Woods Valley Kampground

I'm not sure what the first reviewer experienced to have such a bad impression of the park, but we've been coming here for over 10 years with multiple families and l lots of kids. For the last few years, it's just the adults - as the kids have become adults. The park did have a number of permanent residents - like many other private parks - but we were never bothered by them. We never felt insecure or unsafe. The park has new owners (for the last year or so) and they've been working to upgrade the park as much as they can. (Friendly people!) It's not a fancy "resort-style" campground but a nice family-run, rustic (meaning trees and odd spaces) and a great feel for those who want a little nature with their camping. There are several spots where a group can camp together. We now go as three campers and you can see by one of the photos the little niche we tend to ask for every year. Couple things to note. Many of the sites do not have sewage hookups. (All have water and power.) They have a dump station at the top of the park though it's set at an odd position and you'll have to back in to use it. But it's not that big a deal. Down the road is the Bates Nut Farm - which is a MUST to visit. One big store that sells nuts, fruits, spices, fudge, candy, sauces & jellies, and lots of cool little merchandise that you'll see no where else. (And around the holidays - they have Christmas decorations as well.) You care down the street from one of the casinos. And if you want a less-expensive gas fillup, use the big station in the town of Valley Center. Easy to pull your rig in and their prices are pretty fair.

At night the campground is swarmed by druggies and homeless people. The lighting is inadequate and makes it a scary place to be at night. I couldn't wait for the sun to come up so I could get the heck out of there. There's no front gate so people come and go until 3 and 4 in the morning. If you do go there I suggest you bring some kind of personal protection.