- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Saratoga Springs Picnic & Campgrounds
Categories: Active Life Parks Event Planning & Services Venues & Event Spaces Hotels & Travel Campgrounds Parks, Venues & Event Spaces, Campgrounds [Edit]
22801 Big Basin WaySaratoga, CA 95070
(408) 867-3016
- Hours:
Mon-Fri, Sun 8 am - 5 pm
Sat 8 am - 10 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
42 reviews for Saratoga Springs Picnic & Campgrounds
42 reviews in English
-
Review from sarra s.
Brooklyn, NY
10/1/2011
Got married here Labor Day weekend and it was fantastic! We really wanted to get married outdoors, instead of in a stuffy ballroom. However, we still needed a place though that would do most of the work for us since we don't live in California anymore. Saratoga Springs is AWESOME at putting the whole package together. You can get away with food, unlimited beer and wine and the site on a Sunday night for about 6k-7k. You can get add ons, some of which we did, and spend an additional 1-2k but that's up to you.
The site looks kind of picnicky during the day, but at night, when the tablecloths are out and the trees are lit and the candles are glowing (our centerpieces) it is magical and gorgeous. I got to walk across a wooden bridge before walking down the aisle - soooo perfect. And my little cousin keeps asking when she can go back and dance in the forest. :0)
The wedding food is great. No rosemary chicken, thank goodness. We did the hot summer nights menu and it was delicious. Everyone said it's not what you normally get for wedding food but it was the best wedding food they ever had.
Jennifer Clark is also solid gold to work with. Super friendly, gets you information quickly and no beating around the bush.
P.S. If you are getting married at night, I recommend taking your wedding party pictures earlier in the day, the light streaming through the redwoods is gorgeous. -
Review from Michael B.
Sacramento, CA
9/2/2011
I would have loved to give this place 5 stars, but...
My family and I attended a corporate BBQ at Saratoga Springs. While it was a great place, with lots of things to do, there were a few issues, some of them major.
First, there wasn't enough parking, and the parking attendant had me move my car over 2 inches, even though I was well between the lines. The person who pulled into next to me took up two spots and the attendant said nothing.
Second, our group paid extra money to have a BBQ package with chicken and tri-tip. All the food was prepared before we got there, yet there was a BBQ grill in our picnic area with charcoal and litter fluid. The tri-tip, chicken and hot dogs were cold, and the guy was cutting the meat and then using his gloved hand to talk on a walkie talkie. They served the food at 1:00 pm and by 3:00 pm they took it all away.
Third, the hornets! Most people couldn't even eat the tri-tip or chicken, because of the amount of hornets that were attracted to the meat. You could literally put a plate with tri-tip down and second later there would be 15-20 hornets surrounding the plate. They also had unlimited soda from a soda fountain, unfortunately, there were another 50-60 hornets around the soda machine.
We had several children in our group, many under the age of three. All the hornets made for an uncomfortable situation. I don't think I would ever go back, and I definitely would suggest that others don't go there.
We sent an email to the management, but don't really expect a response. -
Review from Leanne P.
7/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Hubby and I recently came here for my company picnic. Its a beautiful shaded area, not too far off the beaten path. Our area was huge and we had our own barbeque and soda machines. We had a petting zoo, dunk tank, and access to the pool as well as all the inflatable houses.
This would've been more fun if we had kids ourselves, but it was fun chasing my coworkers' kids around. And the staff here was pretty awesome--they even led the group in some games and activities. -
Review from Meesha R.
5/15/2011
My GPS took me to the middle of the forest. The flag was reached and the automated robo voice was like "You have reached destination: Saratoga Springs." I'm like whaaaa cause I'm still in the middle of a windy road with nothing but trees around me.
But holy smokies--my GPS just likes to be super dee duperly accurate and it just brought me to the base of the actual location which was high up into the mountain. The entrance was somewhere back down the windy road.
Maybe I should take that as a hint to upgrade my maps. Eeps :-(
Anyway, I've been to SS before. This was the 2nd time my work hosted a function here. It's a nice place. Looks like an are yogi bear would call home. Haha. I like it. Very woodsy, very spacious, staff that helps w/parking, a pool, playground, picnic area and semi-decent bathrooms. Not too bad overall. Will return. -
Review from C E.
Berkeley, CA
10/1/2011
from my wife:
Got married here Labor Day weekend and it was fantastic! We really wanted have our wedding outdoors, instead of in a stuffy ballroom. However, we still needed a place though that would do most of the work for us since we don't live in California anymore. Saratoga Springs is AWESOME at putting the whole wedding package together. You can get away with food, unlimited beer and wine and the site on a Sunday night for about 6k-7k. You can get add ons, some of which we did, and spend an additional 1-2k but that's up to you.
The site looks kind of picnicky during the day, but at night, when the tablecloths are out and the trees are lit and the candles are glowing (our centerpieces) it is magical and gorgeous. I got to walk across a wooden bridge before walking down the aisle - soooo perfect. And my little cousin keeps asking when she can go back and dance in the forest. :0)
The wedding food is great. No rosemary chicken, thank goodness. We did the hot summer nights menu and it was delicious. Everyone said it's not what you normally get for wedding food but it was the best wedding food they ever had.
Jennifer Clark is also solid gold to work with. Super friendly, gets you information quickly and no beating around the bush.
P.S. If you are getting married at night, I recommend taking your wedding party pictures earlier in the day, the light streaming through the redwoods is gorgeous. -
Review from Jackie S.
San Jose, CA
7/14/2011
I want to thank everyone at Saratoga Springs for everything they did for me on my wedding day. I got married there on July 3, 2011 and everything was wonderful. Everyone on there staff is super helpful and they are really flexible with whatever you need. They all worked really hard to make sure everything was perfect for my wedding. They are super affordable, and they have all you can drink beer and wine, what more can you ask for. But the food is really good and when I told allot of my guest that the wedding was at a park allot of people were skeptical. But everything was so beautiful people couldn't stop talking about how nice everything was. I would recommend this venue to anyone for any kind of party. I hope the staff at Saratoga Springs reads this review because I would like to say thank you to everyone who was involved in my event.
-
Review from Irene L.
9/5/2011
My company had a picnic here (not the first time) but it was my first time attending it. I loved it here. My GPS surprisingly didn't lose signal so I found getting here not too bad at all. The parking was ok. The picnic area was nice and shady, but there were lots of bees bugging us. I loved the little creek and I spotted a banana slug! :) My alma mater mascot!
-
Review from Jaclyn P.
San Jose, CA
5/3/2011
We had our sons 1st birthday party there this past weekend and boy were our expectations met and not only were they met they execided them... From the beginning of planning months ago to the actual day the staff at Saratoga Springs were accomidating and very helpful! The day went so seamless, if anything went wrong we didnt know about it... We had a few guest that showed up after the food was already cleaned up and the staff made them plates so no one went hungry! I would reccommend Saratoga Springs to anyone who wants to have a big party (we had close to 60 people) and wants to actually enjoy their party!
Thank you again to the staff of Saratoga Springs
Jaclyn Petersen -
Review from Ronni C.
Sunnyvale, CA
9/1/2011
This place is cool, my work has had a BBQ thing here for the past two years, and its always a good time. They have Giant slide, a dunk tank ( who doesn't want to see there boss get dunked), this glaidilator thing, and loads more. The food is decent, Chili is pretty tasty, Yum! In addition to this, the havey games for the family's, play grounds, and obstacle courses. All this in the middle on the Saratoga mountains, beautiful. So why the loss of the star? they cut off the "adult" beverages at 10, Safe...but kinda a buzz kill, and cause the smore fire wasn't big enough.....Oh ya did I mention the smores...Double Yum
-
Review from Ariana L.
San Jose, CA
9/19/2011
Great place for tent camping with plenty of hiking, mountain biking and equestrian trails close by. However I advise calling in advance to see what other events are taking place on the grounds because they will use the unoccupied sites (the majority) for parking around your campsite and turn on the blinding lights we never noticed until our peaceful site turned into a parking lot.
-
Review from Andrew C.
8/28/2010
I seem to end up here once every 3 or 4 years for some sort of major group function. Saratoga Spring is located up Highway 9, above downtown Saratoga. It's a fun drive to get up there (and even more fun if you continue all the way up to highway 35...) My most recent trip was for a department picnic (~500 people, including spouses and kids) on a weekday afternoon. It looks like they try and have multiple companies having picnics on the same day (at least four companies on the day I was there). They'll put companies in different group areas, all off a main square/quad with a bunch of jump houses, inflatable slides, etc. Cheaper for them, I guess. They only need to rent the carnival doodads once.
We had a fairly large-ish picnic areas with the on-site BBQ. Giant bowls of caesar salad, garlic bread slathered in butter, BBQ chicken, tri-tip, hot dogs, veggie chili, corn (again) swimming in butter, and hamburger/cheeseburgers. BBQ chicken had both white and dark meat pieces, but the white meat was overcooked and dry :( Tri-tip was cooked to medium and was seasoned pretty well. I approve. Corn was soaked in butter and inedible.
They have soda machines and beers on tap. It looks like the beer selection varies based upon how much your company pays ;) We had some Maui Longboard stuff. Light and yummy - perfect for summer.
There are a few bocce ball and horseshoe courses (fields? ranges?) on the site. There's also a sad little pool in the back... 3 feet to 9 feet deep and sort of kidney bean shaped. meh.
Not a bad experience overall. I don't think I'd come here on my own, but it seems perfectly acceptable for a large group function. -
Review from Nanette C.
San Jose, CA
5/22/2011
I attended a wedding yesterday 5/21/11, and I have to compliment you and your staff on a wonderful day. The location is beautiful and your staff are courteous and friendly and very helpful. Very easy to find, and the trees and water running in the stream made the most beautiful outdoor wedding I have ever been to. Thank you so much and I will forward this information to eveyone I know. Wish I were getting married, I would be there. Thank you so much.
-
Review from Roselina R.
Milpitas, CA
8/23/2010 1 photo
Great venue for a company event! The staff at Saratoga Springs handled everything. The BBQ was delicious, picnic table areas where nicely shaded, and everyone had a wonderful time during the hosted games.
We toured the grounds when no picnics were in progress, so at first glance the area could seem somewhat lacking, but the energy is quite different when the grounds are full of picnic parties.
Definitely a good family spot. The Fun Zone area is great for children, and even the adults had a blast going down the big inflatable slide.
Artificial grass is used in the bigger picnic areas instead of real grass, and again that may seem odd at first glance, but it works out for the better, especially if your group is conducting games in the area.
I would definitely recommend Saratoga for an event. Make sure that you consider dates when the Fun Zone is open. -
Review from KAI S.
Oakland, CA
6/7/2010
*DISCLAIMER: Manager said that they'll soon by in the process of expanding the whole camping area (each camp site / tent pad will be larger).
So, I basically wouldn't recommend this place as it is right now for two primary reasons: One, as far as tent camping goes you basically set up your tent 10-20 ft. away from the next campers (which can be pretty awkward) and Two, as a whole this place seems verrry unorganized.
It's true. Tight spaces to tent camp. Tighter than I've ever camped in. A far as disorganization goes, let's just say there were lots of mix-ups and confusion regarding our payments, which site we were to be in, etc. Though they all eventually got resolved, it proved to be pretty stressful at the time.
THE GOODS about SS are: Beautiful scenery. An even more beautiful creek that runs virtually right next to your camping area. A fully stocked "convenience" store on site (firewood included), a full arcade w/ pool table, and friendly employees.
When they expand & their organization is much improved I can see myself maybe coming back here, but not before. If/when I do and the experience is all-in-all much better I will return to this review & update accordingly.
(This place has LOTS of potential!) -
Review from Jamal G.
San Francisco, CA
6/21/2007
One of my favorite places to go during the summer summer summer time was Saratoga Springs. 3 families and some friends from the hood would head out to the campgrounds. I swear they never seen so many Black folks camping at one time before. Saratoga Springs is a funny place. You have the creek were we'd catch crawdads, then we'd go jump in the swimming pool... like the ones in an apartment complex. We'll roast marshmallows over an open fire and then run down to the arcade to play Mike Tyson's Knockout, Ski ball, or air hockey. Oh and when our parents would cut us off the junk food, we'd head to the general store. You had a feeling like you were camping yet you felt like you were down the block from your home.
I learned a valuable lesson the first time I went camping without my folks... just my God brother and I. I was probably 17, We were drinking, I was faded, stabbing at the fire (I absolutely love to build fires) when one of the lit logs jumped out, ran down the side of the hill, stopping short of a tent. I'm thinking to myself... has a Black person ever set a campsite on fire? So I grab about 20 plastic bags, run down, picked it up, ran to the creek and tossed it in. Ya, lets just say I learned that day that no matter how many plastic bags you have IT IS STILL GOING TO MELT AND BURN YOUR HAND!!!
Now my boys remind me every time we go camping. They even store the plastic bags in the car. I still build a mean campfire though. -
Review from Agnes K.
San Jose, CA
6/18/2009
This review is for the Summer Day Camp.
Week at Summer Camp: $250
Iron Man backpack: $16.99
Swim shorts: $9.99
Picking up a completely worn out but so excited about camp, so that he can't stop talking about it child up from Summer Camp: Priceless
Absolutely worth every penny. The snack, lunch, and dessert is included in the price, which is a plus because I'm not very good at packing lunches.
The camp leaders are all fun and energetic, take really nice care of the kids. The program is well organized and they have fun activities everyday.
My son's favorite activities: playing on the activity jumper first thing in the morning, playing in the creek, going swimming in the pool (he actually takes his water gun now), listening to stories at story time, making new friends and playing on the playground. Let's just say there isn't much that he does not like about his camp.
Had to sign him up for an extra week and definitely coming back again next year. -
Review from Daryll H.
New York, NY
2/2/2009
I'm currently in the middle of an adventure, cruising the country in my Airstream. Saratoga Springs is the second park I've stayed in -- of course, I set the bar pretty high with my first stop on a cliff overlooking the beach in Malibu, CA. This place is quite different.
I was greeted by two people when I arrived - I don't recall their names - but they were very laid back and helpful. One told me she'd take my money for the spot the following day because she had already closed up the office for the afternoon (honor system isn't dead after all!), and the other told me to pick whatever open spot I wanted and even spotted for me as I backed up my 28' rig. He also thought my crazy, scary looking dog was "cute," and said that he had *wolves* (!)
The place is pretty no-frills as far as amenities go -- water and electric (30 amp service), four channels of cable (Fox, CBS, HBO, Discovery), wireless that connects to a T1 (though the wireless drops out too often to do any skype/video stuff). Antennas, EVDO cards, and cell phones be damned -- nothing works here. This is good or bad depending on what you're going for. Also, they only do sewer pumpouts twice a week, which can suck if you don't plan properly (or if your tank gauges don't work..) Pumpouts are included for monthly customers, but not electric; it's the opposite for weeklies..
Spaces are fairly close together, but in the off season (now), it's not a big deal, as they provide a good amount of buffer zone between rigs. There appear to be four parking areas, one for short-termers (mine), two for medium-termers (some seem semipermanent) and one for long-termer/permanent types up in the cottage area.
Scenery is pretty great -- I'm writing this about 10' from a meandering stream. If it was warmer, I could have the window open and actually hear it inside. When it rains a lot (which is always, being winter and all) the creek starts to roar, and makes you wonder if it's going to overflow. It hasn't so far.
The main downside for me is that there is basically no place to walk the dog after dark. We walked around the parking area, but beyond that, there's no light anywhere. The only way is to walk him in nearby downtown Saratoga, but that's a bit of a drive.
The main upside is proximity to various sites in the bay area, and great hiking nearby (there's a trailhead for Sanborn County Park a few hundred feet from the entrance to saratoga springs)
Bottom line, a solid place to spend a couple of weeks/months.Listed in: RV Parks
-
Review from Kristin O.
Cupertino, CA
6/28/2008
I just came back from coming here. Stayed here for one night and this place is very nice since I didn't have to drive for hours to get a decent camping ground. Just 30 minutes away from Palo Alto and you're in the middle of wilderness!
There are a lot of events held here, there's food, grocery store, RV lots, camping spots, picnic areas -- all that you can get plus a little more at a camp spot :) It's like nature meets electricity (there are arcades there too if nature starts to get on your nerves).
The creek is adorable. The campground runs a long the creek. I went down there during the day and the water was very refreshing. Of course I only went up to my knees, but it was a nice stroll in the water. If you want to be secluded, reserve #65 because that spot is right on the river and much more secluded from everyone else! Make sure to reserve that spot well in advance!! -
Review from Dave B.
7/28/2008
The forest setting of the Saratoga Springs campground is beautiful. The shade from the hot summer sun is worthy of special mention. They've putt together a collection of wonderful play activities: a huge inflatable slide, an inflatable obstacle course, swings, a miniature jungle gym, multiple picnic areas, a videogame arcade, and a terrific pool.
So why only two stars?
They lose one star for the staff. They simply don't look out for the best interest of their guests. There aren't enough of them. They don't seem to care for safety (e.g., unattended fire pits, inattentive lifeguard).
They lose another star for the campgrounds. I know car camping is different than most camping. Your tent is near your car no matter what. Car camping here meant that the tents shared the parking lot.
They lose a third and final star for closing down before 11. We're all familiar with bar time. Generally, the bartender sets the clocks a little ahead so they have a fighting chance to close on time. Well, the staff here must have all been former bartenders because they were working on clocks that were easily set 15 to 30 minutes ahead.
In short, this place fails to live up to its full potential. I hope it gets better. -
Review from Tiffany M.
San Jose, CA
8/27/2011
The husband and I came here one weekend, spur of the moment type of thing. The check-in time was after four o'clock on weekends. Luckily we were prepared with a tent and camping supplies. but if you're not, dont worry, they have almost everything every little thing you need there at their store. If you plan on having a fire, you need to purchase the wood there also. I believe it was around ten dollars for the wood. There were a lot of other familes that were camping there for the night. You are allowed to bring your pets as long as you keep them on a leash. The bathrooms are very clean and they also have an area for you to shower. I have yet to be there for any kind of picnic but Saratoga Springs is great for a weekend getaway!
-
Review from Megan K.
Los Angeles, CA
7/27/2009
This is a review for the campground, and specifically our tent camping experience. I have done a good deal of camping, and I have never stayed in a campsite that was so small and so, well, ridiculous. My friend arrived on a Saturday afternoon to see a concert at the Mountain Winery. The best thing about this place is its proximity to the winery...but we think we'll look elsewhere next time. The camp staff was friendly enough, especially the lady with the long blond hair.
The first thing we noticed about this place was how many people were there. It didn't seem legal, actually, to have SO many people in such a small space. The blond-haired lady told us that the next morning 500 cars were planning to go to the campground. Insane. Our campsite, No. 58, was a tiny 10' x 8' area right next to the road. I think my friend and I slept with one eye open the whole night, waiting for some car to run us over. Parking was challenging, because our campsite was located on the other side of two rickety bridges, right under the freeway. We could hear the babbling brook and the sound of cars whizzing past. We didn't have a picnic table.
The only water was halfway across the campground. We had a Port-a-Potty that was close to our part of the campsite, but it seemed gross to use it.
Maybe the RV camping and day camp are better, but this is not the place to go tent camping. -
Review from Debra L.
Los Gatos, CA
8/13/2010
Puts the YMCA summer camps (which I was a big fan of, a tad to shame.) You simply can't beat the location. Dropping my son of in the morning underneath the beautiful redwood trees, with a team of counselors that have more energy than you can ask for!
I grab a cup of coffee in the general store (a steal at only .50...where in the Valley can you get coffee for .50?) and sit down to watch the kids start their morning with silly songs, games and exercises. I don't know where they find these counselors but I would love to clone them for babysitting and after school care.
We did the water week which ran close to $300 but every day my son came home with a big smile and a story of adventure in the woods, the creek... we are blessed to have such a wonderful, safe place for our kids to spend their summer vacation.
Debra Loriau -
Review from Anna M.
San Jose, CA
6/16/2009
My company has held many events at Saratoga Springs but it wasn't until I was planning on daughter's first birthday party that I got a great sense of just how wonderful this place is.
Terri was absolutely the biggest help. She helped us get exactly what we were looking for in terms of price, activities and just hands on help the day of our event. We had a few family members that decided to camp and she was great in getting them situation and handling all the reservations.
The food was excellent and I couldn't have asked for a better 1st birthday party for my daughter. All the kids loved the extra activities and the adults couldn't get enough of the dunk tank.
I would highly recommend them to everyone I know. -
Review from Jessica M.
New York, NY
7/27/2008
Bring a crew and be a kid again. Or, even better, be a fun loving adult and you can imbibe the unlimited beer and wine! Granted, the beer is Bud Light.
I came here with 60 friends and we brought in a live DJ to celebrate the best aspects of summer. If you provide music, you must keep the noise at 55 decibels and it has to stop by 11pm. So we had bouncy houses, swings, slides, pools, music, booze, dancing and smores. What else is there?
Saratoga Springs can feel trashy at times and it sucks to be surrounded by kids when all you want is to play Beer Bat but what a wonderful one stop shop for an evening or weekend of fun. -
Review from Kitty B.
San Jose, CA
8/12/2008 3 photos
I researched and researched and finally stumbled on Saratoga Springs for our little deparment off-site.
Brad was helping with the contract & all & he was awesome to work with! A very patient man indeed hehehe
We had the bbq & game package where there's a DJ playing music in the background & hosting the games. It was so fun! Especially the water balloon volley ball.
At first when I was going over the games I was kind of hesitant because I thought it would be too childesh but it wasn't. Everyone had a great time & that was the point to relax & be a big kid again!
Brad even upgraded us to a bigger spot without us asking & we didn't have a lot of people either but the big nice space was cool for us to hang out.
The cherades games was hilarious!!! We split into 2 team & Yes, my team (Team#2) Kick Butts! Wahoo! HAHAHA
So if you're looking for a small, simple, within your budget fun for your department off-site check out Saratoga Springs & speak to Brad. Tell him you read about him on Yelp from Klea ;) hahaha
Cheers! -
Review from Deep C.
Compton, CA
12/2/2010
Went here for a party. It was epic. The staff was awesome. The campgrounds were awesome. The pool was tight.
-
Review from Miss r.
Gilroy, CA
6/13/2010
I have been enjoying this park since I was.....1960's we will say. It is a great place to go and enjoy the family and woods.
-
Review from Dave P.
San Jose, CA
10/16/2010
Cold meat and cheese handled by the bare hands of sketchy looking hill people is hardly my idea of a company picnic. They have a lot of balls to call it the " Bay Area's Best BBQ." I thank my lucky stars every time I make it out of there without a serious stomach illness. Props for the free flowing beer I guess.
-
Review from Tamara J.
Sunnyvale, CA
7/7/2011
I was married at Saratoga-Springs last month. It was beautiful beyond words. We were married at Cathedral Grove, and enchanted location tucked back in a very private hillside cove of trees that canopies the entire area which includes a mountain stream and a stairwell and bridge for the bride to descend. We were married in the evening and dined and danced under the stars. It was magic. You should see our wedding pictures! And the only thing better than that is the people at Saratoga-Springs. They were SO good to us. And while they do wedding and event all day everyday, they made us feel like our wedding was the most important thing they would ever do. They made sure everything was perfect! Saratoga-Springs is a special place with special people. I swear its ENCHANTED and I would recommend it to everyone.
-
Review from Mark J.
Livermore, CA
7/25/2010 1 photo
I was there this weekend with my Urban Diversion group. It was a blast they provided food and drink and music and fun. The people that worked there really cared about everyone having a good time. The grounds are very clean and they have some great remote camping spots for when you want to continue your party all night which we did. This is the third time we have had our Hot August Nights party here I can't wait for next year.
-
Review from mura c.
San Jose, CA
7/11/2010
Love this place!!! The kids (and the kids at heart) will definitely enjoy their stay here. Big shout out to Pam (the camp host) for being so friendly and helpful. We will definitely come back here again!!
-
Review from Jenny G.
San Jose, CA
Updated - 9/21/2009
I stand corrected, as the owner mentioned to me in a follow-up: "Just so you will know we do pull the picnic tables out of the groves and replace them with rounds. It is an extra charge but we do it quite often. "
Listed in: Adventures in Wedding Planning
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
9/16/2009
This is an absolutely wonderful place for camping, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for a… Read more »
-
-
Review from Kat R.
Orange, TX
3/23/2008 1 photo
My boyfriend decided to bring me to this spot where his family used to go camping when he was a kid. We haven't got the chance to go camping yet, but did spend a whole day rock hopping the creek. The lady at the front just let us go in for free since there weren't that many people, and we weren't staying over night. Got some sweet pics, saw some wildlife....not to mention, a hobos tent. yikes. Overall, a day well spent at Saratoga Springs.
-
Review from brian j.
Santa Cruz, CA
8/4/2008
grounds:
the grassy area alongside the creek is a great place for a wedding and for volleyball. although i didnt play volleyball.
noise:
as for the wedding goes, all of the children of businessmen and businesswomen jumping on the bounce houses and climbing walls around the corner from the site of the wedding were kindof loud. there also seemed to be a lounge singer which i never figured out was real or recorded.
insects:
i would give this place one star for the amount of mosquitos that tickled my face as i stood up in front of the crowd.
but i give those mosquitos five stars for not biting me.
bathrooms:
the whole wedding attendees must climb a hill and enter in the pool gates and use the poolside bathroom. some people in tuxedos mixed with dripping kids that miss the urinal and do not wash their hands. -
Review from Arnold L.
Ventura, CA
4/13/2010
My review is from a camper's perspective (Tent and RV). The natural setting is great with a stream running nearby and very large tree's giving you the feeling that your in the forest. I've typically stayed annually around October since 2000 and enjoy the scenery a lot. For tent camping, I've stayed next to what would be a volleyballcourt in the sand. Pretty flat so that's good, and picnick tables nearby. Bathroom's right there, but for showers, they're further away by the office where you check in. This is a family run facility that is privately owned.
-
Review from Rebecca T.
Los Altos, CA
6/7/2009
We decided last minute to try and find a place to camp for Memorial Day weekend and decided to go to Saratoga Springs. I had been here for a high school reunion a few years ago and I knew the place was close to civilization which was a must since this was our trial run camping trip with our toddler.
We turned up around 3 in the afternoon and it took a litle while for the guy there to assign us a site that wasn't already occupied. While we waited we noticed the place was packed! Tons of people, dogs, RVs, and noise, We finally got a site assigned and went to it. It was beyond AWFUL!!! It was tiny and there was a log in the ground indicating the end of our site and the beginning of the next one so our tent was literally the width of a log from our neighbor's car. A pretty little stream ran behind the site but was no good with a toddler. There were minimal trees and No privacy whatsoever. This is not camping in nature. This is where you go if you want to be surrunded by bikers, huge families, giant RVs, and general chaos. I've never seen a campgorund so tightly packed.
We decided our backyard offered a more authentic camping experience and left. If this is the only option on a holiday weekend, it just isn't worth it. -
Review from cody k.
San Francisco, CA
8/9/2009
It is hard to reduce to words how bad the tent "campsites" are. They are not really "campsites", they are just a road that has a series of places to set up a tent on a portion of the road and shoulder thereto. There is a very real possibility of someone's tent getting run over or hit by a car here. Our site was approx. 18 feet long by 10 feet deep, inclusive of parking spot, with other sites immediately adjacent on each side, and there was no distinction between where our site started and the road began. Also: trash everywhere, no grass, very hard ground (because our site was, in reality, just a compacted dirt road).
Staff was nice and the amenities are good, but the sites are simply not acceptable for something being held out as a "campground."
As a day use site, which is maybe all this place should hold itself out as, it *might* be fine to have a kid's birthday or something here (although I will note that most of their arcade games were broken).
As Megan K. notes, it was almost hard to believe this place... -
Review from Jane K.
Los Gatos, CA
3/4/2009
Mt. School (Los Gatos Saratoga Observation Nursery School) families have
been coming to Saratoga Springs for over 25 years. Children love exploring the creek, climbing up the hillsides, and playing in the sand.
Adventures along the trails reveal different plants, trees and creatures. The
bright, yellow banana slug is one of their favorites. Parents who observe
their children and the teachers in this natural environment write both of the
calming and exciting aspects of being outside. Thanks to the staff for
making the Springs available to us in the fall and the spring. -
Review from Erica C.
Saratoga, CA
8/10/2009 1 photo
The secret about the best summer day camp is out..my kids have been going for many years (4 years for my 10 year old daughter) and 2 years for my 6.5 year old son. My daughter told me today she wants to be a Junior counselor when she's old enough. Counselors are awesome, staff terrific (Mimi is a gem!), environment, fun themes, I can't say enough. Thrilled to bits!
-
Review from Heather E.
San Francisco, CA
5/27/2008
We stayed here for a weekend camping trip recently, and it was weird that we didn't have to pay our fees online like you normally would for a campsite. So when we arrived, we planned to pay $ 25 for each site like is advertised on their website. They say that the site can hold up to 12 people, so we brought 12 people, and little did we know that the $25 only includes TWO PEOPLE! Anyone after that has to pay $5.00 per site per night. So instead of costing $25 per night, our sites cost us $45 per night. WHO WOULD EVER PAY THAT MUCH FOR A CAMPSITE????The staff was unfriendly. This is s scam. They wait for you to arrive with all of your gear packed then they hit you with all of their hidden fees. I would not recommend this place to anyone.
