Tijuana River Valley Campground — Hotel in San Diego

Read below for some big negatives... ADD: After a week here, despite killing 2000+ ants with 8 bait traps the ants have overtaken my rig, must be 6000+ everywhere. I'm afraid of then hitchhiking to my home and nesting there. The voracious mosquitos and sand flies are constant unless the wind is blowing so you can't really hang around outside unless you're around a smoky fire. I'm moving my review from a 3 to 2 star so to this. The campground facilities and rangers are nice, many of the sites are a bit close to each other. The restrooms are all kept well and have showers for 25 cents (1 token) for 4 minutes. You'll need 2 tokens minimum for a shower as water flow is extremely low and it takes time for warm water to flow. There is only one set of restrooms near the entrance and it can be a long walk depending on where your camped. The negatives that for some reason many of the reviews don't mention but are a big deal. Many times at night and early morning you can smell the Tijuana river, which if your not familiar with it is a river that runs from Tijuana with raw sewage in it, that is the oder that often taints the air. It is gross. Ants- instantly 1000s of ants swarmed my rv, crawling up any point that touches the ground. I've used several any baits and while the baits have killed many 100s of them they just keep coming. These aren't normal ants, these ones go everywhere, they are in my sheets, couch, carpet, counter etc. Not just a simple line of ants. Mosquitoes-EVERYWHERE all the time. Must use insect repellent even around the fire. They are very active most of the time. Plus lots of random annoying other flying bugs. Fires- must use their local wood which is decently priced $5 a bundle. The fire rings themselves are way too high and have no air inlet holes down low. The walls are so tall you really don't get much heat even with a lot of wood in the ring, and sitting in a low chair you don't even see most of the fire and you are not getting any heat, worst designed for rings I have ever seen. Promptly at 10pm I believe the Rangers will come around and put water on your fire if it is still going. Overall it is an OK place to camp that is not too expensive and close to Imperial Beach. The smell tho at times is sickening. Some days it's not there...

When I was researching community gardens for a story, a garden manager insisted I visit Tijuana River Valley's because it's so huge. From there, I took a drive past the horse stables to get my bearings and was so surprised to find a campground with yurts! I'd been inside a yurt at a Mingei Museum exhibit many years ago, so this piqued my interest. Over summer, I spent a bit of time learning about Pixca Farms, which grows within the community garden and has a produce stand. There's also a small farm education property down there, horse rentals, a butterfly garden and some trails. I decided to stay a few nights to make it easier than driving in every day. The yurts are craftsman quality, very clean and spacious. Be advised that in summer they get hot inside at midday, just like a tent, and cold at night because you are close to the ocean and river. Also, they aren't much more sound-proof than a tent and an occasional insect will get in, given that you are in a rural, equestrian area, where the river occasionally floods. So, take insect repellent. If you are allergic to bug bites, definitely go with the yurt rather than a tent. The park was clean, nicely landscaped and well managed. The staff were friendly. I enjoyed doing a hike across the road up to the top of a mesa on an old road, where there were meadows of wildflowers, plus great views in all directions. On occasion, the valley can get odiferous because of flooding but it wasn't that way when I was staying. A couple of people told me that aircraft kept them awake at night. However, I slept like a log. On a positive note, it was so relaxing being out in nature in such a vast space and interacting in this slow-paced and less-traveled corner of San Diego county, where cute miniature horses cross the roads, tossing their little blond manes. My favorite moment was when I arose early one morning to witness a breathtaking misty valley view, with the sun just rising over silhouetted yurts. All kinds of people camp here or spend part of their day -- hikers, travelers and groups who love getaways and social nights...

We originally booked two nights but ended up staying 4. This is a new campground. You can easily stay here without feeling the need to leave as there are many hiking trails nearby. There is a kids playground area (with cool agility games), horseshoe pit, corn hole area (lots of spiders), and a place to camp with your horses.

There are 10 yurts available, as well as plenty of RV spots (no hookups), and tent camping areas.

They are strict on checking in when you first arrive and registering your vehicle.

The shower situation: When you arrive be sure to buy tokens. One token cost a quarter. A token gives you 4 minutes. You can’t change the water temperature (luckily it’s nice and hot) and have to press the button to continue the water stream every 30 seconds.

The showers weren’t necessarily the cleanest. I kept using the same shower and it looked like the same wad of hair was there each day.

Bring your earplugs. Even though this campsite is in a rural area all night we heard border control helicopters searching for people who have illegally crossed the border.

If I was a tent camper I would be cautious as people who have illegally entered the USA are known to come to the campsite seeking asylum. Not that they’re dangerous but it might be a spooky situation and may make people feel...