After 3 weeks of waiting for the trailer to be finished getting serviced at the dealership, camping at Burnt Rancheria Campground over the Labor Day weekend couldn’t have come sooner! We were especially looking forward to this trip because the first time we had camped at this campground, we had tent camped, and while that was a fun experience, we were going to be glamping this time around! Our friends and their 4 babes joined us as well which really put an emphasis on the phrase “the more the merrier”!
While Burnt Rancheria is great for tent camping, it’s a bit harder to pull a bigger rig (30’+ trailer) into most of the spots. We had booked site #46 which said it can accommodate up to 45’ but upon check-in, the camp host told us that it’ll be a really tight spot to maneuver into but we could go and take a look. If we couldn’t make it in, luckily there was a spot reserved in case a bigger rig needs to switch sites. We drove by and there was no way we would’ve been able to back into the site so we took the site on reserve (#16) instead and had plenty of room for the trailer and for tent camping!
There are no hookups at this campground, but there are numerous potable water spigots and coin showers, as well as flush toilets in the main bathroom building. There were also some vault toilets near sites that were further away from the main bathrooms. The sites also have picnic tables and fire rings with grills.
The facilities and grounds are well maintained, but the best part about camping here is the star gazing at night! Being up in the mountains and away from the city’s light pollution, the sky at night is clear enough to reveal the Milky Way.
Burnt Rancheria is very family friendly with guided hikes, children’s story time and even "star parties" organized by the San Diego State University Observatory (you can call the Visitor Information Center for the schedule 619-473-8547).
It’s not the nicest campground we’ve stayed at, but I have a special fondness for Burnt Rancheria. It was the first camping trip that sparked the idea of possibly getting an Airstream trailer. At that time, I was joking when I told Bach I’d concede to camping more often if we got an Airstream, never imagining that it would someday really come true!
