Campground Review: Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay – Chula Vista, California

Posted March 25, 2022 – Narrated by Carmen (updated February 2026)
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We have rated this campground as a “5 Bambi”
bambi-5
See our 5-Bambi rating legend at the end of this review.
We were not paid, compensated nor influenced in any way by anyone for this campground review.

Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay is one of two campgrounds we like to stay at in the San Diego area. The other is Sweetwater Summit Regional Campground.

“What’s an RV resort?” is one of the most discussed topics on RV forums. Seems any park with hook-ups boasts the word “resort.” Opinions range widely but everyone can agree: “you know when you see one.” From what we’ve seen, Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay is the definition of a true RV resort.

We are thrilled to announce that Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay is the 5th campground to earn a “5 Bambi” rating (see the legend at the bottom of this post).

The southernmost shore of the San Diego Bay is our home base – a place to surrender into the arms of our hometown and repatriate in the idyllic comforts of the Baja California / San Diego lifestyle.

Ah home, sweet home.

The fair and dry, Mediterranean-style climate is naturally bug-resistant and boasts the best year-round temperatures in the USA.

For over 600 generations, the Kumeyaay Family have thrived and survived on this nurturing mountain coast, now the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet.

Like the gray whales, we return annually to this enchanting corner of the earth – Chula Vista, our strategic base of operations – to recharge our Living in Beauty energy. 

San Diego County also hosts millions of annual visitors who enjoy the world famous public parks, vibrant theatre scene, casinos, world-class museums and world famous attractions.

One sunshiny day after another, the recreation opportunities, wildlife viewing, and casual Cali-cuisine offer a unique activity and a different brewery and a new taco joint for every day of the year.

We always stay in Beauty, our Airstream travel trailer.

There are several RV parks throughout San Diego County, but Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay is our newest sanctuary where we come to wrap-up a year’s worth of intense travel and dream up ideas for the next Living in Beauty adventure.

Like many metro areas, San Diego County has restricted choices for RV travelers. Few San Diegans complain about the deficit because the locals are mostly wild camping enthusiasts.

Sure, there’s beach camping with hook-ups, but the beach campgrounds are chaotic over-crowded parking lot-style facilities and the state beach park locks the gates in the early evening.

Other than a few small parks for active and retired military, (Fiddler’s Cove and Admiral Baker), the city is low on hospitable full-service campgrounds for seasonal RVers, service members families, medical tourists, mobile medical workers, and the ever increasing numbers of holiday campers who avoid flying.

Over the last 20 years, the county parks system has stepped up. But most of these beautiful campgrounds are a long drive from the city and major sites. So, the brand new Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay Resort is a real blessing to the greater San Diego community.

Even our own persnickety five-Bambi rating fails to capture the full range of guest services and amenities provided by the top-notch staff at Sun Outdoors.

This 19-acres state-of-the-art RV resort has it all.

But much credit is due to the excellent staff who work together as an ensemble to pull off the meticulous maintenance of the grounds and coordination of services with a casual aloha attitude.

Location, Location, Location

About fifteen minutes from downtown and Old Town San Diego, Sun Outdoors has easy-on-easy-off freeway access to all the neighborhoods, sunsets, attractions, arts, activities, and shopping.

As long-time San Diego residents, this is the campground we recommend for a first San Diego vacation.

That’s because Sun Outdoors is right off the 5 and only a five minute walk to the San Diego Trolley in the quiet and serene San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This designated open space, where we used to play when were kids, is an eco-sensitive preserve under local government oversight.

Sun Outdoors is next to The Living Coast Discovery Center, and only nine miles north of the U.S./Mexico border crossing, the gateway into Tijuana and Baja-Mexico.

Sun Outdoors RV Resort hits all marks.

From the inviting entrance right off the I-5 to …

the beautiful Welcome Center, where check-in is a breeze.

The RV Sites

All roads within the resort are paved with extra-wide turning radius for easy maneuvering.

The level, paved sites have full-hookups (30 and 50 amp). Sites are separated by gravel and indigenous plantings for a natural boundary and increased privacy. Even the closer, interior sites are notably wider than most private campgrounds in metro areas.

There are 29 pull-thru sites and 174 back-in sites. All sites are reservable – no first-come-first-serve.

Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay

Some of the back-in sites overlook the estuary …

while other back-in sites are up against the private keyed-entry road…

or adjoin to the sites behind.

The deluxe pull-throughs accommodate any size rig.

The 49 tiny-house cottages feature one and two bedroom units.

Dining

The onsite cafe, The Getaway Cafe & Bar, opens early with breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Getaway also features a full bar. We thoroughly enjoyed the Happy Hour specials.

We dug into The Getaway’s authentic street tacos, a Baja California specialty. It’s always a good time for a cup of Peet’s and to toast the sunset with a glass of Temecula Valley wine, or a custom cocktail at the outdoors bar …

and dine poolside.

Cozy deep-seating around the fire pit overlooks the pool and bay with a bridge view.

Swimming Pool

The pool deck is the best we’ve ever seen in an RV park. It features a resort-sized pool and two giant hot tubs.

Four poolside cabanas can be reserved for all-day rental. The four-person cabanas are $199 and the deluxe six-person cabanas are $253.

Staying Fit and Active

San Diego is a fitness mecca. Surfing culture and military-style training flowed into the mainstream and life-time fitness is the local norm. Sun Outdoors gets it. Every opportunity is here to keep up your game and your physical therapy. You don’t even have to leave the resort.

The pool has a lap lane. Adults Only pool hours are 8AM to 10AM every day.

The on-staff fitness coach offers daily yoga and water aerobics classes for no extra charge. The enthusiastic and encouraging Raquel, a certified water aerobics instructor, is at your service. It’s remarkable how she customizes every class according to fitness levels and individualizes the instruction.

There is a fully equipped open-air fitness center.

two Pickle Ball courts…

a basketball court …

horse shoes and bocce ball (equipment provided)…

and a putting green so golfers can stay frosty between games on San Diego’s golf courses.

You Can Always Relax Later

With plenty of room to kick back, we immersed in the chill San Diego vibe. The comfortable seating around the pool area and Sky Deck with city views – and many other cozy nooks around the campus – inspire one to relax and read, listen to podcasts, play cards, or watch a game on the giant outdoor big-screen. It’s like being on a cruise ship.

Family Friendly

On school holidays and weekends, the resort sponsors wholesome coordinated activities for children with parents and grandparents.

Something’s Always Going On

Crafts, wine and bourbon tasting events, music around the pool area…

It is said that San Diego is “The biggest small town in America.” We had a small-San Diego experience when we saw our friend, Steven Brundege, playing Rockabilly with the awesome Bobby Sanchez Combo.

That’s how it is. In San Diego, you don’t have to go far to find your people and fun things to do. And, at Sun Outdoors the party comes directly to your site.

When the resort is near capacity, George drops by with his guitar to play a few tunes and …

Lisa follows in her nifty tipsy truck with Margaritas, Mimosas and Bloody Marys. It’s like the ice-cream truck for grown-ups.

Fire Pits

Propane fire pits are provided. Each site is also furnished with four Adirondack chairs and a picnic table. You can use your own propane tank or rent one from the office. Their tank is $24.99 for 5-gallons plus a $50 refundable tank deposit. Wood fires (as one would expect, in a protected area of the southwest) are prohibited.

Provisions & Supplies

The Welcome Center store is stocked with beer, wine, soft drinks, party ware, personal care items, resort clothing, an ATM machine and camping necessities.

WiFi

Our spaces (#182 & #200) had “okay” Verizon cell service. Connectivity ranged from screaming to zero. The free WiFi worked about 80% of the time, but almost never during high-use hours (evenings and weekends). Faster WiFi is available for an extra fee.

Dog-Friendly

This is a dog-friendly resort, but aggressive breeds are not allowed, so Pico had to lay low … (Just kidding. That’s chihuahua-people humor.)

There is no extra pet fee unless you rent a cottage. There are two lovely and well-equipped dog parks with self-serve waste stations. San Diego is exceptional for being dog-friendly.

Laundry

The gleaming laundry room beside the pool uses the phone App PayRange for the washers and dryers – $2.50 for the washers and $1.75 for the dryers. It sounds strange, but there are only 5 washers and 10 dryers …? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Just saying.

Bathrooms and Showers

Climate controlled and scented with botanic fragrance, the personal care facilities are not your parent’s RV park bathrooms. The showers located throughout the resort are keyed solo units.

Inside and out, Sun Outdoors meets military standards for clean.

This is the Four Seasons of campgrounds. Once the easy-squeezy hook up is done you are free to …

Relax and explore

Shall we cycle, walk, or kayak? From our campsite, we have unlimited choices.

Miles of public access paths surround the resort.

The park has the advantage of being on the 24-mile Bayshore Bikeway connecting cyclists to South Bay Beach communities.

Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay

We rode our Dolphin eBikes north to San Diego and south to Imperial Beach and up the Silver Strand to Coronado where we caught the ferry and cycled around the harbor.

If you arrived un-equipped for the bike trails, Sun Outdoors has a fleet of bike surreys for rent.

A boat and kayak launch is a half-mile north at Pier 32 Marina and a sandy beach for kayak launching is at Bayside Park, a half-mile south.

When the tide is high and the wind is calm, we love to paddle across the bay (30 minutes each way) to the Silver Strand State Beach, or have breakfast at Loew’s Resort.

Some days are perfect to paddle the hour or so to Coronado Bay where we can park our kayaks on the little beach beside the golf course and have lunch at The Feast & Fareway, before paddling back home.

Breweries

Living in Beauty followers know that we enjoy visiting craft breweries. Four fine breweries are within a mile of the resort.

What Else?

Groups and RV caravans are welcome. The Event Room hosts group rallies and meet-ups with seating for up to 100 guests. More meeting rooms are up on the Sky Deck.

Propane is available on the premises, $4 per gallon. The administration is exploring solutions for trash pick-up from the sites, but we don’t mind carrying or driving our trash and recycling to the designated area for deposits.

Most campgrounds function this way in order to protect wildlife and the environment. I’d rather carry my trash (or better yet, have Jim carry my trash) than deal with the nuisance of noise, litter and skunks.

Rates and check-in

Sun Outdoors uses Dynamic Pricing. As the resort fills up, the price increases. So the earlier you book, the cheaper the rate. We booked several months in advance and paid around $60 per night at the monthly rate. Monthly rates are typically 20%-30% lower than nightly rates. Electricity is an additional cost for monthly stays.

You can stay for 90 days with a 3-day margin between reservations. The maximum stay is 180 days per year.

Check-in is 2PM for RV sites and 3PM for cottages. Check-out is 11AM. A $25 late check-out fee permits a 3PM departure. A post 3PM departure is a full days charge. There is no refund for early departures.

All holiday weekends require a 3-night minimum stay. All other reservations require a 2-night minimum.

No Saturday arrivals or departures are allowed – an unusual policy, but it makes sense in this busy metro area.

There is a $10 per guest fee – another unusual policy which we reason is to avoid overcrowding on peak season and holidays.

Here is a full list of the resorts polices, rules and regulations.

Amazon and Package Delivery

Packages from Amazon are delivered to the Amazon Hub Center. No mail or deliveries other than Amazon are accepted. This policy can be quite inconvenient for long-term guests.

DECEMBER 2022 UPDATE – At our last stay here, it appears they are now allowing packages and mail to be delivered from any vendor.

Security

These whiz-bang security bracelets were our up-town resort swag. All bathrooms and gates require this secured keyed-entry system.

We’ve lived in San Diego all our lives and never once felt unsafe. However, car and bike theft is prevalent here. Our philosophy for bike theft has always been out-of-sight out-of-mind and, until recently, it’s worked.

Unfortunately, one morning before dawn, an intruder vaulted over the resort fence, unzipped our Clam shelter, and absconded with one of our Dolphin eBikes. This was the first theft of any item whatsoever since Living in Beauty. After all of our travels these last six years, how ironic for this to occur five miles from our old home.

But, Stephen Szielinski, Sun Outdoors’ Assistant General Manager, responded immediately to our loss by contacting the authorities. He also installed upgrades to their security: new motion detecting perimeter cameras with a security monitoring station to surveil the grounds at all times. They also added two rangers on duty until midnight, and uniformed security guards overnight.

Meanwhile, we have upped our bike-theft game with these serious locks and bike alarms. Lesson learned.

November 2022 Update: We have been notified the resort now provides at no charge some serious “U-Lock” bike locks when you arrive.

It Makes All The Difference

Like most RVers, Jim and I are self-reliant travelers. To see the world on our own terms requires grit. We can happily manage to explore the world with much, much less than a world-class RV resort.

But, on occasion, we deserve better.

Sun Outdoors doesn’t take our go-with-the-flow, can-do nature for granted, charge a premium price and just throw us a bone. This is real value in the finest city in America.

So from now on, we’ll keep coming back home to Sun.

If you want to see the exact route we travel, click here.

*photos in this post (unless otherwise noted) were taken and copyrighted by Living In Beauty.


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Our “BAMBI” rating system

bambi-1 – One BAMBI
Should’a boondocked.


bambi-2 – Two BAMBI
Better than a Cracker Barrel or Walmart.


bambi-3 – Three BAMBI
Adequate for a short stay.


bambi-4 – Four BAMBI
Great place! Met our expectations for an extended stay. Needs minor improvements or is not ideally situated for all our preferred recreation (hiking, cycling, swimming, kayaking) without driving.


– Five BAMBI
Destination Camping at its best! Critical as we are, there’s nothing we’d improve, and you can bet your sweet Bambi we’re going back!


Historically, Airstream has called their small one-axle trailer a “Bambi”.

We were not paid, compensated nor influenced in any way by anyone for this campground review.

Click here to see our other campground reviews.


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44 Comments
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Christopher Redo
Christopher Redo
3 years ago

Looking forward to your return and a pub crawl on CV’s Third Avenue!

Emily Wendell
Emily Wendell
3 years ago

I believe Sun Outdoors deserves a 6th Bambi Bonus!! That looks amazing. We spent 15 months in our Airstream in 2017. We are now back home in Coronado and bought an Airstream sprinter van last year. I see may stay-cations ahead at Sun Outdoors!

Jim Pascarella
Jim Pascarella
3 years ago

And only 20 minutes from the exclusive Rancho San Diego area

Ken Kalbfell
Ken Kalbfell
3 years ago

How long will you be in town? Marci and I would love to get together.

Linda Hunt
Linda Hunt
3 years ago

We were just there last weekend. It is very nice with lots of amenities. Hopefully the trees and landscaping will grow quickly.

chapter3travels
3 years ago

Wow, this is truly a “resort” and they clearly put a lot of thought into designing it and money into building it. I think this would make good sense for a true vacation experience, and there are plenty of folks who will love it for family trips, reunions, and meetups with friends. I think it would be hard for us to justify the cost – even at the monthly rate, it’s more than twice what we paid at MB. Of course, MB is just a parking lot, but it’s a parking lot in a good location. It’s all a balance, no doubt.

I will say that I really, really, really dislike being nickel and dimed on already high-priced stuff, and when the cheapest site in the place costs well over $100, charging extra for wifi that works – in the year 2022 in a big, high tech city – is just ridiculous. Also – dynamic pricing is one of those things that will just make your customers hate you. Set a price and stick with it.

Other than that, looks like a beautiful place in one of our favorite places. Great post!!

Shari Stevenson Smith
Shari Stevenson Smith
3 years ago

In San Diego. Campland on the Bay, is also a resort

Cyndy Decker Glasscock
Cyndy Decker Glasscock
3 years ago

Great “review” of the resort- our daughter and her husband recently relocated to San Diego for their jobs and love the “outdoor” vibe in the region. We can’t wait to “get” retired in a few years and to take a leisurely tour across the country and to camp in our Airstream out west!

Cyndy Decker Glasscock
Cyndy Decker Glasscock
3 years ago

Unfortunately, it’s going to be a few years before we can pull “Apollo”; our 2020 27FBQ Globetrotter all the way west 🤨 We hope to fly out soon though and start “scouting” the area! Your review was perfect timing

Dana Smith
Dana Smith
3 years ago

We spent a week at that park in February and it was fantastic! It’s the fanciest (and most expensive) place we have ever stayed and we can’t wait to go back next year. Our weekly rate came out to about $120 per night with tax – not something we can do often but worth the splurge. I’m wondering if you can recommend another park north of San Diego for the second week of our visit? We would like to explore more in that area.

Vanessa Vinard
Vanessa Vinard
3 years ago

That is stunning!!

Vanessa Vinard
Vanessa Vinard
3 years ago

Thank you 🙏
That is beautiful as well.
My husband and I follow your adventures in beauty. We appreciate all of your insight and the eloquent delivery!

Errol Lewis
Errol Lewis
3 years ago

Thank you for sharing!

Carol Hubbard
3 years ago

Wow … what a fabulous place! I just added it to our future “Stay” list.

Carol Hubbard
3 years ago

I grew up in La Mesa-La Jolla-Vista (1955-1971), so it’s fun to get back every few years (but things are considerably different than they were 60+ years ago 😉).

Steve Jones
Steve Jones
3 years ago

Hi guys, another great review! Love the pictures. Sue and I had reservations to stay at the old Chula Vista RV Park just before they closed. It was going to be our first winter in a warmer place in our brand new Airstream. We were really looking forward to spending the winter in the San Diego area. They called at some point and we had to shorten our reservations because of the closing. We had made reservations at Calf. state parks along the coast for after we left and were going to hit Disneyland, staying at a park in Anaheim. Sigh. But things changed for us and we weren’t able to go and ended up in Florida that winter instead. Not quite the same. We still intend to make it to the San Diego area at some point, so now we know where to stay! We will definitely stay at this park when we go. Thanks!

Linda Dobkoski
Linda Dobkoski
3 years ago

A Beautiful write up of the Resort I work at. Thank you Jim & Carmen

David Titley
3 years ago

Hi Carmen & Jim,

Another wonderful blog and campground review. You have given us a lot to think about for 2023! Coronado has changed a bit since I lived there in the mid-80’s!

— Dave

Melanie Lucero
Melanie Lucero
3 years ago

Not having the time nor the means for an RV, as a family we found Sun Resort to be a great place for our staycation. We found Campland to be fun in the past but it became very rowdy and political. We’ve stayed at one of the cottages at Sun and it was nicely appointed with clean bedding, towels, dishes, fridge, microwave, and cookware. Good people with the aloha spirit is what we found throughout our stay. Our teenagers wished there was more and better arcade games. One cannot beat the sunset from a Westside cottage! We’ll be there for the 4th of July and we just can’t wait! Don’t forget Agua Caliente County park! It’s desert beauty at its best And hot spring pool.

Paula M Robinson
Paula M Robinson
3 years ago

They did an excellent job with this Park. We stayed here; lots of kids and families; busy. I thought a bit expensive, but beautiful park overall. Super friendly people and anything you could ask for: close to everything. We live in CA. Hard to find an excellent place for a big rig! Been twice. Great people. It’s worth the money, pending on how long you’ll stay!

Johnni Hansen
Johnni Hansen
3 years ago

Thanks for sharing the review.

Martine
Martine
3 years ago

Would love to know how you got that rate??? We stayed there in February for 2 weeks and were going to stay next year for a month. But there rates are too high. If we could get 60 a nite that would be amazing.

Debra L Lawson
Debra L Lawson
7 months ago

My high school friends, you have done a fantastic job putting this site together!!! Remember, when you “retire” from airstream travel…TABLE BOOK!! By the way, Sun Outdoors is the BOMB!!!!

3505 days on the road


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