Who doesn’t dream of taking a summer vacation abroad? With this week’s featured campground, your dream can become a reality! Rancho Ojai in Tecate, Baja California is the perfect destination for an RV road trip this summer!
Located on a ranch that lies near the border of the United States and Mexico, the Rancho Ojai campground is the perfect place for your ideal summer getaway. The scenery around the city and within the campground is beautiful and this RV resort is guaranteed to have activities that you will love. There are endless places to explore and plenty of experiences awaiting you. The city is versatile and offers a fun time for everyone, no matter what you are interested in! With this destination, there’s no need to make travelling to another country expensive – it will cost the same as any other RV trip and you even get the comfort of staying in your own RV. The community and safety of this campground make it a great destination for your next summer vacation.
ABOUT THE PARK
This campground has the capacity for 35 RV’s and offers a full hookup in each site. It easily accommodates big rigs up to 40 feet and contains 14 pull-through sites. The grounds also offer electric hookups varying between 15, 30 and 50 amp plugins. Equipped with handicap facilities, drinking water, campfire sites, a sewage system, and dump station, Rancho Ojai is fully committed to making your stay as comfortable and pleasurable as possible. There are clean bath houses on site as well as other small restrooms located in various areas across the grounds. Rancho Ojai is not only a great place for your RV, but also has 30 cabins and 75 campsites for tents as well. Kids will love all the activities offered here, and if they’re under 7, they can even get in free. Everyone is welcome, including your pets! If you can’t go “unplugged,” there’s no need to worry! This campsite offers free Wi-Fi for all of their guests. Although this campground is open year-round, they require a minimum 2-night stay during holiday seasons. It is $395 for two people to park their RV here and an up-charge for every extra person. The campground has made booking easier than ever with their online reservations!
If you’re looking for some family fun, the game room on site is the perfect place to stir up some friendly competition with each other. Equipped with 5 pool tables, a foosball table and a lounging area, there is room for everyone in your party! You can even bring some cards to play or just relax inside! Whether you are looking for an activity at the end of the day or fun spot to hang out during the day and meet new people, the game room is for you!
This campsite is also a good choice for people who love to stay active. There are four beach volleyball courts and a basketball court that can double as a soccer field. The basketball court has stands lining the sides for family members to watch and backboards styled like the barns on the ranch. During the summer, there are both pickup and formal games of basketball which makes this an entertaining area for all ages. We suggest heading over in the evening to end your day together on a fun note!
Exploring your surroundings is always fun on vacation. With the location of Rancho Ojai, when exploring, you can experience a new culture, history, and nature all around you. The campsite offers bike rentals so you can easily travel around the surrounding city. If you are on the more adventurous side, there are plenty of trails from the campground and mountain bike trials nearby. No matter what trail you choose or how long you ride, the experience and spectacular scenery will not disappoint.
At Rancho Ojai, even your kids will have an activity to do all the time! If you have a younger child, they are sure to love our playground! Containing swings, slides and see-saws, this bright attraction is sure to keep your child entertained for hours! Surrounding oak trees provide a great source of shade and the soft sand keeps your kids safe from hard falls. The playground is located around the open-air kitchens and areas where parents can sit and watch their children while socializing with other guests.
Of course, Rancho Ojai knows we all need somewhere to cool off in the summer, so they’ve recently built 3 guest pools on their property. One pool is a 50-foot by 20-foot swimming pool for guests of all ages to use that is lined with lounge chairs and beach umbrellas. They also have a heated spa and a children’s pool that is only 18 inches deep to ensure your child’s safety. However, there is no lifeguard on duty so be sure to watch your kids closely as they are your responsibility. The area also has locker rooms and outdoor showers so you can rinse off before heading back to your RV.
Every vacation should always include a friendly game of mini-golf. Rancho Ojai’s western themed mini-golf is an exciting activity for anyone staying at the campground. With the equipment rented from the campground store, your group is sure to have hours of fun here. Appropriate for all ages, the course includes multiple different holes and a fun scenery with bridges, fences, trees, wheels and wagons.
If you love wildlife and are looking for a place to relax, you are sure to love the aviary on the campground. The peaceful chirping that can be hears is sure to calm after a long day of exploring. This bird sanctuary includes peacocks, pigeons, and multiple local species. Early summer is a great time to visit this area because the peacock’s train is full and will not shed until late summer. The campground offers information about the birds they have in their aviary and is open to any questions.
One of the best parts about travelling in your RV is the campground dinners. It’s a time where you can sit with each other and other guests staying at the site. It is a way to grow closer with those your traveled with and find new friends from everywhere! Rancho Ojai understands this and offers quality picnic areas for all of their guests to enjoy. There are areas to accommodate every size of group that are scattered throughout the campground. Each designated picnic area has a table and grill so you can cook your family meal on site.
Because Rancho Ojai is not only a campground, but also a functioning ranch, there is a farm and animal corrals that guests are allowed to explore. The animals on the functioning part of the ranch include sheep, goats, horses, and donkeys. Sheep and goats here are raised for wool which is spun into yarn. This interactive activity is just a walk away from your RV and the kids are welcome to pet the animals as long as there is a ranch hand on site to assist them.
Rancho Ojai also has a convenience store on site so you can find all of your necessities and just about anything you forgot without having to leave the campground! They sell everything from firewood for campfires to souvenirs that are handmade. However, there are no perishables sold here so be sure to double check your list before leaving if you don’t want to have to make a trip to the grocery store!
THINGS TO DO IN THE AREA
If you’re looking for an activity or day trip to do outside of the campground, the city has plenty of entertainment to offer. Tecate is located in a beautiful area of mountains and hills and is only an hour away from Tijuana. Founded in 1892, this river city was originally known for its ranching. It was farmland with a prosperous crop of olives, grapes, grain and coffee. The scenery around the city is diverse with plenty of wildlife including flowers and birds to experience. During the summer months, this city is typically hot and dry. Because it borders the United States and is only 40 mils outside of San Diego, many people have found the crossing the border is much more pleasant and simple here due to the calm nature of the city.
One thing Tecate is known for is its spectacular food and drinks. It the proud home to the brewery that has created one of the most popular beers throughout Mexico. The brewery offers daily tours the share the history of the city intertwined with its own history. The local baseball team is even named the “Cerveceros” or “Brewers.” Because of its prosperous grape crop, Tecate is also home to many wineries as well. There are wine tours that leave daily and stop at multiple different vineyards. Visitors say that the coffee in Tecate is outstanding and it is offered in almost every café in the city. Locals and tourists alike have dubbed this city the “capital of bread” and suggest you try the bread offered at El Mejor Pan de Tecate before you leave.
The city center is full of fun and surrounded by bread bakeries, cafés, and parks. The center park of this city is Parque Hidalgo. Here, you can immerse yourself in the everyday culture of the vibrant city and relax on the benches. You can also find other parks in the area like Parque Los Encinos that hold festivals. In July, Parque Los Encinos holds a 2-week festival that includes dancing, food and plenty of fun.
This city offers numerous outdoor activities as well. You can leave straight from the RV campground for a bike ride and explore the mountains, or you can find your way through the trails just by hiking. Because the surrounding city is still mainly ranch land, there are many farms that offer horseback riding and horseback tours. If you want to explore even further, there is even the option to rent off-road vehicles to find your way through the landscape.
If you wanted to embark on a day adventure that stays close to the RV campground, we suggest a trip to El Vallecito. Located in La Rumorosa in Tecate, this is an archaeological site with ancient history. The city is known for the research of the native tribe that originally inhabited that land. Kuuchamma Mountain, which lies on the outskirts of Tecate, was considered sacred to the Kumeyaay people. At this location, you can explore caves and view 6 site of the 18 original Kumeyaay cave paintings found there. The petroglyphs and paintings have given a new insight to ancient history and are recorded in the neighboring museum. The site offers tours that explain the native’s history and allow you to experience some of the ancient culture.
If you are interested in a day trip away from the RV campground, we suggest the Guadalupe Canyon Oasis. Tow your four-wheel-drive vehicle along with your RV and you’ll be set for this adventure. This oasis is a scenic two-and-a-half-hour drive from the campground and travels through the mountains, desert and the dry Laguna Salada. Once a large lake, this now dryland sits 10 meters below sea-level and contains dirt roads that lead to a canyon in between mountains. Once you reach the Guadalupe Canyon Oasis, you will find rock pools filled with geothermic water. These secluded pools with sulfur-warmed waters offer a private getaway. If you explore further into the nature reserve, you will find caves and waterfalls. If you want to spend a night, the site also offers 13 individual campsites that include a private hot tub, a grill or fireplace, covered picnic tables and room for your tents and cars.
No matter if you go on an excursion every day or simply stay at the campground, this RV trip is guaranteed to be full of memories that you will never forget!
