"Things to See and Do in Santa Ysabel" Santa Ysabel by lmkluque

Santa Ysabel Travel Guide: 12 reviews and 15 photos

Mission, Lake and Casino!

Welcome to my Santa Ysabel page,

Santa Ysabel is a very small town with two interesting attractions, the historic Santa Ysabel Mission and Lake Henshaw, which I will tell you about here.

Update:
I'll soon add information about the Casino that is now in town.

SANTA YSABEL MISSION:

Not one of the "21 Missions" of California, but an "Assistencia" or sub-Mission to San Diego de Alcala, which is the first of the twenty-one Missions. Santa Ysabel Mission, founded in 1818 and located just past Julian in the town of Santa Ysabel is rustic and reminiscent of the days when California was still part of Mexico.

After the secularization of church owned land and by 1849 the Assistencia was in ruins. St. John the Baptist Church was built near the original site and looks more modern than so old. The had a small gift shop that was interesting to me because of the map showing how far north Mexico was the compared to now.

LAKE HENSHAW:

A lake that has receeded in the past years due to so many droughts in this area. There is fishing and boating on the lake and this is a wonderful place for San Diegians to retreat from the hustle and bustle of living in San Diego for a day or longer. It would be a good place to visit if you are visiting SD and would like a taste of the rustic California country life.

WARNING:
The Ceader Fire (29 October 2003) and again the much bigger Witch Creek Fire (20 October 2007) caused devastation unheard of in this area.
The resort and restaurant near Lake Henshaw may no longer exist due to the horrific fire raging in the area. I don't know the fate of the Mission either as of this writing.

SANTA YSABEL RESORT & CASINO:

The Casino and a couple of restaurants are owned and operated by the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, a band of Diegueno Mission Indians. It was opened in April 2007, just six months before the Witch Creek Fire. Due to the poor economy, the small-ish size of the Casino and it's more remote location, it was not easy going. Then the Fire!

On their website they say, "The hardships our ancestors endured help make us the strong, proud Iipay Nation we are today."

I would include the presnt day Iipay to that statement. They have survived it all.

Hope You Enjoy Your Visit,
Linda

Pros and Cons

Pros:Mountain Living
Cons:Further Out
In a nutshell:Perfect for a Peaceful Get-Away!

Last visit to Santa Ysabel: Aug 2010
Intro Updated Mar 7, 2012
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Reviews (11)

Four years after the fire. - Santa Ysabel

Safety First! Favorites (2)

One of my fondest memories of this area was the beautiful forest surrounding everything, including the road up to... more travel advice

Fishing Pier at Lake Cuyamaca - Santa Ysabel

Fishing on Lake Cuyamaca Sports & Outdoors (2)

Fishing is allowed on Lake Cuyamaca with a valid permit, $6.00 for adults and $3.50 for children. A State Fishing... more travel advice

Boating on the Lake Sports & Outdoors (2)

Lake Cuyamaca is smaller now than when I was younger and went boating with my dad, but it is still big enough to enjoy... more travel advice

This is what it looked like before the fires - Santa Ysabel

A Great Get-Away from the City Hotels (2)

Lake Henshaw is actually located in Santa Ysabel. At the Resort they offer "self-serve" Cabins for 2-7 people, complete... more travel advice

Nightlife (1)
The Mission is Closed
Restaurants (1)
Lake Henshaw Resort
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Comments (9)

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Nemorino Aug 12, 2012 at 3:56 AM

So sad to read about the two big fires in 2003 and 2007.
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Yaqui Mar 5, 2012 at 6:44 AM

Aweful to hear about the fire and hope they have recovered by now. The mission looks so fascinating. I am going to put it on my list of things to see. Thanks for sharing this lovely find.
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SYGIRL Dec 1, 2007 at 11:51 AM

I live in Santa Ysabel, the Lake Henshaw store and resort are still there! The fire was not near the resort, restaurant nor the Santa Ysabel Mission
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matcrazy1 Dec 4, 2003 at 11:55 AM

Sorry to hear about Henshaw Cafe and Resort :-((( I do hope they rebuild it soon!
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globetrott Nov 2, 2003 at 2:57 PM

What a pity , there seems to be nothing to prevent these firestorms !
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b1bob Jul 27, 2003 at 9:14 AM

Nice job!
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Imbi Mar 19, 2003 at 5:50 PM

nice page Linda
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keeweechic Feb 8, 2003 at 9:52 PM

Great tradition you have with your boys. Lake Henshaw sounds lovely to stay.
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pepples46 Jan 8, 2003 at 4:13 PM

interesting place, well presented page