Very friendly and informative tour guides. Mathew was our guide and has a ton of info about the history, archeology, and mined quartz separation process for mining gold. Educational, historic, and fun.

This is an excellent gold mine tour. The guides are very knowledgeable and provide in depth answers to all of your questions. The tour exceeded my expectations. A definite must see while in the area.

We had such a great time touring the Eagle Mining Co. Paul was so knowledgeable and engaging the entire tour. It was so much fun for my 6 and 9 yr old to explore the old mine and pan for gold. They learned so much and had a blast doing it. We’re so glad we came up on a weekday because it was just like getting a private tour. We’re going to highly recommend to our friends with kids. It was great family fun!

All-in-all, it was an enjoyable time. The mine is worth going into if you’ve never experienced such a thing. Our family of eight of all ages enjoyed it (a family price would have been nice - ours worked out to $93 for all of us, and I’m not sure it was worth *that* much). But the experience was good. I would give five stars, but the staff seemed to have great angst amongst themselves. At one point, I actually wondered if it was part of the show. But as we continue on the tour, it was clear that they just have some struggles amongst themselves, which the tour guide kept bringing up (talking about “the boss”). Our guide was clearly under the influence. She wasn’t dangerous or anything, but it did make me think once or twice while hundreds of feet into a mine. I’m also sure that we likely missed some information from what the other guide(s) was saying. We kept bumping up into the group ahead of us, which implied to me that our guide was not giving the same amount of information. She was very nice and patient with our kids and another party’s nervous dog, but her constant complaining about “the boss” was weird. Regardless, I’m glad we went. Recommended if you’re in the area for other Julian attractions.

Excellent tour of some early gold mine shafts. Well presented and a very kind staff. I would hands down recommend this gem of a spot to anyone wanting a day trip with some thrill. It is a very kid friendly location as well.

Matthew was our tour guide and it was amazing! We got a private tour with just me, my boyfriend and Matthew. We didn’t know what to expect going into it, but he made the tour so great, humorous, informative, and truly interesting! Thank you Matthew! Would highly recommended .

Truly informative. The little kids are going to like the trinkets in the gift shop and panning for gold more than the tour, but older kids and the adults will enjoy seeing the inside of a mine preserved much the was it was when it was shut down. Our guide was knowledgeable and funny. He taught us about the stamp mill, the mercury processing and recovery, ecological impacts of mining, the way life was inside the mine. Example: everything was by candlelight. Toiling away in the dark and under tons of rock. Those miners were hardy people.

Great experience Tour was great. I highly recommend anyone who does not know the story behind the Eagle Mine of 1870 to visit.

An interesting tour of a real gold mine with lots of old original equipment and history. A fun thing to do in town if you've never been in a gold mine before.

We were very impressed! Guided tour through two levels of the mine and panning for gold! Great tour guide

A great activity to do while visiting Julian. The owner was very informative and great conversation starter! Beth our tour guide was very informative, she made the tour very fun and interactive. The mines were fun to visit, great for the whole family!

Best overview of the gold mining process I have ever heard! Took this day trip to Julian from Palm Springs. Enjoyed a very diversely scenic drive through giant welded sculptures, dune buggies, desert, to forest. Indulged in some most delicious pie on the main street. A fun and educational experience.

I had a great time touring the mine and learning about the history of Julian. I stopped in on a whim and it ended up being the best part of my trip to Julian. The tour guide was fun and engaging. I wish I remembered his name so I could give him credit. There is gold panning and a small gift shop with tons of rare rocks and minerals.

I unfortunately forgot our tour guides name today, but he was so nice and knowledgeable and gave us a lot of information and definitely told us a lot of history about the mine and a lot about the tools, everyone was friendly and nice here and the tour was about an hour long, very informative for all ages. Can’t imagine what these miners went through. It was a great experience and I would recommend families to go, kids think going in a mine is cool and it’s cool to show them Minecraft but in real life!

Rick was our tour guide, he was the best! It was such an awesome tour. Very informative, educational, fun, I can't say enough great things. Cool old tools & vehicles to look at around the property. The mine has so much history. He explained & taught us how to pan for gold. Seeing all the quartz, veins, mining tools & tracks, earthquake fault lines was unbelievably cool. Rick took his time to explain everything & answers all questions. Make sure you tip this man at the end for doing an oustanding job. The owner was really friendly & welcoming. Showed everyone the clean restrooms. Would highly recommend. What a great day!

Hands down one of the best mine tours we’ve ever taken, Matthew was incredibly funny and very knowledgeable - he made it a great time for our kids and the grandparents. If you’re taking the guided tour ask for Matthew and his pet raccoon.

Lovely outdoor location. Fish in the lake. Great hikes around the lake. Restaurant and store on the east side of the lake. Camping on north side with electric/water hook ups.

I grew up coming here and I must say it's one of the most underrated lakes in San Diego. From the trails to the camping or even dining at the restaurant. This is a place for some good fishing or a picnic with the family. Fishing has bass, carp, bluegill, crappie, and even sturgeon. Yes I said that correct. They have sturgeon. You can also go camping here from tents rvs or even cabins. There's so many trails to just get lost in nature. Now with that being said please note you are in the wilderness. There's lots of wildlife including mountain lions. When you go here please pay attention to your surroundings and clean of all of your trash. Enjoy the breathtaking views from the top of Stonewall Peak. If you need to know more feel free to reach out here and give me a follow or find me on Instagram @Manbehindalens

Our campsite was muddy. Was not aware that run off from parking lot went directly through the campsite. Didn't catch anything.

I visited Lake Cuyamaca twice. Once in August 15, 2020, and today on November 14, 2022. Back in 2020, I went with some friends, hoping to photograph the Milky Way. Unfortunately we were unable to capture the Milky Way due to the clouds, but we still took some great pictures during our time over there. On today's visit with another friend on November 14, 2022, it was much colder, but the Fall Scenery was awesome! The Black Oak Trees in particular were the ones that created lots of beautiful yellow Fall Foliage in the forests over here! My friend and I not only enjoyed hiking around and taking pictures of the lake, but of the birds that visited the lake. We saw mostly Fishers here around the lake. It costs $10 to park and to visit, but it was definitely worth the price of admission! Now, this will be a must visit place every time I am in the Julian, CA area and have time to stop by. I highly recommend a visit here when visiting in the Julian, CA area.

Lake is beautiful. Ample parking. Line to get fishing license and parking permit is absolutely inefficient. Expect to wait for a long time to get them on a holiday weekend.

Lovely nature spot with the added benefit of the restaurant, The Pub, overlooking the lake. Excellent convenience store too.

Beautiful lake! The bait shop employees were super helpful and very welcoming! Great day on the water.

Wonderful lake and staff, great for trout fishing and picnics

Visited Lake Cuyamaca Halloween weekend. I must say my gf and I had a great time and really enjoyed our stay. We camped at the Lone Pine Campground. The facilities were super nice/clean. The actual camping spots are on the smaller side and your neighbors are literally right next to you. But still very nice. The views are incredible looking south. The hiking was really enjoyable. It was our favorite part of the trip actually. The downfalls of camping at the lone pine is that you’re really close to the hwy. lots of road noise late at night and early morning. But still not too big a deal. If you’re into fishing I would not camp here. On the website they say this campground has the best fishing lol… which was incorrect for the 3 days I stayed. Not one person caught anything from the Lone Pine Shoreline. The lake is literally 500’ from the campsites which is awesome. But the shoreline is super rocky. I tried every trick in my book to make a catch with NO luck. I wouldn’t say I’m a expert fisherman but I am no rookie. If you’re into fishing I would recommend the Chambers campground. The shoreline is less rocky and there was a couple people that had caught some trout and seemed to be where most people fished from on the shore and boats. The Chambers campground also has lots of picnic benches and large grass area. I would say this area is better if you have kids and pets. The restaurant and tackle shop is nice as well. The restaurant is nothing special but has great views of the lake and you can grab a cold beer and relax. The tackle shop has anything you would need for fishing if you left something at home. I definitely plan on going again. I hope this review is helpful.

Stopped by on Saturday. There is a $10 parking fee which can be paid at the tackle shop. A lot of people were on boats, having picnics or fishing. We came for an easy hike and take in the scenery. I asked the shop about the hike trail and while the beginning was straight forward, would have been nice to know you can't go around the entire lake. Once you hit the dam there were trespassing signs blocking the area and it was either going back where we came or walk along the highway. We choose to go back since didn't want to risk being hit by a car. It wasn't hard walking back, but a bit annoying.

My MIL lives in the homes overseeing the lake. It's so beautiful n peaceful. My kids loved the Lake n the nature it has to offer. Very nice for family photos or special occasions photos. Which is wat alot of ppl were doing when we visited. Perfect to be away from the everyday city noise.

Beautiful place!! Very well kept and clean!! Family had a great time!!

My oldest is interested in wolves right now so we went here for her birthday. It was absolutely amazing! Definitely pay extra for the enrichment. We were able to throw food over to them and they were far more active when looking for food. Jacob was our tour guide and he did a great job! There were a lot of cool gifts at the gift center afterwards too! Keep in mind you'll end up going onto an unpaved dirt road so don't go there after a car wash and make sure your car can go up steep dirt roads. Also at the end the wolves started howling. It's in the video but you can't see them.

Well worth the money. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and gave some great information on the conservation efforts to increase wolves in the wild.

Noble endeavor and happy to support the work but I wouldn’t recommend you bring the whole family unless everyone is super into wolves. Not a ton to see or do for $45 a person.

Great experience, did the enrichment tour. Get to spend experiencing different packs of wolves in a natural environment. Tour is informative, time to to take photos videos. Well organized, nice grounds, easy walk, clean facilities, nice little gift shop too. Different types of wolves, overall a great experience. Highly recommend

Absolutely lovely. Learning about wolves and getting to see them in person - as close as 5 feet away - was a spectacular experience. Affordable group tours where proceeds go to a good cause. Highly reccomend!

A visit to the California Wolf Center was the highlight to our Julian trip. A great organization that promotes the education and conservancy for this endangered animal. Worth the visit!

I have a friend who is an animal lover and the wolf is her favorite. I found the Wolf Sanctuary online and thought it would be an interesting and different kind of experience for her birthday. She absolutely loved it! We all did! Katie was our guide, and she was awesome! Very informative and happy to share her experience and knowledge! Javier was our Gator greeter 😊. He met us in the Gator 🛺 and escorted us up to the handicap parking. Then he cashed us out at the end of our tour in the gift shop. He was great! We loved the education and the peek in at the wolves. We will go back!

It’s small but wonderful what they’re doing and how they are doing it. If you’re expecting an interactive experience where you touch them, this isn’t the place - they are trying to keep them ready to make new wolves for the wild!

Must visit and experience this place. Incredibly informative and educational for young and old alike. Well-kept dirt pathways between exhibits (we were shown 2). Easy walk even for handicapped. There wasn't anyone in a wheelchair during our visit, however I'd say it is accessible. The gift shop has plenty of keepsakes and mementos to choose from. The guides were very helpful and knowledgeable. We learned a lot. This is a government sponsored program (limited to no funding) that survives on donations (admission prices) gift shop sales. Tickets must be purchased and tours scheduled in advance.

Great experience! Knowledgeable and helpful staff, plenty of parking. Definitely get the tickets in advance.

We moved out of state and had to say goodbye to my son's favorite place on earth. The wonderful people that run the California Wolf Center are very knowledgeable and kind and always make visiting a terrific experience. Over the years, we visited many times, going to Julian for the weekend and taking several tours each weekend. Each tour has an educational component where you learn more about these gentle and misunderstood animals and their importance to the ecosystem. You then visit 2 habitats, 1 with the Mexican gray wolf ambassadors and 1 with the Rocky Mountain gray wolf (North American/Timber wolf) ambassadors. Most of the wolves stay in a remote habitat so they can be kept as wild as possible for re-introduction into a natural habitat. Julian is a wonderful town with friendly people and lots of history. Stay at the Julian Lodge to experience it to the fullest. Besides a small gift shop at the wolf center itself, there's a big building next door to the Julian Lodge that has an education center and big, wonderful gift shop with something for everyone. The instructions on the website are very accurate regarding arrival and visiting. This is a terrific weekend getaway that you can enjoy over and over again! We'll miss it so much! Thanks for the memories!

We paid $45 a person for the enrichment tour. That means they use food and scents to attract the wolves to the fence. And they did. Your photos will be shot through a chain link fence. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and easy to hear. We saw four wolves. I would not recommend this for kids unless they are really into wolves.

So educational! So interesting! Just your visit helps conservation. Amazing place!

We enjoyed our behavioral enrichment tour though I can’t say it was super interesting. I liked the tour guide’s narration and knowledge. I certainly learned a lot but I was hoping for some more wolf action. I guess maybe that’s my fault for having different expectations than what this was. Interesting but I wouldn’t come back.

Many covered and exposed trails within the park. $3 entry. Many spotless bathrooms. Would Def recommend. Going to look into camping there next.

My husband and I (and our pug) came here for the first time last weekend with some friends & I cannot say enough good things about this park!! The bathrooms are clean and always stocked with the necessities, the rangers are friendly and accommodating, the surroundings are beautiful, the sites are peaceful, and there’s plenty of hikes and activities to do. We will definitely be coming back!

Nice facility with large campsites. Bathrooms have sinks and some have coin operated showers, quarters only and no change machine so come prepared. But the showers do have heat which was nice. Firewood available for sale. Close to Julian, about 10 minutes.

For a 25-30 footers, no problems. A few will accommodate larger rigs. E&W, with dump station- use of which will block restroom/shower parking lot exit. Nearby Julian. Avoid RV spaces 1-20 unless you want side by side parking lot loop camping.

Scenic, peaceful and convenient to Julian and Wynola. The park is 4 miles off of the main highway, 4 miles west to Wynola and 1 mile east to Julian. The camping loops consist of cabin loop, tent only loop, RV only loop with partial hookups, RV and Tent loops: 1 with partial hookups and 1 with none. Bathrooms with flush toilets, one central one with coin op showers in the same lot with a dump station. Day use area includes small picnic area and playground. The RV loop has a central gathering area. Adjacent to the cabin loop has horse shoe pits. There are a few trails from the park and more south of Julian in the Cuyamaca and Laguna mountains. They sell good hardwood firewood bundles.

Great campground a short drive from San Diego and close to Julian. Safe, well maintained, lots of hiking trails, and hot showers (coin operated).

This park is fantastic. It's a true gem.. the little wooden cabins are perfect for a sleepover. They don't have any kitchens or running bathrooms in them, but they have a giant fire pit in the back where you can grill and they have shared bathrooms and showers. Great for a few days or a week. Lots of giant RVs were parked and they have plenty of tent camping for individuals and large groups. The best grocery store is before you climb the mountain as groceries and Julian are pretty expensive and selection is sparse, so guess what you need before you go the final distance to Julian. Great hiking trails, friendly people. Cute shopping stores. It's an overall wonderful experience.

We spent a lovely 3 days tent camping here. The bathrooms were super clean, the rangers were friendly, and the park was clean. Love camping here!

I don't even want to review this campground because I want to keep it all to myself, it's so peaceful and beautiful. It truly fills my soul to be here. The staff are fantastic and very strict with quiet hours and the amenities are clean and well maintained. There are gorgeous trails right in the camp ground.... It's my favorite in San Diego County.

Such a great park! Not seemingly well-known which is a shame. $3 entry. All the rangers are awesome and the guy at the entrance gave us some great trail tips! Bring water and sunscreen. It gets hot out here. Canyon Oak Loop was well maintained and cleared and the scenery is amazing! A nice campground too.

Great little San Diego get away park for day use or camping. Campsites and park is super clean and well maintained. Lots of pine trees and local wild flowers, native plants and grass. Hiking trails were also private and peaceful with a few sitting benches placed along trails. Wildlife everywhere. Dudley's Famous Bakery and Cafe west of park and the town of Julian east of park.

Parking spot 38 was wonderful. Not far from the restrooms. Close to the trail. One parking space for the rv and one for the car.

Was surprised that some of the items are in the open, so that you can touch them. It was interesting that they had some minerals from my family’s town in Mexico. Worth the $3 entry fee.

This was a surprisingly nice little museum, full of wonderful pieces, and great photographs and lots of history. Lots of pieces there that I would not have expected. The woman who was there was very nice and knowledgeable. If you’re going to be in Julian, I highly recommend stopping by and spending a little while looking through it. They also have nice clean restrooms restrooms so you don’t have to use the public ones that are nasty.

This is a small museum but has plenty town history. It’s $3 entrance fee. Self guided at your own pace. If you’re in town definitely worth the visit. You can finish up within an hour or so.

$3.00 admission. Lots of interesting things to look at. Great for anyone into the pioneer days. Many preserved animals (Taxidermy is a way of preparing, stuffing and/or mounting an animal for display or study.) and antiques.

This museum is small, however rich with historical information about Julian. This town also displays the comraderie of confederates and former slaves. This is a part of California history that most people are unaware exist.

Fun to walk through to appreciate the towns history! Some of the animals have some rough taxidermy done to them but other than that for $3 it’s a good price to spend at the most 30 minutes walking through

I enjoyed the beautiful history of this museum. Even my little sister and i were talking about it. We had a good sister bonding with history ☺️

I am a museum person. It was small enough to spend time snd read all the history in an hour us. I love antiques and there definitely plenty of those.

The water was flowing more than usual due to the rain making the falls absolutely beautiful. The river crossings were a bit much for the dogs but they powered through and we had the best hike!

Pretty good hike. Wish I'd gone on a cloudy day. Can get pretty hot, there's not much natural shade for 2 miles to the falls. Shelters have been constructed at regular intervals to provide a bit of respite from the sun. The area around the falls is very serene and pretty. Falls were only a trickle when I went in October.

Did the hike on 04-16-2023 for the first time. The hike is listed as moderate to strenuous but it’s really easy to moderate, strenuous it may be only in May-September due to heat. Well designed and not much of an incline. Lots and lots of beautiful and different wildflowers. We saw desert lilies coming out, what a beauty. There’s so much water in SoCal this year (last time it was like that was 1997-1998) that the waterfall is just magnificent! At this time, there are 3 pretty fast water crossings ~20ft wide so I suggest to bring reef shoes/sandals and change into them at the 1st water crossing - then wear them until the last crossing on the way back. All this water will subside by June of course.

The hike in is really something! Starts in an arid desert then as you descend the grass grows taller and the meadows start to flower. Then after crossing the rock bridge made by the lovely local youths the waterfall is near. The bowl is incredibly clear and deep. The water is tropical even in the dead of winter don’t shy away from a swim! Oh and the mushroom was really cool!

Moderate hike and permit required $6.recommend starting early

Beautiful trail, worth the hike. It's easy going down. Definitely need to make some stops going back up. You cross 3 streams before the waterfall. Saw a lot of large spiders near the waterfall on the rocks, so be cautious, leaving your belongs on the floor. Once your shoes get wet, they do become slippery. I recommend good hiking shoes and switch to water shoes before the first creek. As more people pass, the rocks get more slippery. Go early it gets crowded fast. We started at 7am and there was a handful of people. So we were able to enjoy it a bit and take pics without too many people there. Bring plenty of water and walking sticks help. 3 miles to water fall.

Very nice place to hike 6 miles lots of rest spots and decent trail / terrain. A must for hikers

My first time going to the waterfall / hiking trail (4.30.23) and I absolutely loved it. I suggest getting there as early as possible because the temperature picks up faster. The place has lots of plants, and the scenic is breathtaking. Also, manage the water wisely. It takes 1 hour to get to the waterfall - listed as easy. There are 3 water creeks to go through until reaching the waterfall. Make sure to bring water shoes. I learned my lesson in a hard way! Going up was more strenuous. Rangers are building shades and they are necessary coming back. Be careful when bringing your furry friend especially the short nose breeds.

Amazing Trail and thoroughly enjoyed it. Easy going down but will take some effort to come up. The waterfall is worth the hike...recommend doing it early in them morning before the sun beats down.

Cedar Creek Falls is undoubtedly one of the best hiking destinations to visit. The total 4-mile hike (2 miles each way) offers a fantastic workout and is enjoyable for people of all ages. The breathtaking waterfall at the end of the trail is a sight to behold, and we couldn't resist taking a refreshing plunge into its crystal-clear waters. We highly recommend this experience to everyone looking for an adventure in nature.

Did this hike on 3-19-23 the water is pretty high. There are 4 water crossings that are unavoidable and the water on me was about thigh high (I'm 6 foot). The current is also pretty strong so keep that in mind. That being said this hike is beautiful. The waterfall is bigger than I have seen in a long time.