Skip to content
It’s San DiegoSearch The Guide

Home › Vallecito County Park Camping

Vallecito County Park Camping

Part of Tent Camping, our guide to tent camping in San Diego County.

Vallecito County Park is a 71-acre desert park around a rebuilt Butterfield Stage Station. It has 44 primitive campsites with tables, fire rings and barbecue stoves, plus eight equestrian sites with corrals. It is open Labor Day weekend through the last week of May.Checked October 23, 2026.

44primitive campsites
8equestrian sites
71acres
$5day-use parking
Long low adobe building with a flat roof and chimney in dry desert.
The adobe Vallecito Stage Station. Grnstogo, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Address37349 Great Southern Overland Stage Route of 1849, Julian CA 92036; (760) 765-1188
Season and hoursOpen Labor Day weekend through the last week in May; closed in summer. Camping 24 hours a day; check-in 2 p.m., check-out 12 p.m.
FeesCamping rate: see the official site. Day-use parking $5. Horses $2 per night.
AmenitiesTables, fire rings and barbecue stoves; youth area; pets allowed. No supplies at the campground.
Who it suitsAll ages; primitive, so bring your own supplies.
BookingCounty online reservation system or (858) 565-3600. The County says online booking closes 24 hours before the first night; same-day booking is by phone.

Bring Your Own Supplies

The page notes there are no supplies at the campground. Water is available at scattered spots, so plan to bring your own.

What We Could Not Verify

  • The nightly campsite rate. The County posts rates only on its online reservation system; County Parks (858-565-3600) can confirm.
  • Fire restrictions: no County fire notice was found on the pages read. County Parks can confirm.
  • Coordinates were not retrieved, so no map point is shown.

More in Tent Camping

FAQ

Is Vallecito open in summer?

No. The park page says it is closed during the summer months, reopening Labor Day weekend.

Are horses allowed?

Yes. There are eight equestrian sites with corrals; horses are $2 per night.

Sources

  1. County of San Diego Parks: Vallecito
  2. County of San Diego Parks: permits and fees
  3. County of San Diego Parks: online reservations

Checked October 23, 2026 by It’s San Diego. Cite this page: It’s San Diego (itssandiego.com), checked October 23, 2026. Free to quote with a link to this page; tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.