Frequently asked questions

In person, by phone, on line or at the park during park hours. Please note that all reservations must be paid for when you make the reservation. For INFORMATION call (858) 694-3049 - Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
For RESERVATIONS call Monday-Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
(858) 565-3600 (local) or (877) 565-3600 (toll free).

Our on-line reservation system is now ready to take your camping reservation. Visit this page to get started on this exciting new reservation process.

For your convenience, we accept cash, check, money order, VISA, or MasterCard

For cancellations, please call 858-565-3600 (local) or 877-565-3600 (toll free from San Diego County) Monday-Friday: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

If a reservation is cancelled more than 90 days prior to the arrival date, the camping fee will be refunded less the $5 nonrefundable reservation fee and a $5 cancellation fee.
If a reservation is cancelled between 30 and 90 days prior to the arrival date, the $5 reservation fee, a $5 cancellation fee, and the first night's camping fee are nonrefundable.
For reservations cancelled less than 30 days from the first day of your camping stay, all fees are nonrefundable.
Reserved sites will be held until 1:00 p.m. on the day after the scheduled arrival date. The site will then be given out on a first come, first served basis until the next scheduled reservation for that site. All refunds will be credited directly back to the specific bank card used for the transaction. If paid by cash or check, only a credit voucher can be issued. NO EXCEPTIONS.

To transfer or reschedule a site, or change your arrival or departure date, there will be a $5 fee. Transfers are only allowed one time, and only in the same park. Transfers or changes cannot be more than 90 days from the original arrival date. For changes, contact the reservations desk at (858) 565-3600.

Campfires are allowed in designated fire rings between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. (All campfires must be extinguished between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.)

An open-flame ban shall go into effect whenever a Red Flag Warning is posted by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and will remain in effect until the Red Flag Warning is lifted by NOAA. Because a Red Flag Warning is a weather-related event, no refunds will be given due to an open-flame ban.

Propane stoves and lanterns are permitted in all camping parks.

For up-to-date information on campfire status, please contact the Reservation Desk at 877-565-3600, or ask the ranger when you arrive at the park.

Anyone who lives in San Diego County is eligible for a County Resident Discount Card. The cost of the card is $35.00 and is good for one year from the date of purchase. CAMPING FEES: The Discount Card holder is entitled to $1.00 off per night when camping in a San Diego County Park, and the $5.00 convenience fee is waived.

Senior Citizens, who are residents of San Diego County and are 62 years or older, and disabled residents who have a 50% disability are eligible for a Senior or Disabled Discount Card. This card costs $15.00 and has all the benefits of and a bigger discount than a regular County Resident Discount Card. CAMPING FEES: Persons having a Senior/Disabled Discount Card will receive the $1.00 off per night on any Friday night, Saturday night or the night before a holiday the same as a Resident Discount Card holder. A holiday is defined as any day the County offices are closed to the public. Senior/Disabled Discount Card holders will be given additional weekday discounts for any Sunday through Thursday night that is not a night before a holiday: $4.00 off per night on hook-up sites, $3.00 off per night on developed sites, and $3.00 off per night on primitive sites. The $5.00 convenience fee is waived.
PLEASE NOTE: Discount cards apply to only one site per night, and are not transferable. For more information, call 858-565-3600, or write to askparks.lue@sdcounty.ca.gov or the San Diego County Parks and Recreation Department, 9150 Chesapeake Dr., Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92123.

We have several categories of parking passes:

Family Pass ..........$40/year
Senior (62+)............FREE if a San Diego County resident
Disabled ................FREE if a San Diego County resident (Current California Disable Placard Honored in All Regional Day Use Parks)

Parking passes are available at any of the camping and picnic parks or at the Reservation and Information Center at 9150 Chesapeake Drive, Suite 200. (Please note that parking passes are not valid at Agua Caliente or Wilderness Gardens.)

Alcoholic beverages are permitted in most County parks, providing the alcoholic content does not exceed 20%. No alcohol is allowed at Lindo Lake, Old Ironsides, Nancy Jane, Collier, Rainbow, or Sweetwater Lane.

Yes, you may reserve specific areas in each of our regional day use parks, and we recommend reservations for large groups. Call the reservation center at (858) 565-3600 (local) or (877) 565-3600 (toll free) Monday-Friday: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.. Staff can recommend a park and area for you, and provide you with the fee information. You may also picnic without a reservation, and areas have been set aside outside of the reservable areas for the general public. If an area is not reserved, you are welcome to picnic there as well.

To check availability of the day-use areas in our parks up to a year in advance of your picnic or event, go to this page.

Two camping parks operated by San Diego County Parks and Recreation, Lake Morena and Lake Jennings, have the additional attraction of fishing and boating. LAKE MORENA is located off I-8, 63 miles east of San Diego and fishing, boating and sailboarding can be enjoyed all year, seven days a week, 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset. No swimming. Rental motor boats are available for $35.00 for a full day and rental rowboats are $15.00 for a full day, $10.00 for a half day. The lake use fee for private boats (motorboats, sailboats, canoes, kayaks, sailboards) is $6.00 per day. There is no horsepower limit on motorboats but the speed limit of 10 miles per hour applies to all boats, therefore no waterskiing is allowed. Fishing in the spring and summer for bass (record largemouth bass 19 lbs. 3 oz.), crappies, bluegills and catfish and in the fall and winter for trout (12,000 lbs. were planted last year between November and May) provides hours of enjoyment for fishermen of all ages. Fishing fees are $5.00 per day for Adults (16 and over); $3.50 per day for Seniors (62 and over) and Disabled, weekdays only, $2.50 per day for Juniors (8 through 15), and no charge for children 7 and under. An information line, (619) 478-5473, is changed daily with fishing and sailboarding updates. LAKE JENNINGS campground is operated by San Diego County Parks and Recreation, however, the lake is under the jurisdiction of Helix Water District and different hours and policies apply. The lake is only open for private boating and boat rental on the weekends and the hours vary during the year. If camping at Lake Jennings, you may shore-fish any day, sunrise to sunset. Fees are $6 for Adults, $5.50 for Seniors, $3 for Juniors between 8 -16, and no charge for children 7 and under. Further information regarding hours, hour changes, closures, etc. may be obtained by calling Helix Water at 619-466-0585 or visiting their web site at www.hwd.com/reserv/index.htm.

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Because the two lakes in County camping parks (Lake Jennings and Lake Morena) serve as reservoirs for the City of San Diego, no swimming is permitted in either lake. Agua Caliente County Park offers two naturally fed pools that provide different ways of enjoying the park's mineral water: a large outdoor pool is a natural 90 degrees, and an indoor therapeutic spa is heated to 102 degrees and outfitted with Jacuzzi jets. (Check pool hours here.)

The Parks Department runs only  Lake Morena. Among the lakes operated by the City of San Diego Water Utilities District are Barrett, Chollas, El Capitan, Hodges, Miramar, Murray, Otay, San Vicente, and Sutherland. Information on these lakes can be obtained by calling (619) 668-2050. Lake Jennings is operated by the Helix Water District (phone 619-466-0585). Most of the rest of the county lakes are operated by various water utilities.

The Department operates three community centers: Fallbrook (760-728-1671), Lakeside (619-443-9176), and Spring Valley (619-479-1832). They have programs for all ages. Each of the pages for the above community centers has a link to its own program guide, or you may contact them directly for information. We now offer registration for these programs on line. Go to this page for more information about this convenient service.

We also offer programs and activities in many of our regional and historic parks.

Many San Diego County residents and visitors are unaware of the recreational HIKING TRAILS, BIKING TRAILS, and HORSEBACK RIDING TRAILS available throughout the region. There are more than 100 miles of trails within County Parks alone. A full-color brochure, Experience San Diego County Trails, offers a brief description of the trails in nearly 30 parks and preserves. It is available at many of our parks or on line here.

At this time we do not have a single map that depicts each trail, but we would be happy to answer any questions you might have about the trails within the County Park system. Just send e-mail questions to us, or give us a call at 858-694-3030. Please note that on our web site each of the camping parks has a map that includes trails; go to the individual park's home page and follow the links to "map." (Note: There are no trails within County Parks on which you are allowed to ride motorized vehicles. Off-highway vehicular trails are available elsewhere in San Diego County and Southern California; for more on these areas, visit the California State Park web site, the Cleveland National Forest site, or the Bureau of Land Management site.)

The County Trails Program and the Community Trails Master Plan (CTMP) were adopted by the Board of Supervisors on January 12, 2005. The trails program involves both trail development and management on public, semi-public, and private lands. The CTMP will be the implementing document of the trails program and contains adopted individual community trails and pathways. The plan is available here.

Domestic pets are allowed in many County Parks, with certain exceptions and restrictions. Pets must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet and must be attended at all times. They are not allowed at Quail Gardens or Volcan Mountain Open Space Preserve. Registered companion dogs accompanying the unsighted, deaf, or disabled are exempt from these trail and camping restrictions. The fee for dogs in camping parks is $1.00 per night per dog, and the pet must have a current license and vaccinations.

You can now learn about the MSCP on line. Here is the link to the MSCP web site.

Many County Parks have unique areas for weddings and receptions, including gazebos, pavilions and a historic temple. Visit our Wedding Pages or call for detailed information.

INFORMATION: (858) 694-3049
RESERVATIONS: (858) 565-3600 (local) or (877) 565-3600 (toll free)
E-MAIL: askparks.lue@sdcounty.ca.gov.