39
Cleveland National Forest › Palomar Ranger District › California
› San Diego County
› Palomar Mountain
› Observatory Campground
› Campsite #39
Campsite #39 at Observatory Campground, CA
$15
Tent Site #39
| Drive-In | 8 people |
| 35 ft | Back-In |
| 2 | weak |
5/25
5/30
Campsite #39 Features: Drive-In access, Back-In parking, 35ft driveway, Fire ring, Picnic Table, Tent Site, Trailer Site, Pets Allowed
Campsite Reviews (10)
3.0 out of 5
| 5 star | | 10% |
| 4 star | | 20% |
| 3 star | | 50% |
| 2 star | | 10% |
| 1 star | | 10% |
@JenniferC92685 · Camped on Oct 17, 2024 at Campsite #39
Peaceful campground, easy to get to, only issue was the yellow jackets. The site had a trap at it but there was still several out and about so I had to stay in my tent or car to eat and relax at the site until sundown.
@JenniferS83796 · Camped on May 12, 2023 at Campsite #39
A lovely campground. Other visitors were quiet and friendly. Campsite was plenty large, although size varied considerably. Restrooms were clean and fine, though toilet paper was low by Sunday (out in some stalls). Hike up to the top was beautiful but steep. Trailhead was not marked. No cell service.
@SteveH979 · Camped on Nov 19, 2021 at Campsite #39
Great location but….
Site 39 shouldn’t be a camp site in it’s current condition, I picked 39 because of it,s proximity to the bathroom and the bathrooms were closed and there were no fires allowed I know the whole fire danger thing but warming fires should still be allowed but more than that you should be told when you make your reservation.
Location was nice for star gazing but not much else to do there but it is in proximity to other hikes but you still have to drive to the trail heads. One last thing our picnic table was so weathered it tore up some of our equipment and I got splitters just touching it.
Probably won’t return.
Site 39 shouldn’t be a camp site in it’s current condition, I picked 39 because of it,s proximity to the bathroom and the bathrooms were closed and there were no fires allowed I know the whole fire danger thing but warming fires should still be allowed but more than that you should be told when you make your reservation.
Location was nice for star gazing but not much else to do there but it is in proximity to other hikes but you still have to drive to the trail heads. One last thing our picnic table was so weathered it tore up some of our equipment and I got splitters just touching it.
Probably won’t return.
@MelindaB761 · Camped on Oct 14, 2021 at Campsite #39
We came to Palomar Observatory campground specifically for a dark-sky night. The website had a calendar of dark-sky dates that featured a night program run by knowledgeable people from the observatory. I am a complete astronomy newbie and trusted the info on the website about the event. It turned out the info was pre-pandemic and had never been corrected. So we arrived to find a half-moon in the sky and of course, no knowledgeable people to explain to me how to use my new telescope. Fortunately, a friendly pack of Cub Scouts was camping across from us and they had planned to have a telescope night and they kindly allowed us to join them and set up my scope for me. The campground itself was somewhat neglected. The bathrooms were locked—the outhouses were open—the trash cans were taped shut—the dumpsters were open—and the brush around our campsite was high and overgrown. We were fine regarding the bathroom situation because we were in a trailer but I imagine it was an inconvenience for the tent campers. But, given all that, we had a great time. It was quiet and beautiful and I saw Stellar Jays and a spotted towhee and a coyote pup. The ground squirrels were very entertaining as they scampered about our site. So, my verdict is that we perhaps caught the campground at a bad time. I believe there is an intent to fix the bathrooms, they just hadn’t done it yet, and the rangers did drive through several times a day. Perhaps the pandemic has interfered with the regular maintenance. The drive there is magnificent—up, up, up with sweeping vistas—the sky was pristine, and our dark sky event with the Cub Scouts was a high point. We clearly saw the moon, four moons of Jupiter, and Saturn’s rings. If the website had been up to date I would have been better prepared for the trip.
@WilliamH150 · Camped on Aug 8, 2021 at Campsite #39
We were at the Observatory Campground for stargazing. We had a travel trailer, and our pad #39 was over grown with wild roses. Walking to the back of the trailer to set up our telescope was uncomfortable. Our camping pad had no shade. This whole campground needs more than a little love. The sky was dark and we saw more stars than we see from our pad in the desert. The weather was also 15-20 degrees cooler during the day than in the desert (we were there in early August 2021). Next time, I'll try to reserve a double site. I was worried about the trip downhill with truck and trailer, but I came down S7 in low gear (a Tuesday) and there was little traffic. We used the dump station at the Pala Mini-Mart ($17) not far from I-15. There's no cell phone service, so get your GPS coordinates before you leave home. The arrows on observation pads (camp sites 37,38 and 40) built by he Boy Scouts do NOT point north. From our pad we could see Polaris and the south-eastern sky. One astronomer was photographing the lagoon nebula, so that was in the southern sky.
@PaulL900 · Camped on Apr 23, 2021 at Campsite #39
A no frills campground. Very clean and well maintained. It was pretty quiet. Good hiking trail nearby. Our 17ft trailer fit fine with tow vehicle. No hook ups. Bringing water for your rig. Fresh water available throughout campground near road.
@BruceDonaldK29 · Camped on Apr 20, 2021 at Campsite #39
This is a nice and small campground. Two of the camp sites have round concrete slabs for a telescope.
Something that surprised me was the restrooms and showers. This is the first National Forest Campground I have seen with anything more than pit toilets. The restrooms and showers were locked when we were there, so I was left to wonder if there is a season when the showers are open??? (By the way, there are two pit toilet facilities that were open)
Something that surprised me was the restrooms and showers. This is the first National Forest Campground I have seen with anything more than pit toilets. The restrooms and showers were locked when we were there, so I was left to wonder if there is a season when the showers are open??? (By the way, there are two pit toilet facilities that were open)
@JPG118 · Camped on Apr 5, 2021 at Campsite #39
Very disappointed during this visit. We arrived and our RESERVED campsite was occupied. Apparently, there was no reservation notice posted, on either of our reserved sites. The people who were occupying our reserved site were nice about it and we agreed to share the space, but it was uncomfortable. In addition, the camp host was nowhere in sight to notify them of the issue. And the restrooms nearest to our site were locked. So, overall, this was a very bad experience. Hire a new camp host. Post the notifications about reservations. Too bad, it is a nice area, but left feeling frustrated.
@NorrisE887 · Camped on Apr 1, 2021 at Campsite #39
Bathrooms were a bit dirty even though not a lot of people were there my first day. The campsite we got was surrounded by dry overgrowth and the fire pit was right next to it- not very safe. The trail to the observatory was very nice and we will definitely hike it again.
@BenjaminR515 · Camped on Feb 19, 2021 at Campsite #39
Campground is decent, but we were jaded by the spot we ended up in. Spot 39 is surrounded, in very close proximity, by very thorny shrubbery. There are very few spots allowed to be reserved by folks with longer trailers, but after looking around, noticed there are PLENTY of spots I could fit into???
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