Most wildfires are preventable. Learn to be fire safe
- Santa Ysabel
Fort Cross Adventures
Hosted by Doreen · Santa Ysabel, California
11 sites · RV, Tent · 12 acres
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Tent-only sites
6 sites
Doug Fir
100%
(1)Toilet
Potable water
Pets allowed
Showers
Picnic table
Jeffrey Pine
100%
(1)Toilet
Potable water
Pets allowed
Showers
Picnic table
Live Oak
100%
(1)Toilet
Potable water
Pets allowed
Showers
Picnic table
Tire Swing
100%
(1)Toilet
Potable water
Pets allowed
Showers
Picnic table
New
Clementine
Booked 1 time
Toilet
Potable water
Pets allowed
Showers
Picnic table
Kumeyaay
Booked 1 time
Toilet
Potable water
Pets allowed
Showers
Picnic table
RV/tent sites
5 sites
Coffee Berry
100%
(1)Toilet
Pets allowed
Tree House
100%
(1)Toilet
Pets allowed
New
Butterfly
Toilet
Pets allowed
Linden
Toilet
Pets allowed
Manzanita
Toilet
Pets allowed
Reviews
99% Recommend178 ratings · 124 reviews
Doreen and her crew were very friendly and accommodating. This is a perfect spot if you have kids and want them to learn a thing or two about animals and the outdoors. It is quiet enough during the night time and the star gazing is amazing.
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Brian J.
4 years on Hipcamp
Our 2nd visit to Ft Cross. This time we enjoyed the Summer Solstice Music Event.
Coffee Berry site was the perfect get away with our little vintage camper.
Thanks again to Jesse and Doreen!
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Drew W.
3 reviews
Recommends
· June 2026
Tent ·
Doug Fir
Doreen and her family are very kind and welcoming. Upon our arrival, she greeted us warmly and gave us a detailed tour of the farm. The campsite has plenty of shade, so we did not have to worry about the heat. The restrooms are extremely clean and well maintained, and the shower is always available as well. We were also lucky enough to enjoy a live music performance by a local teenage band, and they were amazing! Overall, we had a wonderful experience and would highly recommend this place.
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Jacob H.
4 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· June 2026
Tent ·
Jeffrey Pine
We had so much fun with our toddler, what a gem of a place!
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Benjamin R.
1 month on Hipcamp
My wife and I were the first Hipcampers for the summer season at Fort Cross old timey adventures, and it was great.
Doreen and Jesse were great and led us to our choices of camper sites available. We were in a secluded spot away from the fray. We had our 1956 Shasta canned ham camper set up for off grid because there are no hook ups at these sites so we utilized our solar power bank.
Saturday we experienced the nature tour (small $25 feet) including petting zoo, reptile experience, archery, tomahawk throwing and a tour of the most amazing historical rustic Tom Sawer esque village of structures and educational areas. I strongly recommend this place for anyone that love old rusty gold and everything built with an artisans touch! Fresh strawberry picking in Berryland was a bonus. Easy drive from coastal San Diego. We are definitely coming back.
Drew W
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Drew W.
3 reviews
Recommends
· May 2026
Tent ·
Tire Swing Tent Site
the camping grounds in the local parks were full i had to look for other options and found this spot , i wanted to take advantage of the long weekend and get to know the area for astrophotography and scenic views.
I was solo camping and the place felt secured and it had an open space for stargazing after 2 AM sky looked amazing. it had showers and working restrooms. I really liked it.
Chris A.
2 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· November 2020
Group trip ·
Tire Swing Tent Site
Wonderful stay and our hosts were fantastic. Can't wait to go back!
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Michelle T.
6 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2020
Group trip ·
Tire Swing Tent Site
Loved it all! Huge fun for overnight tent camp with kids. Best petting zoo I’ve been to in San Diego. Doreen and Hubby (sorry I don’t recall his name atm) were great! Definitely recommend and will come back.
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Guy D.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2020
Group trip ·
Tire Swing Tent Site
Doreen was so welcoming and helpful. Everyone loved the activities and the campsites were much better than I expected. Enjoying the meteor shower in the open field was perfect.
Heidi G.
5 years on Hipcamp
This was a really fun weekend that I highly recommend if you are either a couple to adults who enjoy doing activities outside the usual hanging at the campsite or you are a family with young kids who may need some extra entertainment while enjoying sleeping in the outdoors. With just my partner and I, we had a great time feeding the animals, feeling like kids with the paint ball sling shots, shooting some arrows, and feeling accomplished with the sound of tomahawks landing into the wall of stumps. Doreen, Jesse, and all the other members at Fort Cross who were with us were very welcoming and helpful. If you have young children, I definitely recommend a stay here or even just a day visit! However, having a campsite within walking distance to come home to after all the playing was really nice. Access to the porta potty and water spout was convenient. And the layout of the area was so easy to navigate and you were far enough away from other campsites. You will still hear each other, but it was not a problem and there were set quiet hours which everyone followed. Also you may get to meet there pup who came by to say hello (hi Prince!). This was our first time using HipCamp and booking with Doreen at Fort Cross Adventures definitely made a great first impression! I hope to book again in the future with hopefully all my nieces and nephews when we are all able to spend time together!
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Casey R.
6 years on Hipcamp
This campground was very enjoyable! My husband, son and I all had a really great time at Fort Cross. The activities were so enjoyable, we especially loved meeting all of the animals and reptiles. I also really liked the campfire and songs hosted by the campground owners, Doreen and Jess. They are so nice and welcoming. You can tell they put time and effort into making their campground great! Our campsite, Grandma Bea, was very clean, well maintained and private. There were plants and trees everywhere, a tire swing (my son loved), and so many fun activities!
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Hayley B.
5 years on Hipcamp
Fortcross was a great fun experience for me and my family. We enjoyed meeting the Fortcross team, they were all great. We loved our time with the animals and reptiles! It was great to interact with them and it felt authentic and Jesse showed he cared and wanted everyone to enjoy. The bow & arrow, sling shot and tomahawks were great. The right amount of instruction and freedom to practice were provided. It was a great experience and my kids loved it.
Doreen was very accommodating and went out of her way to help us and make sure we were comfortable. She is responsive and easy to work with. I’d go back!
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Greg W.
6 years on Hipcamp
What an incredible experience! Words don’t capture the easy joyfulness of thus experience for our whole family! We’ll be back!!
Sarah C.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2020
It was ok staying here. Was hoping for more isolation, but nice for families.
M
Mateo R.
4 reviews
Recommends
· August 2020
My teen girls and I really enjoyed the property, the petting zoo/animal experience, and the activities. The hosts were all very friendly and welcoming. We look forward to another stay soon.
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Jason T.
5 years on Hipcamp
Our stay at Fort Cross was so lovely. We had a nice spacious campsite, with a big oak tree shading our tent. Doreen and Jesse has fun activities throughout the day for our youngest camper to enjoy, and we had sightings of turkeys, cows, and donkeys which were a fun addition to the weekend. The star viewing at night was phenomenal, and we can’t wait to visit Fort Cross again!
Katie H.
10 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2020
Group trip ·
Tire Swing Tent Site
Our family enjoyed the camping experience and all the activities!
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Erin K.
5 years on Hipcamp
Fort Cross was amazing! We had such a great time with our family there this past weekend. It started off as just a birthday party and we decided to stay the night. All of Fort Cross's staff are awesome and the owners went above and beyond. From baby farm animals to reptiles to archery they had it all! My family and I cant wait to get back.
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Dionna M.
5 years on Hipcamp
I can’t say enough good things about Forcross Old Timey Adventures! This place and our hosts (Jessie and Doreen) over exceeded our expectations! We are a family of 4 with 2 kids, and we had a BLAST! We camped there with our tent for 2 nights, did all the activities available. We did the Tomahawk throw, slingshooting, petting zoo, archery, tire swings. Etc... so much fun, educational and very unique! There’s nothing like Fortcross, our kids never asked for the ipad for 3 days because this place kept them busy and interested. Our campsite was private enough, lots of shade, the showers and portapotty were very clean. It was so hot in the afternoon during our stay and Jessie turned on the sprinklers and an open grass area and we had a ton of fun cooling off there. The jug band folk music get together at night was so fun too, even with social distancing. They truly have something special here! Look no further and bring your family here for a great adventure. We will be back around Halloween time! Can’t wait! Thank you Doreen and Jessie for a wonderful stay! We see the love and hardwork you have put in this place. See you again!
Joanna Q.
6 years on Hipcamp
Doreen and Jesse treated us like family! Our kids want to live there, they had the most fun. The ho down and campfire songs were my favorite. Great entertainment and great attitudes. Super fun time.
Meriah D.
6 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2020
Group trip ·
Tire Swing Tent Site
We had a great time at Fort Cross! Doreen was a lovely host and made us feel welcome and comfortable right away. Our site was large and shady and although there were a lot of groups there it never felt crowded—our site felt private and we were able to social distance without a problem. Plus the facilities (portapotties, handwashing stations, and showers) were clean and easily accessible. The whole place had a summer camp vibe (in a good way!) and it was great for kids. Our 2 year old loved the tire swing, petting zoo, and wandering the maze. Overall we had great time and hope to return next year!
Rachel T.
4 reviews
It was great! Doreen and her husband are super nice people! She gave us great recommendations for coffee and pie in town and her husband was great with the kids showing them all the animals. My gf and I did the activities, which were a lot of fun. We didn’t know what to expect, but we’re so glad we did it. We only did a weekend, but needed to do a whole week to both camp and explore the area. We will definitely be back for a longer trip and one with the kids. They’re going to love it! Definitely book if you have kids or want a chill easy camping experience. There are markets 5 min away driving if you forget or need anything.
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Jason B.
6 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2020
Group trip ·
Tire Swing Tent Site
My family had a fantastic time. The campsite was nicely shaded with a table with benches. We had a great time stargazing and doing the onsite activities. My children's favorite activity was archery, and I loved the paintball slingshots. We also enjoyed the petting zoo and reptile interactions along with all the other activities. Doreen was a gracious host, and we highly recommend Fort Cross Adventures!
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Courtney F.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2020
Group trip ·
Tire Swing Tent Site
Dry camping at its finest. Sites are pretty spacious and private. Activities are great
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Kristin S.
6 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2020
Group trip ·
Tire Swing Tent Site
We had a great time! Activities were very fun & everyone one was very nice and welcoming. Very family friendly, and great to star gaze. Took my telescope and saw 5 shooting starts and a few satellites.
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Monica C.
5 years on Hipcamp
Doreen and the rest of the folks at Fort Cross Adventures were very friendly and fun, and our party loved staying here. There was a good mix of things to do and quiet time, so it never got boring, but nor did it feel too exciting. The activities were lots of fun.
Bring earplugs to sleep if you're there on a weekend. The camp itself is very quiet and tranquil, but it's close enough to a thoroughfare that sometimes evening travelers will wake you up.
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Brett E.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2020
Totally fun safe adventures for my two boys. Warm, welcoming, accommodating and good ole fashioned fun. I’ll be back. Thanks!
David C.
6 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2020
Staying here was great! I only stayed one night so I didn’t give myself the chance to check out all of the fun activities that are offered, but it looked like a lot of fun! I’m definitely bringing my nieces and nephews here for a fun weekend adventure!
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Aubrey C.
4 reviews
My family and I fell in love with Fort Cross. It is a very special place owned and run by people who truly are passionate about what they do and the land that they care for. Doreen and Jessie were incredible hosts as well as Farmer Ben and Sunny, making us feel like we were instantly part of the family. We camped out in a site, shaded by amazing oak trees, and woke up to the sounds of roosters, cows, and donkeys, which we absolutely loved. The activities for families includes archery, tomahawk throwing, paintball slingshotting, an amazing petting zoo and reptile encounters, panning for gold, a Lilac maze, tire swings, and much much more. Our daughters loved picking strawberries and raspberries too. We really didn’t want to leave and will be back again and again!
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Heidi M.
6 years on Hipcamp
We camped here with our sons (8yo, 7yo) and it was so much fun! The campsite was private yet inclusive, clean and beautiful and felt very safe. It was time well spent for our family. Fort Cross is awesome for kids, it’s whimsical and adventure-y. Our kids both had a blast and my inner child was happy too. The fort, tire swings, archery and paintball sling shot were very fun and our youngest especially loved holding the reptiles! Everyone was very kind and friendly. This place is awesome, the kids are still talking about it with joy, they’re happy campers :-)
Mariah M.
6 years on Hipcamp
Location
Santa Ysabel, San Diego, California, United StatesTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
Hosted by Doreen C.
Joined in November 2017Things to do nearby
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