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After driving overnight (to avoid the daytime heat) from Tucson to the San Diego area we were hoping for a nice place to relax. Sweetwater Regional Park was exactly what we needed! Our very first stay in a campground with our RV was wonderful. It has over 15 miles of trails to explore, our well shaded spot kept us cool during the warm days, the facilities were welcoming, the grassy grounds were well maintained and at $16 for partial hook-up it was a great deal!

The campground got its name from the nearby Sweetwater Reservoir which was created when the Sweetwater River was dammed in 1888. It not only holds over 28,000 acre feet of drinking water for the town of Bonita but it provides critical habitat for the threatened Least Bell’s Vireo and California Gnatcatcher along with many other plants and animals.

After hooking up and getting organized we summited a nearby hill and looked east to the San Diego Bay, south to Tijuana, Mexico and west over the Sweetwater Reservoir to San Miguel Mountain in the distance. While major road construction is underway around the park, a swath along the creek and around the reservoir has been preserved for hikers, bikers and horseback riders. The campground even offers stalls so you can camp with your equestrian and explore the trails.

On one of our walks along the trail we came across a good-looking coyote who was completely indifferent to our presence. He merely shook his head and continued on down the trail. We were delighted to watch egrets, willets and other birds cavorting at the reservoir. At roughly 450 feet above sea level the climate is warm and arid. Sage, wild oats and rare coastal varieties of cholla grow on the hillsides while riparian plants crowd around the reservoir and river areas.

We feel lucky to have stayed at such an agreeable place to learn the ropes of our RV. We had a great time at Sweetwater and wouldn’t mind spending more time there. Maybe in the spring or fall when the weather would be perfect for exploring all those trails.

Photos: See more photos from Sweetwater Regional Park.

Dates and notes: We stayed at Sweetwater Regional Park from 07/10/06 – 07/13/06. This is the first in a series about the places we’ve visited so far on our journey.