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Southwesternmost US Campground Opens In Tijuana River Valley

One of the ten yurts available for rental at the Tijuana River Valley Regional Park Campground in South Bay starting April 28, 2021.
Matthew Bowler
One of the ten yurts available for rental at the Tijuana River Valley Regional Park Campground in South Bay starting April 28, 2021.

The Tijuana River Valley Regional Park Campground opened Wednesday in the South Bay and it provides more than just 51 campsites.

There are ten yurts on the property. They're those modern versions of ancient, round, tented dwellings, with doors, windows, bed frames and space for four to ten people.

The Yurts are available for rental.

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David Norgard, the Chief of Development for San Diego County described the other amenities on site.

“A bird and butterfly garden, community gardens, five ball fields and 22½ miles of hiking trails.”

“This spot was chosen because it’s the best location," Norgard said. It’s unaffected by flooding and unaffected by any of the other issues that are going on in the valley.

District One Supervisor Nora Vargas addressed the issues with the area that people may be concerned about.

“For many years," Vargas said, "we’ve had a lot of challenges with our sewage and the contamination from Mexico. But this is one of the ways where we continue to highlight the beauty of this valley.”

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Vargas said the soil has been tested and it is a safe campground for the community.

Making the Tijuana River Valley Park into a destination has been a long term goal for South County resident and former County Supervisor, Greg Cox.

“This is the only river valley that isn’t bifurcated by freeways, by railroad tracks, by electrical lines and it’s probably one of the most pristine areas, even in spite of the sewage-related issues,” Cox said.

As part of San Diego County’s Live Well San Diego vision, this location gives people a new way to enjoy the outdoors, exercise and have fun.

Corrected: October 5, 2024 at 8:57 PM PDT
Editor's Note: A previous version of this story misidentified former county supervisor Greg Cox. We regret the error.