Reserving a space at this campground requires that you call the Kern County parks department during a very narrow window of time (8 AM - 12 PM weekdays only), and it took many attempts and one very long on-hold period to get through to the person handling reservations. The reservation staffer who answered was not rude as such, but their tone and attitude was very much "I'd rather be doing anything but talk to this person right now." Upon arrival at the site, be prepared for the extra $15/day fee ($12/day off-peak) to park a towed or separately-drive vehicle at your camp site. The frequently-asked questions PDF on the campground website states that 2 motor vehicles are allowed at the camp site and that the first vehicle is included in the reservation price. Unfortunately they consider a motorhome to be the first vehicle, and a towed/separately-driven vehicle is subject to the additional fee. The camp sites were nicely maintained, with simple but adequate grass landscaping. The campsites have large, mature trees that provide shade for the picnic and common areas, but that do not overhang the camper pull-throughs. There is a nice picnic area with fire ring for each campsite, and campers are advised on check-in where to keep their camping gear so as to not get it soaked by sprinklers each morning. There is a heavy insect presence at this campground, owing primarily to being next to a large body of water in a warm climate. Bring insect repellent and/or a bug zapper - you WILL need it! If you need to buy these or other supplies, the nearest shopping is in Taft, CA or Bakersfield metro, about 18 miles either West or East respectively of the campground. The park does have a small supply store, but their inventory is very limited. The campsite was quiet on the Thursday we arrived and through Friday. Saturday and Sunday however were a whole other matter, as campers with watercraft were starting and running their watercraft at their campsites prior to taking them to the boat launch. The campground would do well to disallow this activity in the camping areas. There is an enforced quiet period, but that only applies from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM. In conclusion, this park operated by Kern County is a reasonably nice facility, but there are a number of drawbacks that would make me hesitant to stay here again.

Dixon Lake Camping Area is located just north of downtown Escondido on La Honda Drive, off of El Norte Parkway. It is owned and operated by the City of Escondido. The park staff and rangers were all very friendly and helpful, and took care of all my questions and needs in a professional and courteous manner. Access to the park will tax large/heavy rigs, as there is a roughly 15° grade for ~1/4 mile approaching the park entrance. Use low gear when leaving, and low gear & lots of throttle when arriving! The campground sites are located at the south end of the park, overlooking downtown Escondido and Dixon Lake. We stayed at a back-in site, which was very easy to enter and exit with my 31' Class A coach. There was abundant room to open my slide-out and all awnings and still not feel cramped. The site had utility hookups (10 of the 47 total sites have utility hookups) and a nice-sized private picnic area. There was a charcoal grilling ring - no wood fires are allowed due to wildfire risk - and picnic table and storage cabinet. The site landscaping is native scrub, with ground keeping limited only to clearing overgrowth and nightly trash removal. This campground is very quiet and relaxing, and within easy access to shopping should you need something. Bring your fishing rod, as the world's largest Bass (see link in the park's website above) is waiting for you in this lake! The only two disappointments I have with the park are that there is no swimming allowed in the lake (drinking water reservoir), and no pets are allowed in the campground (possibly due to local coyote activity). Also, alcohol is prohibited in the picnic areas, but permitted in the camping area. Those minor gripes aside, I enjoyed my stay at this campground and will definitely be back!