Campground Review - Stagecoach Trails RV Resort, Julian, California

Description

The Stagecoach Trails RV Resort & Horse Camp is a quiet and remote private campground located in the high desert along the historic Great Southern Overland Stage Route. This full-amenity park features RV, tent, and horse camping; rental cabins and shelters; and stunning vistas of rolling desert hills, basin, and mountains. The park is within convenient driving distance of Anza Borrego Desert State Park, Borrego Springs, and of the historic mountain resort town of Julian.

Location

Stagecoach Trails RV Resort
7878 Great Southern Overland Stage Route
Julian, CA 92036
Park: (760) 765-3765
Latitude: 33.060372 N, Longitude: -116.424526 W, Elevation: 2,320 ft (707 m)

Details

We stayed for ten-nights at the Stagecoach Trails RV Resort & Horse Camp in mid February, 2019. The park made a great base for us to explore around Anza Borrego, Julian, and Borrego Springs.

Cost

For ten-nights at a 50 amp full hookup back-in site, we paid about $62 per night, including tax, a weekly rate discount, extra vehicle fees, and pet fees. Although we were only charged for one pet as a discount, we still consider the $6 per vehicle & $6 per pet nightly fees excessive.

Ratings (1-5)

Accessibility – 3/5

The campground is easily accessible via paved roads. Lanes in the park are well-maintained asphalt or gravel. The park has both pull-thru and back-in RV sites and can accommodate large rigs. The main campground facilities have provisions for Universal access, but many of the rental cabins/wagons do not.

Facilities/Amenities – 4/5

The campground offers many amenities, including full hookup sites, tent sites, rental cabins & wagons, horse corrals, restrooms and showers, laundry room, swimming pool, event center/clubhouse/pavilion, outdoor grill area, shuffleboard, volleyball, horseshoes, basketball courts, and playground. The park features a gift shop, general store & grill, propane, and firewood sales. Facilities are clean and well-maintained.

The campground connects to miles of equestrian and hiking trails.

Site quality – 4/5

Sites have full hookups with 50/30/20 or 30/20 amp electric, fire ring, grill box, and a picnic table. The campground features both pull-thru and back-in sites. Sites are compacted dirt/sand/gravel, with fair separation between sites. Many sites have shade trees. Horse campsites have corrals.

Scenic Value – 4/5

This is a desert campground – stark and sandy, with cottonwoods, pines or junipers around the sites. There are many nice xeriscape, architectural, and whimsical touches to the park, including cacti, native plants, and rock arrangements; historic wagons; and critter silhouettes. The park has sweeping vistas of desert hills and basins.

Location/Isolation – 5/5

The campground is in a fairly remote desert location – at least a 25 or 35 minute drive to the nearest larger towns – Julian and Borrego Springs, respectively. The campground is generally quiet and receives little road noise.

Paws Friendliness – 4/5

The campground is pet friendly, with cleanup stations but no enclosed pet run. The campground is large enough for decent walk for your pet and connects to miles of equestrian and hiking trails.

Note that this is a desert location, so be aware of conditions for your pet. Time walks for cool times of the day, watch for hot road/trail surfaces, provide plenty of shade and water, and do not leave your pet outside unattended. Watch for desert critters, thorns, and cacti spines and burrs.

Overall Rating – 4/5

Overall, the Stagecoach Trails RV Resort & Horse Camp is a relaxing place to stay while enjoying the desert clime and exploring around Anza Borrego or Julian. We enjoyed our stay here and would love to visit another time. (We might think twice, though, given the high extra vehicle and pet fees.)

Additional info

Internet access

We received a weak and intermittent 4G Verizon signal at this campground. Our cellular signal booster helped, but Verizon MiFi connections were slow and unreliable. The campground provided free WiFi, but we were too far from the nearest hot spot to establish a working connection.

Water Quality

The water at this campground tested hard.

Nearby Amenities

Gas stations, restaurants, and some automotive services are available nearby in Julian (15 miles) or Borrego Springs (23 miles). A wide range of grocery stores, restaurants, shopping, automotive and RV services are available at San Diego (76 miles), El Centro (70 miles), or Indio (84 miles).