Campo & Lake Morena

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The combined rural communities of Lake Morena and Campo have a population of 2,783 as of 2010. The estimated annual median income of the 1,299 households is $47,833.

Lake Morena

Heading east of Pine Valley on Historic Route 80 it crosses Interstate 8. Within minutes, the forest views are gone, replaced by scenery that looks more like desert. Turn off at the Campo exit and about 10 miles later you’re in the town of Lake Morena, where outdoor recreation reigns. The Diegueno Indians described the shape of the valley when they named it Milquatay, which translates into “Big Foot.” Early settlers dubbed it Campo Valley and later it was also known as Ursery Valley.

A spectacular wilderness parkland of 3,250 acres now surrounds Lake Morena, the highest and most remote reservoir owned by the City of San Diego. The sparkling lake is in the center of the chaparral, oak woods and grassland that make up Lake Morena County Park, operated by San Diego County. The desert, coastal and mountain habitats attract soaring bald eagles, mountain lions, rattlesnakes and many migrating water birds. The park features some of the most modern camping facilities in the county, as well as camping for youth, primitive camping and wilderness cabins. Hikers can explore the Pacific Coast Trail, which ends in Canada. Lake Morena also is a great place to picnic and it is a mecca for fishermen. There’s excellent trout fishing in winter, and the bass and pan fish start biting in the spring.
Boat and cabin rentals are available.

Campo

Minutes away from Lake Morena is Campo which boasts a business community that includes several stores, a gasoline station, a post office, a small strip mall and a San Diego County branch library. Campo has a violent Wild West border history worthy of the best action movies. Just north of what is now the international border with Mexico, about 400 people had settled in Milquatay Valley by 1869. They often kept themselves alive by farming, beekeeping, or through sheep or cattle ranching.

Many of the settlers were from Texas, including the enterprising Gaskill brothers, Silas and Lumen. They started out as homesteaders and quickly started a town. The Gaskills built the first store in Campo, as well as a blacksmith shop, a grist mill and other enterprises. The store and its owners became legendary after horse thieves tried to rob it. The ill-fated raid ended in gunshots as the wounded Gaskill brothers shot up and captured three of the bandits. At least two of the bandits in custody were hanged from a tree that night, possibly by a bunch of hard-drinking cowboys in the area. The Gaskills later replaced the wooden frame store with a stone one that still stands, now a local frontier landmark.

Another survivor of Campo’s earlier years is the well-known Pacific Southwest Railway Museum. Many of the antique railroad cars and accessories have been restored and are on display in the freight yard. On weekends, a group of volunteer train fans operate trips for the public on an old classic train. To get the hours of operation, please call (619) 478-9937 on weekends or (619) 465-7776 on weekdays.

During World War II the small community housed a prisoner of war camp for Italian POWs. Information about that interesting time is in the Campo museum.