Tijuana River Valley Campground (The Complete Camper’s Guide)
Introducing the Tijuana River Valley Campground
Located next to the Mexican border in San Diego, California, the Tijuana River Valley Regional Park stretches over 1800 acres of land and consists of 22.5 miles of trail for hikers, bikers, and equestrians to enjoy.
The Tijuana River Valley Campground is within the park, located just a mile from the beach and south of the Tijuana river. It’s one of the best camping spots in all of San Diego as you’ll get stellar views of the valley and access to unique historic sites and viewpoints.
What Makes the Tijuana River Valley Campground a Hidden Gem?
Tijuana River Valley is one of the only places in San Diego County that is well-connected to a beach, dune, riparian, salt marsh, and upland ecosystems. It's also home to a wide variety of natural resources and wildlife, including over 340 bird species that belong to the Pacific Flyway.
Birdwatching and weekly wildlife preservation programs hosted by the park's management team are all activities visitors can look forward to while camping there.
Amenities at the Tijuana River Valley Campground
Tijuana River Valley Campground Yurts
The 79-acre campground, which just opened in the Spring of 2021, has 46 standard campsites, of which 16 are tent-only. There are also ten yurts with mattresses suitable for 6-10 people and five equestrian campsites, each with its own corral.
The standard campsites are open to visitors looking to camp out in their RVs, trailers, or tents, and you'll have to register your vehicle with the staff upon arrival. Each campsite is relatively well spaced out from one another and includes its own table, fire ring, and grill. As the campground is relatively new, you can look forward to using clean bathrooms with hot showers and flush toilets. You'll also be able to dine and chill out at the high-quality picnic tables provided. Most of the appliances are also kept in excellent condition.
The Tijuana River Valley Campground also doesn't disappoint in terms of the recreational opportunities offered. Some highlights include a bird and butterfly garden, a 200-plot community garden, and five ballfields.
Views from the Tijuana River Valley Campground
Some other Amenities at the Tijuana River Valley Campground include:
Am amphitheater
Campground host
A volunteer pad for 24-hour maintenance and support
Drinking Water from Spigots
Firewood available for purchase
Kids Playground Area (with agility games)
Cost to Camp at the Tijuana River Valley Campground
Camping fees for tent, RV, and equestrian sites are $24, with an additional $5 reservation fee per booking. When you first check-in, you can also purchase shower tokens. Each token costs a quarter and gives you four minutes of shower time. While you can't adjust the water temperature, it's usually nice and warm all year.
Must-knows before Camping There
Tijuana River Valley Campground
How are Noise Levels at the Tijuana River Valley Campground?
The campsite is generally quiet throughout the day, and you won't have to worry much about noise generated by cars on nearby roads. Monument Road, which resides just south of the Tijuana River Valley Campground, is a very low-volume road. Beyond that, the only destination surrounding the park is the Border Field State Park, which is about 1.2 miles away.
That being said, the park is semi-close to a military airbase, and you may hear the occasional helicopter flying throughout the day.
Are there Mosquitos at the Tijuana River Valley Campground?
Tidal effect and natural creeks in the Tijuana River Valley can generate patches of sporadic standing water that may enable mosquito breeding, as with other coastal regions in San Diego county.
To reduce mosquito populations and protect local community members and visitors from these insects, the County's Vector Control staff regularly conducts mosquito checks in the Tijuana River Valley. This means that problematic areas are also treated with larvicide.
However, if you plan to camp there during the summer, we recommend bringing repellants along with you as a precaution. Look for ones containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus for the best protection.
Getting There
Address: 1942 Monument Rd, San Diego, CA 92154, United States
After camping out at the Tijuana River Valley Regional Park, you might want to explore more of gorgeous San Diego, or venture across the border to Tijuana. Whichever the case, we’ve curated a few activities for you to check out!
Table of Contents
Amenities
Camping Costs
Must-knows
Getting There
