Travel

Family Camping at Indian Hills

Whether it’s a family reunion or a Cub Scouts trip, family camping at Indian Hills is the perfect way to disconnect and enjoy the outdoors for a weekend!

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Keep reading to check out some of the details of our recent stay at this awesome place!

Located in Jamul, which is just 30 minutes east of downtown San Diego, Indian Hills sits on 85 beautiful acres of Southern California.

The land was originally home to Tiipai (Kumeyaay Indians) and used for raising cattle and other agricultural purposes.

Indian Hills Campground was founded in 1960 for the purpose of teaching children about Jesus through camping.

Not religious? No problem. Unless you are booking a program here specific to learning about Jesus, you won’t be forced to take programs that aren’t of interest to you.

Now, the campground is used year round for various groups like family camping, picnics, class field trips, over-night camps, youth and church retreats and more.

Arrival

Because our group was all booked and checked-in by our group leader, we were able to head right to our campsites upon arrival.

Others would first stop at the Indian Hills Camp Office to complete their check-in before being shown the way to their lodging.

Lodging

Luckily, there are many different lodging options here ranging from tent camping all the way up to cabins with electricity.

Not looking to sleep in a tent during your stay? Luckily, Indian Hills has a few options for your group to choose from.

Cabins

These cabins are located right near the dining hall.

Each of the 12 Western-themed cabins here can accommodate up to 12 people. Each cabin has electricity and they are heated (should you be staying in the winter months).

Wagons

These wagons are a super-cute way to camp at Indian Hills!

There is a group of eight Conestoga-style wagons. Each wagon can sleep up to 12 people each. They all circles around a giant fire pit which is perfect for a campfire and storytelling after a long day of activities!

Tepees

Tepee Village has eight tepees that can sleep up to twelve people each.

This area has water and electricity.

Miner Shacks

There are six Miner Shacks at Indian hills and each one sleeps up to twelve people.

Each cabin has electricity too!

Tent & RV Sites

Our group of Cub Scouts stayed in tents during our visit.

Each site has water, electricity, a fire ring and a picnic table.

Activities

There is no shortage of activities at Indian Hills. In fact, there is so much to do that it is hard to do everything unless you are staying for at least a week here!

Some of the activities include:

Playground

The playground here is absolutely enormous. My kids spent hours playing on the pirate ship, swinging on the swings, going down the giant treehouse slide and climbing.

Pool

Indian Hills has two pools that are open from May to October.

We stayed right at the beginning of the season. The pools aren’t heated and the water was FREEZING.

Biking

Don’t forget to bring your bike!

This awesome BMX track is great for little ones to ride over the bumps or more experienced bikers can hit some of the awesome jumps.

Petting Zoo

What kid doesn’t love a petting zoo?

Our favorites were the donkeys but we also saw chickens, pigs, peacocks, giant tortoises, goats, iguanas and more.

Theater

This area can be reserved by private groups but can also be used for some for stage performances!

Mining

We didn’t do any gold mining during our trip but we stopped by to check the area out.

If you have never done panning or sluicing before, I would highly recommend!

This activity must be booked ahead of time – they provide the pans and water.

Hiking Trails

The hikes here are short, approximately 20 minutes, making them perfect for kids.

Game Room

The game room has a pool table, ping pong, foosball, and plenty of board games to keep kids busy for a while.

Zip Lining

Our group spent one morning at the zipline. All of the kids were able to take 2 rides down the 300 foot zipline.

Everyone had a great time and it was fun to hear all of the kids cheering each other on!

Paintball Range

This activity can be booked in advance for groups of 15 or more. It includes safety instruction, markers, masks and 100 rounds.

Archery Range

This activity can be booked in advance. They provide the bows and arrows.

Meeting Facilities

If you are going with a large group and looking for a meeting space, Indian Hills has quite a few options of both indoor and outdoor spaces.

From the large Folsom Barn that can hold up to 300 people all the way to an outdoor fire ring for up to 75, there are options!

General Store

We stopped in here a few times during our weekend stay.

We went home with a bow and arrow set and some shiny gemstones.

All of the items are decently priced.

The store is connected to one of the pool areas so it’s perfect for grabbing an ice cream or cold drink while hanging out at the pool.

Dining at Indian Hills

We arrived in the late afternoon on Friday and checked-out on Sunday morning. During our stay, lunch and dinner on Saturday were provided.

For lunch, we had cheeseburgers, fries, salad bar, chips and chocolate chip cookies.

For dinner we had pineapple chicken over yellow rice, mixed steamed vegetables, salad bar, fortune cookies and rice krispy treats.

The food was better than I anticipated and my kids even went up for seconds of the pineapple chicken!

Dutch Oven Dessert Cook-Off

It wouldn’t be a Scouts campout without a Dutch oven cook-off. This time, each den made a dessert to share with the Pack.

Our Tigers kept it simple with a chocolate chip cookie entry. We added crushed Oreo’s and marshmallows. We served it with whipped cream too.

Although slightly overcooked along the edges, it was a hit!

Our activity wasn’t organized by Indian Hills but it is something fun that could be planned for your stay.

Overnight Pricing

All of the following prices are based on a two night stay and include meals.

Tepees – $115 per person

Wagons – $125 per person

Miner Shacks – $135 per person

Cabins – $145 per person

Tenting & RV Sites – $41 per person

Children 3 and under are free.

To book your stay at Indian Hills, click here.

Activity Pricing

Daytime

Zip Line – $13 per person

Paintball Range – $15 per person

Gold Mining – $10 per person

Archery – $10 per person

BMX Bike Rental – $14.50 per hour or $30 for the day

Crafts – $10 per person

Nighttime Activities

Marshmallow Monster Hike – $10 per person

Campfire Sing-Along & Tale – $10 per person

Miner Jack’s Tales – $10 per person

Hot Cocoa and Snack – $5 per person

Have you even been family camping at Indian Hills? Comment below and let me know your thoughts on this awesome place!

Luriaco

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