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Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve

Part of East County, our guide to El Cajon, La Mesa, Santee, Lakeside and Alpine.

Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve, run by Padre Dam Municipal Water District, has stocked fishing lakes, pedal boats and seven playgrounds, including a sprayground. Parking is $4 per vehicle on weekdays and $7 on weekends and holidays. In October the park opens at 6 a.m. Friday to Sunday. The Spooktacular is Saturday, October 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Checked October 23, 2026.

7Playgrounds
$4Weekday Parking
$7Weekend Parking
Oct 24Spooktacular
Santee seen from the hills at sunset with lakes in the distance
Santee, with Santee Lakes in the distance. Devindad, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
AddressThe contact page gives a mailing address only: 9310 Fanita Parkway, Santee, CA 92071. Phone 619-596-3141.
Park HoursOctober: Mon to Thu 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fri to Sun 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. November through March 2027: Mon to Thu 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fri to Sun 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Holiday hours match Fri to Sun. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas. The hours page showed “Updated 01/05/2026.”
Office and BoatsGeneral Store and Park Office 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; pedal boats 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Parking“Weekday Parking $4 per vehicle”; “Weekend/Holiday Parking $7 per vehicle”; “Special Event/Peak Holiday Parking $10 per vehicle.”
Fishing PermitsAdult (16+) $10; senior (60+) $6; junior (15 and under) $6.
SpraygroundWristband $3 Monday to Friday and $5 Saturday and Sunday, for ages 13 and under. Weekends only 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in October; closed November through February; closed in bad weather.
PlaygroundsSeven, including the sprayground at Lake 1, a Mega Tower, the Boulder Adventure Course on an island in Lake 5, a Tot Lot and a Kiwanis playground for children with disabilities.
RulesNo pets and no smoking in the day use area.
EventsSPOOKTACULAR, Saturday October 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (trunk-or-treating, games, inflatables, pirates); Fishing 101, Saturday October 31, 9 to 10:30 a.m. Camper-only Halloween events are for registered campers. See our events page.
Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve Open the map. © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What We Could Not Verify

  • Street address of the entrance: not confirmed.
  • Spooktacular price, Fishing 101 price and whether the $10 special-event parking applies: not confirmed.
  • Which days count as “Peak Holiday”: not stated.
  • Sprayground season conflict: the playgrounds page says March is weekends only and April to September daily; the hours page says March to September daily. Both were read October 23, 2026.
  • Free days: not stated.
  • Water Lantern Festival ticket price: not confirmed (see events page).
  • Map point is approximate (OpenStreetMap), not a surveyed entrance.

More in East County

FAQ

How much is parking at Santee Lakes?

$4 per vehicle on weekdays and $7 on weekends and holidays; $10 for special events and peak holidays, per the park’s hours page.

Is the Santee Lakes sprayground open?

In October 2026 it is open weekends only, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and it closes November through February.

Sources

  1. Santee Lakes
  2. Santee Lakes: Hours and Fees
  3. Santee Lakes: Playgrounds
  4. Santee Lakes: Fishing Rates
  5. Santee Lakes: Events
  6. Santee Lakes: Contact

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.