It’s finally summer, and the Murrieta area is a perfect place to get outdoors and into the famous Southern California sunshine with the whole family. From camping to zip-lining, Murrieta has everything you need to establish it as your new favorite family vacation destination. Here are just a few of our favorite ways to enjoy Murrieta’s beautiful weather, and for more guides, tips and articles of intrigue, be sure to check out the rest of our blog!
Just north of Murrieta lies Wilderness Lakes RV Resort, a scenic 80-acre campground offering 523 camping sites with water, electric and sewer services in addition to trailer, cottage and cabin rentals. Wilderness Lakes is beloved among anglers for the canals stocked with channel catfish that weave throughout the scenic resort— fishing permits can be bought on-site or at the nearby ranger station.
If glamping is more your style, you’ll feel right at home at Vail Lake KOA. The campground sits on 385 acres of recreation space, offering 467 campsites and miles of world-class hiking and mountain bike trails. Convenient amenities like Wi-Fi and a stocked on-site snack bar ensure that your every need is covered while you enjoy the outdoors with a swim in one of the KOA’s swimming pools, or shoot some hoops on the basketball court.
Nestled in the gorgeous rolling hills of Winchester California, Lake Skinner Campground is part of the 1,400-acre Lake Skinner Recreation Area. The campsite offers 257 sites for RVs, trailers, and tents, as well as a variety of lakeside activities for the whole family that include fishing and playing on the nearby splash pad.
On the opposite side of Lake Skinner is Launch Pointe at Lake Elsinore, a campground on the shores of Southern California’s largest natural freshwater reservoir that offers a unique and fun-filled RV experience. The site offers 7 different themed spaces for RV camping, all varying in location, privacy, view and more. If you don’t have an RV, no worries! Launch Pointe also offers themed yurts and vintage trailers that each have a private deck/patio area to relax on.
Murrieta has no shortage of amazing hiking and biking trails just waiting to be explored. A favorite of locals and visitors alike is The Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve. Though much of the reserve is closed for restoration, both the Vernal Pools and Trans Preserve Trail Loop are open, and great options for family-friendly hikes. This area offers a fantastic opportunity to soak up the sun while potentially getting a glimpse of some of the flora and fauna that call the area home.
Murrieta is in close proximity to several freshwater lakes where families can enjoy a day of fishing, boating, kayak, jet skiing and more. Along with the Lake Skinner Campground previously mentioned, the Lake Skinner Recreation Area contains a range of non-body contact water activities like boating, fishing and sailing— the perfect place to take the kids for a day on the shores of this beautiful freshwater lake. The Recreation Area also has a splash pad for kids to cool off on hot days.
With the beautiful Ortega Mountains rising above it, Lake Elsinore is another great place to have some outdoor adventures. More adrenaline-oriented families can enjoy watersports like wind surfing, wakeboarding, water skiing and jet skiing, or get even more extreme with hang-gliding, zip lining, dirt biking and more. The surrounding City of Lake Elsinore provides many options for food and entertainment, so you’re never far from something you may need during your family’s outdoor adventure.
