by moving sites, which would have been a half a day task, at minimum for me being alone with 5 children even if moving could solve the problem. It clearly was not a solution either way with it being a widespread issue. This tells me everything I need to know about how this campground operates. When confronted with legitimate criticism, management's response was not to fix the problems. Their response was to remove the customer. We reported ongoing safety concerns, including persistent raccoons repeatedly entering campsites and approaching campers. Rather than taking meaningful action to address those issues, management decided the problem was the guests who spoke up. If this is how they treat customers who leave an honest review, imagine how they handle complaints that are not made public. I stand by every word of my original review. This update is based on what management told us directly. Other campers deserve to know that leaving an honest, unfavorable review may result in being told they are no longer welcome. Businesses build trust by addressing legitimate concerns, not by punishing customers for speaking honestly. You can decide for yourself whether that is the type of business you want to support.

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    Native Falls Campground - Good food & great company

    Good food & great company

    Native Falls Campground - Nice little pickleball court by the water!

    Nice little pickleball court by the water!

    Native Falls Campground - Family hike

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    Family hike

    Paradise by the Sea Beach RV Resort

    Paradise by the Sea Beach RV Resort

    4.3(504 reviews)
    29.6 mi

    I've driven past Paradise by the Sea for 45 years and never paid any attention to it. Living so…read moreclose, my wife and I decided it might be a neat place to try with our Class A motorhome. We spent 3 nights here in August of 2026 and were delighted that we did. It's an oasis in downtown Oceanside. The staff are delightful, the resort is very will organized and well maintained. There's a locked gate to enter a very short path to Buccaneer Beach. Spaces are concrete paved and the utilities are perfectly positioned. My only comment would be that there's not much room between spaces so it's tight, but still very maneuverable. Keep in mind, this is prime real estate close to the beach, so it's expected that they need to make the best use of their acreage. Paradise is a very neat place to get away.

    i am going to start off with the positives - the campground is clean and well maintained. yes, you…read morecan walk to the beach but there's not much beach there (not the campsites fault). we took our 2&4 year olds to buccaneer park and it was loaded with homeless people and what appeared to possibly be gang members. the pool at the campground is very small and they offer a pool table, shuffleboard and tv's inside the main office. again, all very clean. we were in site 65 and the trains ran right behind us. my kids got the biggest kick out of it. the negatives: there was a massive mosquito problem because of all the still water in the loma alta creek next door.we originally booked site 64 because it's huge and with 2 toddlers we will take all the room we can. but because i didn't pay extra to lock it in, they gave it to someone else who didn't even utilize all the extra space. major bummer but i hate that i have to pay extra to lock in a site - what a rip off. site 65 was super tight & we couldn't even open our awning all the way because there's a palm tree right there. anyway, super disappointed that our spot was given away because i didn't "lock it in". also, they have an employee who will guide you in to your spot, the kid who helped was nice but terrible at backing us in. he wasn't telling us anything he was just staring the whole time. we'd be better off doing it on our own. i think this place is great for older people or families without toddlers. for us, it was a bit more stressful as we were trying to find things to do. maybe we will come back once we retire in 25 years.

    Photos
    Paradise by the Sea Beach RV Resort - Enjoy a treat from our camp store

    Enjoy a treat from our camp store

    Paradise by the Sea Beach RV Resort - Pull Thru's Available!

    Pull Thru's Available!

    Paradise by the Sea Beach RV Resort - Best Beach Access of Any Southern California RV Park

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    Best Beach Access of Any Southern California RV Park

    William Heise County Park - Picnic table at site 19.

    William Heise County Park

    4.1(179 reviews)
    37.8 mi

    This place fills up fast but we booked several months out and were able to choose our campsites…read morebased on proximity to the dumpsters, bathrooms, and even based on whether the sites had shade. We reserved campsites 89 and 90. Campsites were about $37 per night, after the reservation fee, and could fit a maximum of eight people in two tents. Several of us had car set-ups and when we called the reservation office, they confirmed that sleeping in the car wouldn't count towards the two tent limit. Each site also has two dedicated parking spots. If you have additional cars, it'll be $6 per car/night and there's overflow parking scattered around the campground. Quiet hours start at 10PM and all campfires must be out (no embers) by 11PM. The bathrooms were fine, considering this was a campground. Showers are coin-operated and you can get 4 minutes for 50 cents. Make sure to exchange your cash at the ranger station before the sun sets! From my friend group, I heard mixed reviews on the showers. It seemed like the girl's side had poor water pressure and usually was cold. But both times I showered, I had decent pressure and the water eventually turned warm. There's also potable water throughout the campground, with a specific spout with filtered water (for taste). Our campsites were pretty great especially site 90. It's flat and right under a huge tree so it was the perfect spot to hang out and escape the sun. For tents, the ground was kind of rocky so make sure to bring a pad or air mattress if you can. Each site comes with a table and a fire pit. For firewood, you have to purchase from the campground because they don't want you to accidentally introduce any invasive species. Overall, great campsite with decent bathrooms! We didn't get a chance to explore the campground and the trails around it so I would love to come back one day. Oh and dogs are allowed as long as they're on a leash!

    First time at this campground! It's been a while since I've been camping, but this campground seems…read moreto be much nicer compared to what I remember from campgrounds I've been to in the past. The bathrooms were clean and fully stocked with toilet paper and free tampons on the women's side. There were 2 men's and 2 women's showers at the bathroom closest to our site. One of the women's showers didn't have the best water pressure and sprayed more of a mist...but the other was fine. Neither appeared to have warm water, but it wasn't freezing either, so it was bearable. We heard the men's showers did have warm water though. Showers were 50 cents for 4 minutes, and then you could add additional quarters to add on 2 minutes each. There were spigots and bottle refill stations too near the campsites. I'd probably avoid the sites right next to the restrooms unless you want to hear toilets flushing, the loud hand dryer, and foot traffic throughout the night.  There were plenty of trees so most of the campsites around us at least had at least some shade during the daytime. The only issue I really noticed was that some campgrounds were pretty close together so you will probably hear noise from neighboring sites. There was plenty of parking too, but these were also close to the sites, so one night we heard the sound of cars constantly locking throughout the night. Not the biggest issue though and you should probably bring earplugs while camping if you're a light sleeper. Overall, these campgrounds are nicer than a lot of other ones I've been there where you have to drive into town to shower. The tradeoff though is that with the nicer facilities and proximity to neighboring sites, it doesn't feel as remote and sort of feels like you're one step away from civilization. So maybe not the best place to camp if you're looking for a more true camping experience.

    Photos
    William Heise County Park - Valentine's gift from one teardrop gal to another.

    Valentine's gift from one teardrop gal to another.

    William Heise County Park - Loved the snow!

    Loved the snow!

    William Heise County Park - Snow fun, thanks to my friend Anne's gadget find!

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    Snow fun, thanks to my friend Anne's gadget find!

    Tucalota Springs Rv Park and Campground - Front check in

    Tucalota Springs Rv Park and Campground

    3.9(40 reviews)
    8.5 mi

    This is a great RV park. Dawn in the office is very friendly and very knowledgeable. This place has…read moregreat shade trees and is very quiet. I recommend it to all my friends.

    Great RV park but can't come back due to deterred tree maintenance with low overhead clearance and…read morenot allowed to arrive after dusk/dark. This is a great RV park that is extremely quiet, clean, and family, friendly. Dawn, the camp host, was great. The pool was clean and refreshing. We are sad to say we cannot return because there are several trees along the entry road and campground loop that are very low and over grown. We had to stop, remove our antenna, and physically lift branches over the equipment on our roof due to low hanging branches. Unless the campground owner trims the trees back significantly , I do not advise camping here if you have a high profile rig. My trailer is 13ft 7in tall and as you can see in the photo the branches hang down as low as 11ft in some areas. The branches left scratches and light gouges along my roof and AC covers, even after using a spotter and lifting what we could. Also, they are very strict about arrival time. We typically camp Friday (after work) through Sundays and this facility does not allow for you to arrive after the sun goes down. They will turn you away. Thank you Dawn for a nice stay, we hope to camp here in the future depending on the topics above.

    Photos
    Tucalota Springs Rv Park and Campground
    Tucalota Springs Rv Park and Campground - Turkey

    Turkey

    Tucalota Springs Rv Park and Campground - Fishing pond

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    Fishing pond

    Sundance Meadows

    Sundance Meadows

    2.6(43 reviews)
    4.8 mi

    This place is beautiful and the staff are so helpful. The…read morehorses are so happy and well fed. We stayed for 2 days. It was so relaxing and love being outdoors with the horses. Last year I brought my now wife there where I proposed to her. Sundance meadows will always have a special for me and my wife.

    This place was HORRIBLE!! First, we spoke to one of their reps a number of times in the two months…read morebefore going, and, to make a long, terrible story short, we found out upon arrival that we had been COMPLETELY MISLED. We had booked an entire month to stay here for $125, that we'd have to pay $125 per month for a year (a contract) and then would be allowed to stay there 4 months out of the year. (So $2000 for the year or $500 per monthly stay, which didn't sound too bad to us, given how they described the site and what it offered.) However, upon arrival we were quickly disabused of our previous FALSE information. The caretaker of the property, named John--a very pushy and curt guy--first explained, just minutes after arrival, that we would HAVE to take a tour of the place (with him) and then decide if we wanted to join a very expensive 1-, 3-, or 5-year CONTRACT, that could NEVER be cancelled for ANY reason. And the kicker? If we didn't decide to join, we had essentially 24 hours to vacate the property!! (Out by 12pm the very next day.) Please just imagine how livid and disappointed we were, who had been told we had a 30-day reservation for $125! Even though I was getting over pneumonia and was really looking forward to 4 weeks of R & R, and my wife was extremely tired and needed to rest, we pulled ourselves together and did the only thing we could: prepare to leave the next day and NEVER AGAIN return to this over-priced, dilapidated "dude ranch"--where there's apparently only one "dude"--the caretaker, John. You see, we arrived on a Saturday at the end of May and we were the ONLY guests staying there at the time, at least in the campground area. And we did NOT like what we saw: dilapidation most everywhere. There were a few nicer outbuildings, which didn't really concern us RV campers, But most everywhere we looked we saw things unkempt, run down, and just looking broken. For example--and this is a big one for RVers--all of the pedestals looked 20-30 or more years old. Some of them clearly not working at all. Our own pedestal had two BROKEN 30-amp outlets. One absolutely couldn't be used and was an obvious hazard, the other was broken partly, and our plug was quite loose--and never should have been used. I told John, the caretaker, that both of "my" outlets needed to be replaced. He told me that the one that was partially broken and loose "would be just fine and wouldn't present any problems." Even though I heard arcing/buzzing when I plugged it in! He eventually admitted to us that ALL of the pedestals were long over-due for upgrades. This place has been open for many years but apparently they're not all that interested in upgrades, even to critical--and dangerous--equipment. Btw, if you go on their Facebook page and look at the many pics, notice that are NO pics of the camping area (where it's so run down) except for a POSED image where you see a couple of horses right next to the caretakers own RV! I believe this is deliberate on their part b/c they don't want you to see the very old and broken down pedestals, the ubiquitous holes and mounds created by ground squirrels, the dry, weedy ground (and NOT green grass as we were told and a few of the pics suggest), nor do they want you to see the caretaker's medium-sized dog running amok and unleashed through the property. (We thus didn't take our little Yorkie out for a walk.) Finally, I must say a word about the 2-mile dirt entrance road into the ranch area. (Btw, this is absolutely not a working ranch! It does have several horses which can only be ridden on the weekends, and non-campers can bring their own horses to ride, but just don't expect a working ranch.) Now back to the 2-mile long entrance road: it is nothing but a hard washboard that will shake your vehicle or RV so badly you'll swear it's coming apart at the seams. It is a road from hell for RVs and trailers. I drove the slowest speed humanly possible and still my rig rattled like we were experiencing a 5.0 earthquake. We were never so happy to get out of there, and we'll most certainly not be going back. The only nice things that I feel compelled to describe are that it apparently does have a small, nice and clean pool, and it offers spaces to enjoy archery, basketball, tennis, very limited catch-and-release fishing, and of course horseback riding for young and old. Moreover, the lodge was a very clean and well-kept; it seemed rather new. It also had new (but apparently empty) bunkhouses. (On this particular Saturday in late May, we did not see another soul except for the caretaker.) But, as I've described, the camping area leaves a GREAT DEAL to be desired. Even if they were offering a great deal on memberships, we would never join b/c of the dilapidated condition of the campground. The site definitely has great potential. But in its current condition, it's just not worth paying for a membership.

    Photos
    Sundance Meadows
    Sundance Meadows
    Sundance Meadows

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    South Carlsbad State Beach - Carlsbad SP Premium site.

    South Carlsbad State Beach

    4.2(385 reviews)
    31.8 mi

    Camping at Carlsbad State Beach is unmatched…read more This campsite offers the best of both worlds: city life + beach life. It sits right on the ocean bluff with two sides, bluff-side (oceanfront) and streetside. Obviously bluff-side is preferred, but staying on the streetside is still a treat. A few things I love about this camping experience: - They allow all forms of camping. Tent, RV, van, etc. - The site has clean bathrooms and warm showers. Just be sure to purchase tokens at the front for the shower. - Dog friendly! You can bring your pet along but they must be on leash and aren't allowed on the beach. - Carlsbad has the most captivating sunsets, and if you're lucky, you'll even see a few dolphins. Truly the most memorable 32nd birthday activity with all my favorite people.

    Carlsbad is a beautiful city with a lot of nice restaurants and little shops so I opted to try the…read morebeach here today rather than Oceanside where I usually go. I lucked out and found a super close parking spot in the neighborhood across the street. The beach itself was VERY short compared to sand length at other beaches so people were almost on top of each other. There was a pretty intense drop off about half way down the sand so it limited space for people to put down their stuff and lay out. I'm not sure how normal it is at this spot but there was a TON of rocks. It was way too much to be able to enter the water without having them beating your feet and ankles. My friend was bleeding after trying to check out the water. The surf was also a little intense that day so I'm wondering if that had any effect on the rock situation? This was a very clean beach with restrooms at the bottom of the ramp from the street so it did have that going for it but we decided to leave and head for a beach where we could safely go into the water that day. I'll have to come back another time to get a better idea.

    Photos
    South Carlsbad State Beach - ROTTEN FENCE

    ROTTEN FENCE

    South Carlsbad State Beach
    South Carlsbad State Beach

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    Vail Lake Resort - campgrounds - Updated September 2026

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