Sweetwater Regional Park
The 500-acres of Sweetwater Summit Regional Park offers 15 miles of trails for horses, hikers, and mountain bikers, and it’s one of the few spots for tent camping within a 15-mile radius of downtown San Diego. Its 112 sites are equipped with water and electricity with over half offering full-hookups for RVs and a few built with horse corrals. If you want to throw a party, a pavilion, a larger community building, and a few picnic areas are available for rent. With all of that — along with fishing at the adjacent reservoir, a 13-station exercise course, and a splash park ($3) – one may never leave. $3 parking.
Driving directions: (Bonita) Take I-5 south to CA-54 east and go 4.4 miles. Take Exit 5 for Briarwood Road and turn right. In 0.6 mile, turn left onto Sweetwater Road. The park entrance will be on your right about 200 feet after making the turn onto Sweetwater Road, designated by a Sweetwater Regional Summit Park sign.