The very first Thousand Trails RV park that we visited also happens to be one of our very favorite places to stay: Soledad Canyon RV & Camping Resort.

When you arrive at Soledad Canyon, located in Acton, CA, you cross the railroad tracks and check-in at an office with red tile roof. Everything there has a Southwest feel. Soledad is one of the largest Thousand Trails parks boasting 854 sites. The staff told us that it can swell to 5,000 people on holiday weekends like we experienced on Labor Day. I met one long-time Thousand Trails member during our last stay at Soledad. He told me it used to be the jewel in the Thousand Trails crown, having once been the site where promotional videos were made on rolling green grass with Roy Rogers and Gene Autry.

Today, it’s a little more rustic with most of the sites sitting on dirt, but it hasn’t lost its charm. Sitting in Acton, CA, Soledad is far enough from the city to feel like you’re in a canyon hideaway. It’s one of the few RV parks we’ve been to that actually feels like you’re camping out in nature. It’s surrounded by hills and trees, you can hear coyotes yipping and howling at night, and there’s a train that runs along its border.

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Soledad’s main pool is 300,000 gallons, making it the largest privately-owned pool in California, and it’s filled with well water, so it might also be the coldest, sitting at 65 degrees even when the temp outside is 100 degrees+. Our first visit to the pool on a warm day resulted in blue lips and chattering teeth in our kids after about ten minutes in the pool. We gave it another try once it hit 100 degrees, and everyone had a much better time. It also has a splash pad that we saw a lot of kids and families enjoying. It was previously known as the “family” pool with an “adult” pool situated on the other end of the park near the “adult” lodge. As we understand it now, all pools and lodges are open to all ages.

On our first visit to Soledad, we were able to attend the Luau where authentic Hawaiian dancers performed a show including hula dancing, tiki face-making, and torch twirling; the kids loved it! This took place on the rear patio of the “family” lodge which is a short walk from the “family” pool.

Soledad is not too far from some of the main attractions around LA. While we stayed there, we went to San Buenaventura State Beach, the Santa Monica Pier, Six Flags Magic Mountain, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and Griffith Observatory. It’s close enough to make a day trip to visit these places and yet far enough to get back to a place where you can rest after a busy day. Soledad is also near many adventuresome points of interest like Vazquez Rocks, Mormon Rocks, and Placerita Canyon.

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We love Soledad for its remote feel, its proximity to many great sights and attractions, its massive pool, the many activities they offer for kids and families (their Easter activities were particularly fun for our kids), and for their great staff members who go all-out to ensure members and guests have a great stay!