Reader LMG wrote:
Because I honestly don’t think San Diego truly has good nature, best camping is outside of San Diego. Favorite spot is the Kern River/Lake Isabella. 4 Hour drive north and fantastic for family. Favorite spot in San Diego would be Indian Flats near Palomar or Woodchuck Resort on hwy 79 on border of Temecula and San Diego.
Reader Larry wrote:
Palomar is nice this time of year. Cuyamaca is still recovering from the Cedar fire, but we hiked there a few weeks ago and enjoyed it. Better yet, go south to Baja and try either national park in the Sierra Juarez or Sierra San Pedro Martir. Beautiful, peaceful, uncrowded.
To LMG: Nature looks pretty good at many of our settings. You seem to like the mountain areas so I would suggest that any of the campgrounds in the Cuyamacas, Lagunas, Palomar (state cg + Forest Service) and Heise County Campground are right up there with quality campgrounds in lovely forested settings. A couple operated by the Forest Service and on the north side of Palomar are Dripping Springs and Oak Grove.
You can take some terrific hikes from either one. One more that few people seem to know much about is run by the Los Coyotes Indians, near Warner Springs. For experiences out there in “good nature”, try to top the many camping opportunities out in our Anza Borrego Desert.
— TOM LEECH