Old Mesa Campground — Attraction in Crestline

Campsite 81 and hmmmm first off for pros: the toilets are cleaned daily and restocked with toilet paper in the morning and sometime in the afternoon which is nice. You have some privacy and distance from neighbors but I've been to campsites that have more space and privacy. At 81, you do see 82 in your view but we had nice neighbors. They had three kids that would karaoke at night but honestly it could've been worse since a bigger group was way louder but further from us. The site also had a spot hidden in the trees specifically for our tent which fit nicely. However we booked the site for two tents, sadly the other group couldn't make it since they got sick. It worked out though because I have no idea where they would set up their tent. 81 is definitely meant for just one tent, didn't have much flat space for another tent to be set up. The tent is also flat for the most part but if your tent is bigger, the right side is on a slope so I kept almost falling off my bed when trying to sleep. The location is perfect though since everything is nearby, the water spigot, trash can, and showers/restrooms.

Cons: The showers didn't work when we were there :( Huge bummer since we paid $45/night specifically for the showers just for it to not work. The toilets flushed at least so we'll take what we can get. There's also a sewer next to the tent but it honestly didn't smell. We only got one small whiff of it on the first day when it was really windy. There also wasn't much shade so luckily we had a canopy that we pitched up to give us some. We noticed other campsites had more tree coverage so I'd probably try to book a different site next time. Check the weather too! We packed for a super hot weekend in the 90s but instead got a super windy weekend in the 70s. You never know the weather till you get there so just be aware! ALSO, the big group nearby wouldn't put their coolers in the cars so a bear would come at night every now and then. It didn't wake my family up but we'd talk to neighbors about it in the morning. It would scratch the dumpster and it pushed a family's cooler once since they saw scratch marks on it in the morning. Just be careful and please follow the signs and directions when you're there, the bears are no joke. They said it was as long and big as the table!

Overall, it was still a super nice campground. 8/10! The weather and neighbors weren't the best but it's out of our control and could've been a lot worse. We'd definitely come back but maybe try a...

Overgrown and dry. Huge fire risk but no one cares (The park staff I mean) what the place looks like. The camp sites can be just wonky. Ours was a steep grade from the parking spots to the site, others had steep stairs you would have to drag all your gear up and down on. The swim beach was beyond crowded on a Tuesday and the lifeguards are over cautious and often prohibit floatation devices, but will still rent a Kayak??! We had two of our own little two person inflatable boats and were told to get out the water the very minute we came. Camping is camping and you have to have certain allowances. The families that we could hear were loud but not awful. Just the sites are so close you could hear every word and movement and vice versa. If you get up to go to the restrooms (unkept and crowded) You will most likely disturb everyone around you. This is not a relaxing camp in the woods or a serene lake. Sure if you have your own boat. They advertise miles of bike trails. We brought our bikes . .and would have had to been professional uphill racing pros to enjoy them as they are all extremely steep and you will have to go steep uphills AND steep downhills to get anywhere. One man and his wife and the five small kids they had with them made the mistake of taking the "Short trail to the lake" as it states in brochure and the walk is a steep DOWNHIILL 29 min adventure that left me tired (it has uphill parts too I would never be able to ride my bike up). The man and the kids were thankful when I called my husband to bring down our large truck and my moms mini van to help them (and me) skip the long steep uphill walk/ride back to the camp. Another family ended up at the old closed group camps down the highway and had to walk the main highway with their small children back to the Mesa Campground. This park reads and appears family friendly but it really is more suitable for outdoor adventure types. The kayak rentals are WAY OVER PRICED to be considered a good family activity and apparently our rubber paddle raft was a unwelcomed loop hole. Consider going the few extra miles to Crestline where you find Lake Gregory is much more...

I stayed here for three days and two nights. My camp spot was #41. Terrific view. No one was here at the park in early April. Kind of windy. And cold in the evenings. Not good for tent camping at this time of the year. Perfect if you have a self-contained RV. However the rules regarding generators could be a little more generous. You cannot turn your generator on before 10 AM. I think 8 AM is reasonable. Generators must be turned off by 8:00 PM. I can understand that they are trying to keep things peaceful in the early morning and evening hours in case others are asleep. This is dry camping at its finest. Nice level lots. Easy navigation throughout the park. Ideal for trailers up to 23 feet. Larger trailers will have some difficulty finding adequate parking. They do have water situated around the park that you can use to fill up water containers and or freshwater tanks within your RV. There is a bait and tackle shop not far away you can find some necessities there. It is limited. There are his and hers bathrooms and wash basins located in outbuildings around the park. I was happy to see Park Rangers and other law-enforcement patrolling the park regularly. Makes for a safe camping. There are some great mountain biking trails locally. If you’re into that sort of thing. Also plenty of walking paths. This park is pet friendly. So if you have a dog you shouldn’t have any issues. Dogs are not allowed on the beach area near the lake. I Give this park 4 stars instead of 5 because of the lack of a usable dump station and the fact that you can’t turn your generators on until after 10 AM. However that being said I will definitely come again....