Tucalota Springs provides fishing, petting zoo, trails, emus & more

So, last week I introduced you to the Tenaja Truck Trail and was going to continue this week with Tenaja part two. I was planning on tracking down a beautiful watering hole that is supposed to be next the Trail—at least according to a couple of websites. However, when a couple friends and I set out to track the place down, we couldn’t find anything even close to what the Web sites were describing.

I am going to see if I can head back out there this weekend and sort the whole situation out. Is there really a secluded waterhole? Did there used to be? Is it all a lie? I don’t know yet, but I’ll figure it out so you don’t have to. In the meantime I am going to tell you about Tucalota Springs.

This peaceful little privately owned RV park lies just beyond wine country past Lake Skinner. Tucalota Springs has 100 campsites, 60 with full hookups. The sites are fairly large and spread out, each site has a tent area and most sites have a fire-ring and a picnic bench.

The owners of the park are a husband and wife team and the staff does an incredible job accommodating everyone and keeping the facility clean and orderly. Every review I read online mentioned something about the staff being extremely hospitable and helpful and the facilities being clean and well maintained.

If you make it over there one of these weekends, make sure you say hello to Judy. She might tell you about her favorite place to relax: underneath a big oak tree. Supposedly at night you cannot hear one single manmade voice. The huge oak trees everywhere provide lots of shade from the surrounding high desert landscape.

The park also has a small catch and release pond, where the fish will eat breadcrumbs out of your hand, a little zoo with peacocks and emus, a hayride, a horseshoe pit and a volleyball court. There is also a pool that is solar-heated and kept very clean all year long.

There are lots of trails for easy hikes and mountain biking. There is a small store with supplies, wood, ice, milk, water and that sort of thing. They have a recreation room with a pool table, book exchange and modem access. No cell service except for one area on top of a hill. There is no laundry service onsite.

Tucalota Springs costs about $35 per night. For additional info call (951) 767-0604.

Directions

Take I-15 to Rancho California Road. Go east seven miles, then turn right on Glen Oaks Road. Go two miles to Mesa Road and turn left, then go another five miles to Sage Road (Mesa changes its name to East Benton Road at De Portola). Cross Sage to Tucalota Springs.