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Cuyamaca Rancho/Paso Picacho

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is a state park in San Diego County, California, located 40 miles east of San Diego in the Laguna Mountains. The park covers an area of over 25,000 acres and is home to a variety of wildlife, including deer, mountain lions, and golden eagles. The park is also home to Paso Picacho and Julian, two small towns located within the park boundaries. Visitors to the park can enjoy camping, hiking, fishing, horseback riding, and picnicking. The park also offers a variety of educational programs, including guided nature walks and interpretive talks. Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is a great place to explore the beauty of the California wilderness.

Amenities

- Recreational Facilities

• Lake
• Fishing
• Ramp
• Body Of Water (Lake Cuyamaca)

- Policies

• Pets Welcome
• No Tents

- Other Amenities & Services

• Restroom and Showers
• Restroom/Showers ($)

- Recreation Nearby (within 10 miles)

• Fishing
• Hiking
• Boating
• Mountain Biking

- Facility

• Type (State Park)

- On-Site Rentals

• 

- Sites

• Spaces Available (85)
• Max Length (25)
• Dirt Sites (85)
• No Hookups (85)
• Back-ins (15 x 25)
• Fire Rings

User Reviews

Jaasiel Hendrix

February 17, 2026

The scenery is like not other! It was my first time coming here and I'm impressed! The trails are clean and so are the restrooms, a bunch of friendly people around to help if you need it as well. The trail is pretty easy to follow even for someone as clueless as me. Loved it!

Garrison Doreck

December 24, 2025

Beautiful location. Breathtaking hiking trails with good variety of types and lengths. I stayed in Live Oak cabin and really enjoyed the solitude.

Kyle Thompson

October 09, 2025

Jewel of the areas parks. If you've been to Cuyamaca you know. My dad brought me here when a was a boy...some 55 years later I'm still coming back. Clean sites, clean facilities. Most of the camp sites are on sloping ground so if you are tenting be advised. Bring dollar bills for showers, $2 will get you 4 minutes and the water is good and hot. Hiking throughout the park and lake fishing nearby.

Gerry Bedard

July 21, 2025

First, the campground is clean, spaces are large enough, location is excellent, bathrooms are clean. There are numerous hikes that you can get to from here without needing a vehicle. The campground gets five stars. The showers take tokens. One token for two minutes, two tokens for a dollar. Change machines are located outside the showers. The shower heads are not very good. Bathrooms are clean. My biggest (and regular) complaint is with Park Rangers not enforcing the basic camping rules. Mainly, quiet hours, dogs off leash or on trails (No dogs allowed on ANY trails). Although one rule Rangers do rigorously enforce is no checking in before 2 PM. We all want to have an enjoyable camping experience but some campers just cannot grasp the idea that we ALL share this campground. Please, be respectful of your fellow campers and adhere to the simple park rules so we can all have a good time.

Paul Grenier

May 10, 2025

Site #7. Large campground in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park with clean flush toilets and hot showers. Miles of hiking trails leave from the campground, with our favorite being the hike to Stonewall Peak which has amazing 360 degree views. Just down the road is Lake Cuyamaca for boaters and fishermen, complete with a bait shop and a great lunch spot, The Pub at Lake Cuyamaca. Town of Julian is not too far away if you’re at the campground for an extended stay and crave delicious apple pie.

Map for Cuyamaca Rancho/Paso Picacho

Contact information