Group Sites at the EcoShire

We stayed at The Grotto. It was plenty of space for our group and the surrounding terrain made it feel private. We only had to share a toilet and shower with one other group. Jim and Chris were very helpful for getting us everything we needed. We ended up renting a pop-up canopy and they set it up for us. We went on a hike up the Lakeview Trail which gave a great view of the beautiful terrain surrounding the site. We would definitely come back!

Our group had a great time. Jim and his staff went beyond expectations to make sure we had everything we needed. We were able to purchase ice and firewood at the site. Everybody had a smile. Obviously everyone there loves what they do.

Everything was amazing at the Ecoshire! Jim and Dawn are incredible hosts. They are in the midst of redoing the whole property and it’s incredible. Lots of compostable toilets with running water around the damp sites.
The food at the Grill is amazing! You almost don’t need to pack any food. They have breakfast, lunch and dinner for INCREDIBLE prices. The pool is perfect for a dip in hot days.
Chris was very helpful, always asking if we needed anything. They sell firewood and ice, which is super convenient! We will definitely be back when it’s not 100 degrees!!!

Had a wonderful time. The site was great, the amenities were killer (loved that there was food on offer all day), and the hosts were super cool. Can’t wait to stay again.

Our stay at the eco shire was awesome! Jim and everyone there were extremely hospitable and were there to help meet any of our needs. They were also very respectful and careful about following social distancing guidelines which made our group feel at ease. The food was as great as all of the reviews said and not having to cook every meal ourself made our trip so much easier than other camping trips. We were there in some serious heat. Jim said they normally close when it’s that hot out, but wanted to stay open to give people the option to get out of their houses right now, which we were really grateful for! The heat ended up not being too bad- we drove up to idyllwild during the hottest hours of the day since it was cooler there, but if we had stayed at the camp for the day there was a small above ground pool that we could have utilized to cool off, plus plenty of shade at our site. I really enjoyed seeing what everyone there has done to restore this land and enjoyed hearing a little about their vision for its future. Would love to come back again.

This place was awesome. The staff was incredibly helpful and attentive — shout out to Jim and Chris for checking on us and our site daily. Everyone there was generous with their time and resources. Amazing spot. Definitely hot during the Summertime, so I'd recommend going Fall or Spring to really have a comfortable experience, but otherwise this spot is in my top 3 favorites.

We stayed at Group Site 1, which featured a beautiful tree buzzing with bees during the day (they didn't come down to bother us at all, even when we had food out).

The site was large, we ultimately had three tents up at comfortable distance from one another, plus our own little canopy. There was a table (seating 6-8 people) and a decent fire pit. There was a hammock in the tree, and we put up our own as well.

There were two compost toilets nearby with sinks, as well as a spigot for water (although we brought a 7-gallon container).

The owners came round to make sure we had everything we needed.

They sell all manner of tasty foods, plus firewood that is chopped on site. There are a few showers available to use throughout the property, including one that is cleaned after every use (only available between 8am-8pm).

The night sky was gorgeous and we spotted a few planets with our telescope.

Because it's summer, it did get very hot during the day. I took an hour long dip in the small pool, but didn't put enough sunscreen on and got a mean sunburn on my shoulders. I would recommend really slathering on the sunscreen. This is almost desert country, so the sun hits hard.

We spotted quite a few animals. They've got goats and chickens, but there are also wild hares, bats, birds, kangaroo mice and ground squirrels. And it's dog friendly.

The work they're doing at the D2E Ecoshire is really cool and learning about all of that, plus taking a tour of the vegetable garden was an unexpected bonus. I definitely will come back and can't wait to see it evolve into the food forest they want to plant.

Highly recommend!

This was an excellent experience for the three families that stayed at this camp site. We were able to camp together. Jim and his wife as well as the people who worked there provided excellent service. Jim gave us recommendations on places to go visit and take the kids high up in the Idyllwild forest (45min from camp site) and escape the heat. We then came back in the afternoon and enjoyed the place when it cool off. We are very impressed with all the work Jim and his team have put into recovering this site and bringing it back to nature. Can wait to see the place after the reforestation program they will implement in the next couple of months. We are definitely coming back in September and then in April.

We had a great time! Jim & Dawn we’re communicating with me since the night before my trip. They made sure we were set up with everything we needed and gave us space to just hang out. The outhouse was very clean and well kept. We will definitely be back!!!