Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve i USA

We stay at Santee Lakes a few times a year because it’s close to home and a good place to open up the RV, connect to hookups and get organized for our next adventure. The lakefront spots are our favorite and the fishing is also nice. The campground has a lot of amenities and several spots for long-term campers, which is great! But over the years, it seems like more and more spots are being used as living quarters. There are dilapidated canopies, dusty furniture and so much clutter, you’d think it was a homeless encampment. Given the site cost seems to average $90 a night, I would expect better. One of the sites is a few spots down from us and they appear to have at least three cats that are allowed to wander outside. My dog has to stay in the RV with curtains closed so she won’t annoy other campers, so much for the lakeview I can barely enjoy! I have talked to campground staff about this before and they don’t seem to think the issue is problematic so I guess we will save our money next time and stay at a county campground or Lake Jennings.

for 4 år siden

This was our second time staying in Santee Lakes. The campground offers a variety of site options. Most sites are on a sandy, dirt level surface. There are a few paved, pull thru sites. Sites are wide and some offer trees for shade. All roads are paved. The campground is extremely quiet. The campground is located within the Regional Park which offers several lakes and makes a great walking route. There are a variety of watercraft available for use on the lake. Staff is very helpful and friendly. WiFi worked well during our visit. Cell service can be iffy because the park is located in a valley. The park is gated and very secure. We had several rain storms during both of our stays which makes the site surface quite unpleasant. The sandy dirt doesn't dry out very fast. We also had an ant problem. We solved it by taping our water hose up on a pole. We noticed several other people had done the came thing. The campground location is near the Mission Trails Regional Park with hiking and mountain biking trails. Getting into San Diego is an easy drive.

for 4 år siden

This park is hard to rate. The good: lakes, fishing, great for walking, close to shops and restaurants, 25 minutes to coast, friendly employees who aren't rv park nazis. The bad: Phone and internet are abysmal. Even paid the $10 a week for their “upgraded” internet. Even that is bad. They supposedly are in line for a new cell tower. Hard to believe it’s this bad with so many long term people here, and at a time when many parks are upgrading to 5g. They also are not good at keeping campers in the same sites. We moved several times to stay for 3 weeks. Per other campers they call this the “Santee shuffle.”

for 4 år siden

Previous experience ok despite long list restrictive rules. This time booked 4 nights several weeks ahead for holiday weekend. Site too small for our 31 ft fifth wheel, hung out into street. Crowded, ugly, only dirt, no lake view. Very different than before. No other sites available. Although rangers tried to help and agreed site too small, office staff not kind or helpful. Despite terrible Verizon service, was able to find (very pricey!) site at another park and get a refund. Wasted an entire day. Manager called back later, too little too late but she was professional. Will not return.

for 4 år siden

This was also our second time staying in Santee Lakes - West Oak Loop #217. As the prior review pointed out, the campground offers a variety of site options. Most sites are on a sandy, dirt level surface. There are a few paved, pull thru sites. Most sites are wide and some offer shade. The campground is extremely safe, quiet and is located adjacent to Mission Trails Regional Park which offers miles of hiking and MTB options. Facilities are very well maintained and bathrooms are spotless. RV sites are broken into seven sections (1) Lakeshore Loop - centrally located to the office and lakes however, sites are close together and guest turnover is high. (2) Mulberry Loop - Still lakeside and close to entry/exit gate. Sites are close together but paved. Mostly monthly guest. (3) Sycamore Loop - Small unpaved loop with some shade trees. Mostly monthly guests. Close to entry/exit loop and new bath house. (4) Willow Loop - Larger unpaved loop with more spacious sites close to pool, laundry, rec. room. Some sections of this loop are reserved for larger groups. Some sites require a bit of leveling. (5) East Willow Loop - Mid size loop with large unpaved sites. Sites are nicely organized and do not feel crowded. Mostly monthly guest. (6) - West Oak Loop - Largest of the loops. Sites are very large and unpaved. Can easily accommodate 40' plus a car. Camp host refers to it as "Million Dollar Loop" due to the large number of late model class A rigs that spend the winter here. Most sites are occupied monthly with little guest turnover. This loop is close to the dog run area as well as access trails outside the park. This loop offers little to no shade. (7) East Oak Loop - Mid size loop with large unpaved and semi shaded sites. Mostly monthly guests. Access from Santee Lakes: 20 minutes to Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla, Del Mar. Cell Service: Sporadic Verizon coverage. Wifi: Free but poor service.

for 4 år siden