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Lilac Oaks Campground

80%
¡
¡ Valley Center, San Diego, California
Hosted by Denise D.
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Activities
Biking
Boating
Fishing
Hiking
Natural features
Mountainous
Not currently accepting bookings
More camping spots nearby
80%
73 ratings ¡ 22 reviews
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Alessandra M.doesn't recommend
October 30, 2020
Lilac Oaks Campground
Don’t trust the photos!
Felt pretty duped! The photos made this place look like it was out in nature, private, and mostly primitive, which is exactly what we were looking for. When we arrived we realized it looked nothing like the photos, and to further deviate from our expectations the area was mixed use; this place isn’t just a campground it’s also a trailer park, and not a very nice one at that (think hoarder nests). The camp sites are all on top of each other, and the sites are not very level making use of space even more difficult. I went and re-reviewed all the photos and realized they were all posted by two individuals, one of whom is the owner of this listing, so the misrepresentation makes a lot more sense. We had reached out to the owner before hand asking for a remote site and we were placed right by the entrance across the street from the bathroom/front desk (I’ve never seen a camp ground with a developed front desk) so we were all woken up throughout the night by the broken motion sensor light by the aforementioned building going off randomly all night, then by Diesel engine vehicles exiting at 6 am. We also never saw a place for potable water, which was mentioned in the listing, and i never heard back from the owner when I asked about it.
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Jennifer Z.doesn't recommend
September 10, 2020
Lilac Oaks Campground
DONT GO HERE!!!
I expect a full refund! I was sold a spot that is occupied by a permanent resident. The entire grounds are poorly maintained. We drove around for an hour before we found a spot that didn’t appear to have anyone in it since our spot was occupied by an RV that had clearly been there for years. We set up one tent before we realized the entire site was infested with spiders and ants. We were also told it was reserved for someone else so we ended up sleeping in our cars. The bathrooms near where we slept were padlocked and covered in spiders and webs. The bathrooms were not well maintained considering we are in the midst of a pandemic.
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Joe N Vanessa P.
September 1, 2020
Lilac Oaks Campground
Good for first time camping
Overall I’m happy I came here for our family trip but let me give some details Hipcamp booking - this is a third party website. Where you request to book and given can be different from where the actual site places you. My family had 4 different reservations after following my family to camp. We expected to be in a different area however they placed all 24 of us on one site. Which goes completely against covid. Thankfully where they placed us there were 6 different sites open. We hoped and guessed that they were fully ready to move if other guests came. So I recommend dont book thru hipcamp if you want to come here Facilities - 4/5. In the morning it was very clean. I never felt like the toilets were gross. The floors were because the showers are in the same room and of course people who camped or finished swimming got it wet. There’s a lot of spiders in the shower so if you’re scared of that maybe this isn’t the place. But I feel like I kept seeing the same webs and those could be cleaned up daily with a broom. Hot showers tho! My one star is only for deduction with webs and the maintenance is a male. I thjnk there should be some rules as to when he is cleaning. There were ladies using the restrooms and showering. Announcing your presence would be nice. Lake/Pond - I like how everything was walking distance and in some ways you can walk to a busier area where other people are or out more where no one is there. Catch and release though! Pool - 8 at a time was allowed. Very clean no bugs inside. You have to reserve a slot for an hour. I suggest do that as soon as you arrive so you can plan ahead Vibe - I was happy to hear some owls and roosters to feel like I’m outdoors. There’s a lot of people who actually live there. Many RVs parked which in ways made me feel safe but in ways made me feel sketched out. Customer service - the lady in front seemed nice, informative, and just willing to answer questions and the phone. If you’re an experienced camper this might be kinda blah but not terrible. Facilities are close to everything so if you’re not very outdoorsy this might be good for you to get a foot in.
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Kolini M.recommends
August 31, 2020
Lilac Oaks Campground
Loved camp site.
Loved the camp site. Restrooms were clean and I felt safe. Easy access and peaceful. Kids loved the lake and the space to hike and run around. I’m glad we were able to take our dog.
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Brian M.
August 18, 2020
Lilac Oaks Campground
There seemed to be a mixup in booking a site. I had to go through the process twice on Hipcamp before I got a confirmation. Then when I got to the campsite my reservation was not recognized at all. Denise, the host, explained some mixup with 3rd party vendors. Note: I thought I was reserving Site 10, according to the aerial view on HipCamp. However, there is no site 10 and Denise said that the aerial view photo on HipCamp is incorrect. The campsite had many things going for it: it was cheap and available; it was quiet (we had no one in the site next to us) except for some barking dogs and the very early Friday morning trash lorries pickup; the facilities were as advertised (hot showers, pool, fire rings etc) although the facilities looked a bit jaded; there was good observance of Covid mask usage. However the location is not the most scenic or interesting. Maybe a convenient overnight stay location, or maybe the place looks better in winter/spring.
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Taimane U.recommends
August 2, 2020
Lilac Oaks Campground
Liked it a lot didn’t get spot I wanted t stay in though.
Location
Valley Center, San Diego, California, United StatesTraditional, ancestral territory of Kumeyaay/Kumiais and PayĂłmkawichum (LuiseĂąo) First Nations according to To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
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Hosted by Denise D.Joined in November 2017
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