Yucaipa Water Park & Campground

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When I first heard about the Yucaipa water park at the Yucaipa County Park & Campground, I knew I needed to plan a trip. I’m always down for a campground with waterslides!

I tried looking for campsites right away, but soon learned that this is one of the most popular campgrounds in SoCal. So it books up far in advance. And we wanted to camp with a big group of friends, so looking for cancellations probably wouldn’t have worked well. We decided to book for the following summer, and it was worth the wait.

The Yucaipa Regional Park is located in the middle of a city with houses and grocery stores just minutes away–not like our recent trip to Hurkey Creek campground which felt very secluded in the mountains. While there are some perks to being so close to civilization–like if you forget some of your camping essentials or if you need to make a grocery run–but if you’re looking to get off the grid for a bit, this campground might not be the best fit.

Camping at Yucaipa Regional Park

You can visit the Yucaipa water park and regional park just for the day, but we wanted to make a camping trip out of it.

The Yucaipa lake campground has 42 full hookup sites, 9 group tent sites, 4 RV experience sites (which include a trailer rental on the site), plus bathrooms and showers. Pets are welcome at the campground, but not in the RV experience sites. Also it’s important to note that the tent sites are not very close to the RV sites–it almost feels like two separate campgrounds.

While the RV experience sites are very convenient (and more affordable than renting a trailer), I’d also like to note that the queen bed inside did not include any kind of mattress. It was basically sleeping on plywood, so you should bring your own foam pad or air mattress if you go that route.

The campsites felt very spacious, and it was nice to have grass in between sites. The kids loved throwing the ball around in these areas. There isn’t a ton of shade in the campground–at least not in the RV section–so plan accordingly.

Besides the swim complex that is complete with a sandy beach and waterslides, other features of the campground include horseshoes and disc golf, playgrounds, pedal boat rentals and fishing. There are also hiking trails that are easily accessible from the campground–giving you lots of options for fun things to do while camping.

The campground has group fire rings available, however the individual campsites do not come with a fire ring. You are allowed to bring your own with you.

Campground Reservations

You can book the campsites online up to one year in advance. Weekends book up well in advance, so book early. If the dates you want are already booked up, you can use this campsite scanning app to alert you of cancellations. It’s a game changer for popular campgrounds, and our friends were able to snag a cancellation on our most recent trip.

Full hook-up sites start at $55/night. There are also hook-up group sites that can accommodate up to 3 RVs and 18 people.

What to Know About the Yucaipa Water Park

The Yucaipa water park and swim complex is open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Check operating hours, as it only opens on weekends at first, but then is open Tuesday-Sunday during the summer months.

There are two large waterslides there–you must be 48″ to ride. They are so fun! Unlike some waterslides, we all felt like these were very smooth and even the adults went time and time again.

Pricing for Swim Complex Access

It’s important to note that staying at the campground does not include or guarantee your admission into the swim complex. Admission prices for the 2025 season are $15 for the day. Holiday weekend rates might be a bit higher.

New in 2025, campers get priority access to tickets and can pre-purchase admission to the swim complex online. This is a huge perk! You no longer need to wait in line if you purchase your admission more than 24 hours in advance. You can purchase up to 6 admissions per campsite.

The swim complex is open from 10am to 4pm, but access is first-come, first-served, and there was a line forming before 8am each day we were there. You can walk to the swim complex from the campground, but there is also a day-use parking lot in case you’re hauling a lot of stuff, or if your campsite is further away. The RV experience sites are the closest to the Yucaipa water park.

Three cabanas are also available and include picnic tables, shade and a BBQ. These are also first-come, first-served and cost $50 on normal weekends and $100 on holiday weekends.

One perk of staying in the campground is that you can get in line as early as you’d like. We had one dad who was up early, so he was first in line each day by 7am. Even though we already had passes for admission, he wanted to secure us a cabana. The day use access doesn’t begin until 7:30am, so after that, the line forms quickly–especially on Saturdays.

There is no alcohol allowed in the swim complex, and they do peak into coolers. You can bring food in, but you cannot bring in portable grills, so the only grilling allowed is in the cabanas.

Hiking Near Yucaipa Campground

Just outside of the campground, we hiked the Zanja Peak Trail. This was a pretty steep 4.3-mile loop that gained 1246 ft. in elevation and didn’t provide much shade, but it did offer some beautiful views. There is also a 3.3-mile Yucaipa Regional Park loop that is a pretty walk and doesn’t gain much elevation (only 364 ft.). That’s probably a more suitable option if you plan to hike with kids.

For more campgrounds that provide water and lake fun, be sure to check out my posts about Big Bear Campgrounds, Lake Hemet Campground and the Lake Gregory water park.

For more camping resources, check out the best sleeping mats for camping, these easy dishes for camping and what you need for your camping kitchen.