Thousand Trails

I didn’t actually get to stay here because I wasn’t able to get into the campground thanks to Tim. I made a reservation and called the customer service line listed on my reservation to confirm what time the check-​in office was open until. I was told 11pm. I called them at 10:30PM and spoke to Tim to let him know I’d be there shortly. Well, Tim wasn’t very happy about this, because according to him, the main office closes at 10:30PM. I asked why I was told 11PM then? Instead of offering any sort of resolution he simply told me he wouldn’t let me in and then proceeded to whine about the «problems» he had with the corporate office. Naturally, I ended up hanging up on Tim. I was unable to find alternative accommodation so I drove back to San Diego.
I’d highly recommend the Forest Service Campgrounds or the Idyllwild County Park when visiting and enjoying Idyllwild. Don’t bother with the Thousand Trails unless you enjoy needless headaches and grumps like Tim.

This was our third year coming to your campground and again we had a great time. We love the pond for fishing and the pool for playing/​swimming. The campground staff does an amazing job keeping everything stocked and clean. The staff is friendly (Dawna for activities, Pat in the store). We love hiking the little trails right from our tent site (no need to even leave the campground).
This was the first time coming during a holiday weekend and we really enjoyed all the activities Dawna and team had set up for the kids and adults: pine cone races, making pine cone bird feeders, Candy Bar Bingo, Cream Social, Music and a movie at night, nature walks and a kids hike with a lesson on how to catch a lizard … we had a great time doing it all.
We made great new memories which we will treasure and we look forward to the next time we come to visit. Thank you!

Rick, Pat, Tim, and Jeff. All great guys. Very nice park, would not mind going back again with my own family. Lodge has a great little store that Pat is at with a pool table and ping pong table with a Few arcade games.
No wood fires and only 20 fire pits for over a hundred camp sites. I would consider getting more pits.

DO NOT waste your time or money! This place is far from an «RV Resort», it’s terrible. We made our reservations online expecting to get a full hook-​up RV site, upon arriving we were told it is first come, first served, this was not mentioned on the website. We were then told to drive around and find a spot we liked and call the office. Of course there were no full hook up sites available, most are occupied by «full timers». All the sites, full or partial hook-​ups are not level, or maintained and on top of each other. And if your driving or pulling anything longer or bigger than a 29 footer, forget it! You are not allowed to have wood fires here, also, not mentioned on the website. We were told not to ride our bikes on certain roads because of the incline, understandable, but then we were «advised» not to ride them anywhere because of traffic. Apparently every amenity offered here is seasonal. The store on site was closed, the café was closed, the pool is closed, and no fish in the lake. We reserved and PAID for 3 nights ($ 150.00) and didn’t stay for more than 30 mins after arriving. When we expressed our concerns with the staff and asked for our money back, we were told No Refunds! Giving this place 1 star is generous.

Terrible experience trying to sign up. Representative was rude and dismissive.

We have camped before but not in the woods, so this was our first experience and it was awesome! The campground is clean and the staff is very friendly. We went there with four other families and our children and dogs. I was a bit skeptical at first, but after our first night I was completely sold on the place. This was the 4^th of July weekend.
The campground is well kept, and even with the drought the dry creeks look wonderful… I can just imagine the place with its natural water in full force. Bathrooms were very clean, I was pleasantly surprised! No coins needed or timer to set to enjoy a nice hot shower. They could use some better curtains/​doors in there to make you feel safer, my friends and I looked out for each other while the other showered. I wouldn’t shower by myself.
Pool was clean and there were plenty of chairs and tables, the bathroom next to the pool could use a baby changing table for those of us who prefer to change our baby’s diapers in a private place rather than in the pool area next to other people. We used the volleyball, basketball and horseshoe courts. We loved being able to check out the equipment we needed for those… They should consider adding a couple more picnic tables next to those areas.
The dog run is way too small… there’s plenty of room to make it bigger.
The clubhouse was great, my kids enjoyed playing pool and ping pong.
Very clean. There was an issue with the pool table and my kids playing but the camp manager took care of it. The crafts were nice, the activities lady does a great job… she’s very friendly. Some people took advantage of the craft materials, which in turn made some children miss out in the experience of making them. Maybe the crafts should be directed specifically for children.
The store was equipped with everything I forgot! Including a broom, a tablecloth, charcoal lighter and they even have ice cream sandwiches! The lady in there went out of her way to get me garlic from the kitchen downstairs when I inquired about garlic. She didn’t have to do that… and I appreciate that she did.
The activities were great for all ages… the live music and the movie under the stars were also very enjoyable. Our group went fishing and caught 3 big catfish, although I believe $ 10 per fishing pole license is a bit much… The trails are great, the people are very friendly. For being a holiday weekend and the place being full of kids, it was so calm and quiet!
Bring the bug spray! Lots of mosquitos! Don’t forget the sunscreen and walking shoes. There’s also a coin operated laundry room ($ 1.50 to wash and $ 1.25 to dry), very clean. NO WOOD FIRES!!!
We will be going back within the next two weeks! Awesome place to bring your family and relax.

Spent memorial weekend here and had a great time with my family ! Campground really clean and staff very friendly. NO WOOD FIRES? No problem! bring your fire pit with a screen lid and some Duraflame logs (Duraflame roasting logs for s’mores) and you’re set! You can rent a fire pit here if you don’t have one. Can’t wait until we go back.

This was our 1^st RV camping trip and we enjoyed it. We have only done tent camping in the past. We went on Memorial Day Weekend 2015 and the weather unfortunately was not what we expected because it was very cold, so we stayed in the RV most of the time. Other than the weather, the campground itself is very well kept and has a lot to offer.
As previous reviews said they do have a lot of rules and one of those is NO WOOD FIRES. The signs are posted every where and they clearly tell you when you first check in. Not sure why people would still think its okay to do it. They DO allow Duraflame fires as long as the fire pit has a lid. They also have fire pits available for renting if you want. We took our own and a ranger did come by at night twice to make sure we weren’t burning wood, which was fine with us. When you first check in they clearly tell you that if you are caught burning wood, you will get kicked out and banned for life.
I like that this place didn’t have rowdy people late at night like at other campgrounds. Just like other campgrounds they have their quiet hours and they definitely enforce it since the rangers do their nightly rounds.
Also, they do not assign you a space. When you get there, they basically tell you what areas have the most available spaces and you have to drive around until you find a space you like. Some spaces are very tricky to get into. We have a travel trailer, which we have to back in, so that makes it harder. I do not recommend you get there at night. It’s hard enough finding a spot in the day time, I cant imagine having to find a spot at night.
We will definitely come here again, hopefully next time in a hotter month.

Got into this campground last minute for Memorial Day Weekend. Had a great time. Grabbed a site with electricity and water made it a little more comfortable. Lots of amenities. Lodge and market were great. Pool was heated. Rangers and staff were super friendly. Heated bathrooms, 2 shower stalls with hot water. Laundry facilties as well. (Coin operated)
The only issue, which is not an issue was wish they would level out the tent sites more, more like the rv trailer sites. Would definitely go back.

Stayed here during Memorial day weekend 2015. Very nice park, lot of wilderness and trees. Some of the RV sites are on top of hills and hard to access. Staff was friendly. Lots of activities planned by the park. Guided hikes, ice cream social, movies nights under the stars, fishing contest, skits, smores, etc. Went fishing but didn’t catch any fish. The pond is very small. I highly recommend the horseback riding for one hour. Cost is about $ 50. They take you to the old sawmill and back. Very scenic and relaxing ride. Enjoyed our stay and will be back.

Have nothing but good to say about this Thousand Trails. Of course we were there the week before Memorial Day so missed the crowds. Place was clean, showers hot, toilets scrubbed. Nothing open yet but we knew that going in. Could stand to have a larger dog run, lord knows they have the room for it. And of course the town of Idyllwild is fantastic.

There is construction going on and we are here now, stuck. We have a 35 foot motorhome, not so easy to relocate now. We came for the peace and quiet, yet all we hear is construction. I wish Reserve America or even Thousand Trails website would’ve said it’s construction time.
I’m trying not to let it ruin our trip, but it’s hard not to because it’s giving me a headache.
Of course, the pool is drained now and no fishing this time of year. So, we will go for hikes, just not sure how far we need to go to not hear the trucks.
I’m sad.

OMG — I would not go again.
Pro — Great piece of land. Good for campers and RV’s. Would be nicer in summer.
Cons:
Heater in cabin sounds like 747 and the noise hurts your ears.
No Bedding on Beds
Blankets in closet not washed
Wash you own dishes and take out trash.
Café — Buns & coffee, closed
Market — Closed
Pool — Closed
Pond — Closed etc. etc. etc.
TV screen — 19″
Warning: They say if you make noise after 10pm you will be escorted off property. Whispers only.
Note: Wall of cell towers outside gate.

Camping without a hitch!
Took a trip up to Idyllwild last weekend with a couple families and have to say it was great all around! Like everyone else said, the showers/​bathrooms were very well attended too (they could just leave a little air freshener for the men’s room room YIKES!) I didn’t think I’d use them on a two day trip but after the women mentioned how nice it was the third time, I went for it. Yup, a shower before bed is pretty legit while tent camping.
Quick note:
Bring shower shoes
Air freshener
The sites are also perfect for tenting, apparently some of the other posters has trouble deciding where to park their cars and setup their tents, as it seemed there were plenty of flat locations at most of the site we saw. Having access to water made it worth it’s weight in gold when you have 4 kids along for the trip, all in all I’d give our site a ¹⁰⁄₁₀ as I left without a single thing not to our liking. It was clean, the staff was super courteous and made the whole process fairly easy from start to finish.
True is the fire restriction, but with the drought we’re having and the natural beauty of the place I’m happy to see them be so proactive. It really is a special place but also a vulnerable one as you could feel the tension in the village when the breeze came in the Sunday we were there, yet everyone in town was also extremely nice and the crafts and goods were both reasonable and unique as you’d expect form the eclectic folks that we were able to meet.
Definitely heading back up there in the spring if not sooner with the kids to play in the snow, as the drive was minor in comparison to a Big Bear arrowhead… It’s obviously not a ski resort town but if you’re looking k get out of town and want the feel of a sleepy village, if immediately recommend it.
Another note:
We had a lot of wasp come by every time we started cooking, if you’re aren’t too scared (lucky my kids aren’t) they are just slightly annoying, but if you’re allergic it tend to panic easy, you might want to consider bringing some type of net structure, because there were a lot of them.

This is my favorite Thousand Trails that is in So. Cal. We have tried Wilderness Lakes, Soledad Canyon and Palm Springs. Idyllwild gives you the feel of camping without the giving up everything. Hot showers, pool, horse back riding, and the town of Idyllwild not too far away and it’s the perfect weekend get away. No fires allowed, so that’s a bummer, but totally expected when we haven’t had rain in 5 years! LOL. Better to skip the fire than to burn the entire forest down. I prefer a camping trip where they leave me alone, so I’ve got no comments about the staff and their friendliness or lack thereof. I guess my only complaint is the entrance. They know we have rigs, but they have a tree RIGHT in the entrance/​exit. Makes for some fun maneuvering (by the hubby, since I’m terrified). Overall, this place is amazing and I will continue to come back and back and back

I love love love it here. So friendly are the staff. The bathrooms are clean, the sites are very nice. It’s in a great location. Close to town.

I’ve camped here twice now and found this location to be very pleasant and well maintained. The staff are friendly and always so cheerful as though they have not a worry in the world. What I like best is that they leave me alone. They do their rounds of course but they don’t «bother» the campers with registration queries or «we can’t see the reservation paper» baloney. It’s always the little things that are the most annoying, isn’t it?
This site has clean showers (free unlimited hot water) & restrooms which is a major plus. You would be amazed at the dreadful manner in which some of the national & state parks keep their lavatories & showers. Ugh.
This campsite has a horse corral, swimming pool, basketball court, a recreation room and a club house thus it is really family and kids friendly. One can say there is something for everyone here.
I’m pondering whether to renew my TT membership this year because as much as I enjoy camping I just don’t have the time to engage in this wonderful recreational activity as much as I’d like to hence I can’t justify the renewal fees of almost $ 500 per annum. Well, I’m still thinking this through…

Nice, well kept. Personnel are much friendlier than previous years. Ranger Heather very helpful. Nice and relaxing in the winter time snow and a lot of activities in the summer months with lots of Hiking. Check out the maps provided at check in for trail locations.

Do not bother going there. So many ridicules rules and unfriendly staff. We were kicked out of this place for having small fire in the BBQ pit. The staffers came up with force of three and give us an hour to get out. It suppose was writen somewhere not to burn fire but we did not read all.
The pool was closed due to rain, the «fish pound» is just a hole in the ground where you suppose can catch two fish for 9 dollars fee.
The campsite was all dirt without the possibility to connect to the dirty water faucet that was too far away on the neighboring site.
We ended up at great state campground just a mile away with nice green loan, the park ranger broth us bundles of wood fire and the fire ring. We were glad this place saved our day. It also cost 20 dollars vs 40 at 1000 trials.
We are also banned for live from going back to 1000 trails but who cares.

This members-​only camp ground has now opened up to the public and we were unlucky enough to be one of the first non-​members to camp here. Upon arrival we spent about 30 minutes arguing with the people at the gate about our reservation. Once they finally figured out who we were and where we were camping they let us in and we were all set up. They decided however to charge our 2^nd car $ 21 for some kind of ridiculous reason saying it was «their policy». Losers. So customer service is a FAIL here.
The camp grounds were much more delightful and boy were the facilities nice! Hooray for hot showers and toilets! There was also a swimming pool open everyday making for a nice cool down.
We hit up a trail and did some hiking, however it was kinda hard to find any trail, let alone a thousand of them. Great views all around once you get up high enough. Definitely a good place to camp, despite the morons at the front gate.