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Lake Cuyamaca, the jewel of the San Diego mountains, is the ideal mixture of adventure and relaxation. Whether you come for a day of fishing, a weekend of camping, or a two week vacation in a cabin, it’s a place so beautiful you won't want to leave.
About an hour's drive from San Diego, Lake Cuyamaca is proof positive that good things come in small packages. Situated at an elevation of 4,600 feet among oak and pine, Lake Cuyamaca is the perfect getaway for up to 14 nights. Few places in San Diego County offer the pristine views you will find at Lake Cuyamaca.
Stocked regularly with trout, Lake Cuyamaca is the only San Diego lake that is able to stock trout all year long. Other species of fish include Florida large-mouth bass, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill and sturgeon.
There are no dump-stations at Lake Cuyamaca. The nearest dump-station is located about 3 miles away at Paso Picacho State Park Campround.
No body contact with the water is allowed. Lake Cuyamaca is a drinking reservoir.
No wood fires or burning of wood is allowed. Every site has a charcoal grill, and propane fire rings are permitted.
The drive up through Julian was beautiful. Snow all over and we got there early enough to enjoy the snow and scenery to ourselves before everyone and they're mother got there. Lol. It was cold but fun. We pulled over and had lots of fun. Kids loved it.
I love coming to cuyamaca, there's so much to do here. From walking around the lake to hiking on the mountains. You can also rent a boat to go fishing or a paddleboat and just chill on the lake. It's up to you to decide what to do!
We were at Lone Pine camp that has only 8 RV/trailer sites and a handful of tent sites. All sites have lake view, and the toilets and coin-deposit showers were cleaned and well-kept although the Men shower was out of order 4 nights we were there. On the contrary to the campground instruction to ask you to check in at the Tackle Shop first, there was absolutely no room to park your RV/trailer or turn it around. We made a mistake of pulling into the day-use parking lot and it was a stressful situation to maneuver the 8-ft wide x 19ft long trailer (not big by any mean) through the narrow driveways and parked cars. Next time we'll go to the campsite first and check-in afterward. The campsites were monitored several times a day so the park ranger would check you in if he/she saw you. The lake was full and the peninsular on the east side of the lake was fun to explore. Overall, we enjoyed our time there and plan to come back.
Tent camping lone pine side
Pros&cons
Pros: its a very beautiful location the water is just a few yards away from the tent there is plenty of fish in the lake you can park next to your camp spot which is nice they have really nice and clean restrooms and a shower the runs off quarters(you can get change at the baitshop across the lake) has warm water has water for your outside needs like washing dishes or having a bucket of water to wash your hands trash bins are close by each camp spot has its own table and small boulders separating each spot most spots have a decent size for 2 or 3 8 people tents also has a charcoal grill for each spot
Cons: no fire pits or fires allowed only propane firepits each spot is right next to eachother to close to other people. some people stay up a little late and you can hear everything. I had a yurt tent and i could hear the people next to us talking smake about our tent they had all their chairs on our side in the morning till i came out and stared at them they came to move them quickly like if they didnt know we where there then tried to do it again the next day till i stood there watching them like a weirdo till they decided to move other then that it was a pretty amazing experience cant let wierd people ruin your vacation right? Lol
If you plan on staying here plan ahead reserve ahead of time because it does fill up fast and make sure you reserve enough days i made the mistake of only booking 2days and ended up wanting to stay the 3rd day but was booked already other then that its an amazing lake dog friendly kid friendly and peaceful when its quiet
I posted pictures of the other spots on the lone pine side since there isnt much pictures of that side hope they can help with your next visit
It Looks very pretty this lake from the far away and this picture but then actual closer look isn’t so neat. But if you like to kayak or riding a boat and you’ll like the quiet nature.
