Skip to content
It’s San DiegoSearch The Guide

Home › Observatory Campground

Observatory Campground

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

Observatory Campground on Palomar Mountain has 42 sites, 36 single and six double. The forest page prints two fee sets, $20 and $15 for a single site. On October 23, 2026 it posted a Boil Water Advisory and said the showers are closed until further notice.Checked October 23, 2026.

42sites (36 single, 6 double)
$20 or $15single site, page conflicts
Boil wateradvisory read 2026-10-23
32 ftlongest vehicle
LocationPalomar Mountain CA 92060
FeesFee block: single $20, double $40. Text on the same page: $15 single, $30 double. Extra vehicle $5. Adventure Pass needed for day use only.
AmenitiesFlush and vault toilets, 5.2 miles of local trails. Coin-operated hot showers are closed.
SeasonOpen year round; the same page also shows April 01 under Seasons of Use
Who it suitsAll ages.
Bookingrecreation.gov

Safety Notice Read 2026-10-23

The Forest Service has issued a Boil Water Advisory for both Fry Creek and Observatory campgrounds. All drinking water should be boiled for at least one minute. Observatory shower facilities are closed until further notice. Read the forest alerts page for updates.

Fire Rules Read Today

Forest Order 02-26-10 (June 12 to December 31, 2026) prohibits building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire or charcoal fire except within a Developed Recreation Site listed in its Exhibit A. This campground is on that list (read 2026-10-23). Read the order on the Cleveland National Forest fire page before lighting anything.

Observatory Campground Open the map. © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What We Could Not Verify

  • Which nightly rate is current, $20 or $15. recreation.gov or the Palomar Ranger District (760-788-0250) can confirm.
  • When the Boil Water Advisory and shower closure end. The Palomar Ranger District can confirm.

More in Tent Camping

FAQ

Is the water safe to drink?

Boil all drinking water for at least one minute, per the Boil Water Advisory read 2026-10-23.

How much is a site?

Not settled: the forest page prints both $20 and $15 for a single site. Confirm on recreation.gov.

Sources

  1. Cleveland National Forest: Observatory Campground
  2. Cleveland National Forest: elevated fire use restrictions

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.