Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve
Santee · near Santee · San Diego
Camping
At a glance
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Elevation
- 380
- Campsites
- ~300 sites + 10 cabins (3 floating on the water)
- Season
- Year-round
- Fee
- ~$55-90 sites; cabins higher
Permits and booking
- Reservation required
- Yes
- How to reserve
- Private (Padre Dam MWD, camplife.com); floating cabins & summer weekends book far ahead. Manicured and urban, not wild.
What is here
- Setting
- lake-river
- Amenities
- Full hookups (30/50-amp + sewer) · Pool + spa, laundry, general store · 7 stocked lakes, pedal-boat rental · 10 cabins incl. 3 floating
- Best for
- A polished, resort-style family preserve with unique floating cabins
- Features
- Floating lakeside cabins (unique in the county) · Pool, store & stocked lakes · Low-effort family trip · ~5 mi of trails
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Camping detail
- Camp type
- rv · cabin-glamp
- Intl tip
- Reserve a floating cabin months ahead - they're the highlight and unique in the county. Cell/data coverage is weak on-site, so download maps and info before you arrive.
The guide
Santee Lakes is a polished, resort-style family preserve - seven stocked lakes ringed by full-hookup RV sites, a swimming pool …
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 32.847, -116.997