Lake Skinner Camp Grounds

What a beautiful place to escape and get away from it all! Even the drive there is fun, seeing all the beautiful wineries and limos along the way. Then you arrive at a serene green filled valley where everything is quiet and tranquil. This campground is really nice. There are three areas A B C with hot and cold running water hookups. YAY. Fire pits and doggies can come too!
The lake is walking distance with trails, and tons of areas to explore. There is a general store where they sell camping needs and ICEES on a hot day. They have a splash area for the kids but its closed seasonally. The only noise was birds, and the occasional kid or truck going by. My kind of place. I layed in the grass for an hour not moving after an hour hike, while doggy and the kids ran around me. It was heavenly.

This campground is huge. However there is really no shaded camping spots and a little bit of a walk from the lake depending on which campground that you get. However the store that they have there is awesome and has everything that you need to camp. We went in September and it was literally hot as hell the AC in my RV was having trouble keeping up. Overall it is a good campground because they have full hook ups and good prices.

Nice, family friendly campground. Clean facilities and nestled just outside of Temecula’s Wine Country. Nice views at sunrise of the hot air balloons, fishing, mountain bike and horse trails. We will be back!

Actually the campground it self is nice. But lets hope something does not come up were you have to cancel your reservation. New policy as of May you have to cancel 14 days prior and you still get charged $ 14.00 or if you cancel 13 days prior you still get charged $ 14 plus your first night stay. No matter the circumstances. Trust me I know. What ever happened to 48 hours to cancel??? Or how about understanding that sometimes things come up out of your control. Well let me tell you the reservation people at Lake Skinner does not CARE!!! and that includes management. All they could say is «Well it is Policy» I say!!!
Whatever happen to customer service.

Full-​hookup sites with room for 30+ ft RVs. The campsites themselves aren’t bad for the price you pay. There aren’t many showers and public bathrooms, so I’m not sure how the people who were camping in tents handled standing in line to get a turn.
There’s boat and bike rentals if you want to go fishing or ride the trails around the lake. There’s also shore fishing spots, but some regulars told my husband the fish won’t bite close to shore. You can’t swim in the lake, but they do have a really nice splash pad that’s free.
There’s lots to do here and we had a great time, but I didn’t give this place a higher review because if you don’t reserve two campsites you’ll be sharing a common area with your neighbors. There’s really no privacy.

Honestly, by the number of bad reviews I was really hesitant to camp at lake skinner. But it’s actually turned out to be a favorite place and we will go back. We have a camper and our own bathroom so I personally would give this 5 stars Because we didn’t have to use the campground bathrooms. But judging by the lines at the end of the day for campers to use the showers and the lines throughout the day for the restroom, I can only imagine the frustration of those having to wait in lines. The bathroom accommodations do seem rather inadequate given the number of campsites in each section. There isn’t a lot of shade so if you don’t plan to take along a canopy I would suggest rethinking that. With the drought situation that’s not likely to improve. We had a wonderful spot in section C with one fairly big tree so while I’d rather have had more shade, we made do with what we had. There is a lot of flat ground throughout the park which made a very nice bike ride. We rode through the other camping sections and a lot of the sites are very close together. Some I would not have been happy in. Section C seemed a little quieter than A or B but that could have been the weekend and I suppose it depends on the crowd. All in all it was really a fun and relaxing time. The store is well stocked, the lake is within a short walk (from some areas). Park rangers drive around frequently and bathrooms are well maintained. As with any camping area you risk noisy neighbors but we really didn’t have any negative encounters at all!

We love camping at Lake Skinner. We have never had issues with noise. We enjoy riding our bikes to the lakes and relaxing for the weekend.

We went to Lake Skinner on kind of last minute camping plans. We loved it. Even though it was very cold we had a great time. Very safe atmosphere and the grounds were Great! The spaces were great nice pull through spaces which worked out great for us with our 30′ travel trailer. We will definitely be back

You can’t swim in the lake :/​that’s why it sucks ass.
The only option to cool our bodies down was the spray park but my cousin and I are in our mid-​twenties and we’re not trying to look like sissy idiot virgins playing in there with a bunch of kids under 10. We initially went to the lake to take a dip and take ‘selfies’ but the damn park patrol guy told us we couldn’t and pointed us to … the SPRAY PARK. UGHHHHHH!
The rate for camping was $ 25 for that night (early July). Most of the people camping here seemed to be locals so my cousin and I felt out of place. From what I remember, there are 3 camping areas and of course the area closest to the lake is pricier.
We met a nice Filipino family that camped near us and they got us drunk and that melted our gripes about Lake Skinner. Our visit here was not memorable and it should be kept that way…

Not happy that they charged us a $ 7 reservation booking fee. When the park was practically empty … Not happy they charged $ 2 per day for our two small dogs. Not happy that the park host had their dogs off the leashes and numerous times ran over to our site and upset our dogs. Not happy with the 2 pm check in. But other than that Nice quiet park with lots of shade. Nice little store but a little spendy. Both ours and our neighbors surge protectors kicked off on us. So beware. Of power surges.

To camp here means you’ll constantly put up with noise and a lower class of people hell bent on breaking the rules. Parent supervision of children is lacking while they run around to make mischief. The bathrooms and showers are not maintained. They’re a reflection of how they’re being used and by whom. You will get no sleep at night because the quiet hours are not enforced.

Campground is very clean and spacious. Neighbors were not too close nor too far. We were in campground B which was ways away from the water park and the Deli. Bathrooms are about a five minute walk so be prepared. And showers were always packed! Make sure to watch the speed limit since I got yelled at by a fellow campgoer (thanks, jerk lady!) overall a pretty great place to camp and lights out at ten!

Love this campground. We are tent campers and feel very much at home amoung the RV’ers. Very clean facilities, quiet at night, cute little camp store. Only one thing, DO NOT BUY the wood there. Bring your own. There are signs that ask you not to bring your own but I’m telling you, that wood does not flame. It smolders, gets nice and hot, but no flame. And it was hard to get it going. We have bought the wood there 3 times, use it to augment our own supply. Anyway, very nice camp ground, pretty lake.

So, we came out here to camp with a bunch of girls. Having camped other places before, here are my opinions on Campground B:
Camp sites are way too close together. And they are small.
People actually DRIVE around (and ride skateboards) at 5AM. (really not quiet or «camping-​like»).
There is not a lot of greenery at the site. I.e. trees or bushes for cover or privacy.
The bathroom is rarely maintained, though nice when clean. Only one sink was working and one of the lights was out in a stall.
The vending machine was broken.
In my opinion, not worth the amount spent on the site.

First time here today and will be back again. Overall a beautiful lake and camp ground area. Clean and spread out. Didn’t catch anything though:(but the water was super blue and beautiful views all around. Quite for the most part unless kids running around. Can get windy, so tie down your pop up if you have one.
There’s a general store about a mile in after you pay to the left, had general stuff you may need. Nice guy at the counter. Next to it is a pretty plain old school deli, looks empty with plain walls but dnt let that fool you, menu is pretty simple with just sandwiches and nachos but sandwiches are yuuuum!
Great place for a family adventure!

I’ve lived in Temecula for 20 years and Lake Skinner has been a staple in the community for as long as I can remember. The area is used for events throughout the year, but most of the time it’s just campers and fisherman.
This lake is tough to catch fish. You really have to be educated and use bait that are tailored for the type of fish you want to catch. Here, you don’t just drop in a night crawler and pull out a bass. You definitely want to search for structure away from the shore fishing areas. If you want to catch strippers, the best place is near the inlet channel. Trolling back and forth near the channel has usually worked well for me.
I’ve only tent camped here and it’s not my favorite. The tent camping spots are almost like sharing your space with someone unknown. Each tent space isn’t divided, every two spaces share the same area. So essentially you are listening and hanging out with strangers the whole time, maybe 10 feet away. I’m sure being in an RV or fifth wheel trailer is better. Also the weather makes tent camping rough if you go when the weather’s hot. Just make sure to check the weather report and go when it’s 80 degrees outside or less.
The general store has food and fish bait if you need it. You need to have a fishing license to fish here. Also you need to purchase a fishing pass from the lake for fishing rights. You can rent aluminum boats and pontoons here.
They have a splash pad which is awesome for the kids! Besides entry fee to the lake itself, using the splash pad is free once you’re in. It’s undoubtedly the best splash pad around the Temecula area.

We came here on a whim just to drive around. We weren’t totally prepared to hike around but we checked out the lake. It was pretty.
It appears that you can camp here, ride your bike in the dirt, hike, and watch out for mountain lions. There seems to be a ton of amenities, so it looks like a campsite for the not-​so-​adventurous. We’ll probably come check it out one of these weekends just because it is so close.

So first off. Am reviewing this for LIB (Lightning in a Bottle) but there was no check in for that at Lake Skinner since last year it was held in Irvine. Hope that makes sense lol
With that said it’s hard to review the camp grounds since it was covered with people. Place seemed very large though with good facilities. You go through an upscale part of Temecula passing some nice Wineries along the way.
The event was amazing. So many cool people and everyone was willing to hose you down or give you a sip of their water. Wish everyday life could be that way :-)

Be advised that there are certain ins and outs of this place to be aware of. First, if you want to get your party on and drink a keg or two with your buddies, by all means head to campground A. You will more than likely be in good company. Campground B has full hook ups for most all campsites (if not all of them) and Campground C is farther from the lake with full hook ups. Campground B tends to be a bit more mellow with persons mainly in some sort of Trailer (travel or fifth wheel). There are some RVs as well. Campground C typically has the larger trailers and RVs. All campsites have a fire ring and picnic table. There are also «free» (meaning it comes with your camping fee) showers. My experience with the showers have been they run cold. Go figure.
The pads are dirt pads; but relatively level. There is usually plenty of space to back into and they do have pull through options. I enjoy going here in my trailer because they have full hook ups. It can get BRUTALLY hot in the summer and WICKEDLY cold in the winter. The ability to have some shelter and to somewhat be able to regulate the temperature is a real blessing.
I have tent camped here as well. It sucks. Not because the facility is terrible but because the weather makes it uncomfortable. Of course, if you come in the spring or early fall the temps are just right. Also, keep in mind, you WILL have people partying here. It is a given. Period. So don’t get excited when they do. So far, I have not had a problem with a group be aggressive or overly unpleasant.
Gates close at 10 pm and open again at 6 am. There really are fish in the lake, so don’t get discouraged. Also, they have a pretty need water park. Although there is no actual body of water, they have some pretty ingenious water contraptions. Like a giant faucet and this big water guns. It is quite fun, cools you off. The little guys really dig it. Plus the floor is padded. Be careful because it can also be quite slippery (mainly, I don’t know if you are in flip flops, go under the motion activated water faucet and fall on your ass because you created a water barrier between your shoe and your foot… just saying)

We’ve come to Lake Skinner a couple times this last year and had a great time each visit. We chose campground B by suggestion from some friends. We definitely liked having a grass spot so we did the same the subsequent times back. It’s like having a big backyard for your trailer. We have kids so this helps a lot. Also gives you room to setup ladder ball, bean bags, pop up covers and watch the kids ride their bikes around the grass area if they leave the campground. Campground B is also not that bad of a walk for fishing. I know there’s another review about the curfew time and with the families I see that happening but we don’t come to a county park if we’re going to party up late. We can still have a great time into the night just can’t put the music and movies up loud which we also enjoy, we just do that out in the desert.
We’ll be coming back again probably in November to continue some great family fun!