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Head south to Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve to stay in a floating cabin or a lakeside tent or RV. Closer to San Diego, Silver Strand State Beach offers RV camping near Coronado, while private campgrounds can be found around Mission Bay and San Diego Bay, often with plenty of amenities. Closer to the border, Tijuana Valley Regional Park offers yurts and a campground.
Inland at the Cleveland National Forest, campers can find scenic drives, waterfalls, and mountain peaks. Several campgrounds with tent and RV sites sit near the base and on Palomar Mountain, also home to the Palomar Observatory. Palomar Mountain State Park, meanwhile, has one campground for tents and RVs.
Lake San Marcos is a year-round destination, though lake activities are the most popular over the summer, which is also the busiest time at the beaches and coastal campgrounds. Visit in spring and fall to escape the crowds, and know that some higher-elevation campgrounds in the Cleveland National Forest are only open seasonally.