We stay at Santee Lakes a few times a year because it’s close to home and a good place to open up the RV, connect to hookups and get organized for our next adventure. The lakefront spots are our favorite and the fishing is also nice. The campground has a lot of amenities and several spots for long-term campers, which is great! But over the years, it seems like more and more spots are being used as living quarters. There are dilapidated canopies, dusty furniture and so much clutter, you’d think it was a homeless encampment. Given the site cost seems to average $90 a night, I would expect better. One of the sites is a few spots down from us and they appear to have at least three cats that are allowed to wander outside. My dog has to stay in the RV with curtains closed so she won’t annoy other campers, so much for the lakeview I can barely enjoy! I have talked to campground staff about this before and they don’t seem to think the issue is problematic so I guess we will save our money next time and stay at a county campground or Lake Jennings.

This was our second time staying in Santee Lakes. The campground offers a variety of site options. Most sites are on a sandy, dirt level surface. There are a few paved, pull thru sites. Sites are wide and some offer trees for shade. All roads are paved. The campground is extremely quiet. The campground is located within the Regional Park which offers several lakes and makes a great walking route. There are a variety of watercraft available for use on the lake. Staff is very helpful and friendly. WiFi worked well during our visit. Cell service can be iffy because the park is located in a valley. The park is gated and very secure. We had several rain storms during both of our stays which makes the site surface quite unpleasant. The sandy dirt doesn't dry out very fast. We also had an ant problem. We solved it by taping our water hose up on a pole. We noticed several other people had done the came thing. The campground location is near the Mission Trails Regional Park with hiking and mountain biking trails. Getting into San Diego is an easy drive.

This park is hard to rate. The good: lakes, fishing, great for walking, close to shops and restaurants, 25 minutes to coast, friendly employees who aren't rv park nazis. The bad: Phone and internet are abysmal. Even paid the $10 a week for their “upgraded” internet. Even that is bad. They supposedly are in line for a new cell tower. Hard to believe it’s this bad with so many long term people here, and at a time when many parks are upgrading to 5g. They also are not good at keeping campers in the same sites. We moved several times to stay for 3 weeks. Per other campers they call this the “Santee shuffle.”

Previous experience ok despite long list restrictive rules. This time booked 4 nights several weeks ahead for holiday weekend. Site too small for our 31 ft fifth wheel, hung out into street. Crowded, ugly, only dirt, no lake view. Very different than before. No other sites available. Although rangers tried to help and agreed site too small, office staff not kind or helpful. Despite terrible Verizon service, was able to find (very pricey!) site at another park and get a refund. Wasted an entire day. Manager called back later, too little too late but she was professional. Will not return.

This private-ish campground has great customer service, beautiful scenery and the facility is in good condition. My site, like many here, is on decomposed granite. It's worse than sand in how it gets into your camper to make a mess. That is the only thing I believe needs to be improved. Otherwise, the check in process was easy, by very friendly people. The site is very roomy, the utility pedestal is in exactly the right place. The nearby stocked lakes are very pretty, lots of wildlife. The park is quiet at night, no major roads to make noise. It's a great place to stay. My AT&T coverage was poor but the campground's wifi worked well so I could make wifi calls.