The numerous reservoirs and freshwater lakes of California support a wide range of recreation. One of the best hikes around Lake Tahoe, the Rubicon Trail connects Emerald Bay with the neighboring D.L. Lake Chabot Regional Park - Castro Valley . Many of the nicest lakes in California deliver with land-based activities, too, like the hundreds of miles of hiking trails that surround Bass Lake just north of Fresno. The five-mile length of Bass Lake appeals to motorized boaters, and several sheltered coves offer great spots to swim, fish, and paddle a boat. From lakes in Northern California, including Lake Shasta and Lake Tahoe, to Southern California lakes that beat the summer heat, like Silverhead and Big Bear Lake, a great body of water is easy to reach from all of California's major cities. The relatively lower elevation of Bass Lake compared to other Sierra Nevada bodies of water makes Bass Lake warmer throughout the season. Just outside the eastern entrance of Yosemite National Park near Lee Vining, Mono Lake features distinctive ancient tufa towers sprouting from the water. © Copyright 2021 PlanetWare Inc. All rights reserved. Big Bear Lake | Photo Copyright: Brad Lane. Contemporary Studio 200 yards to the sand & waves This beautiful, newly remodeled little studio apartment is perfect for a couple looking to get away to the beach and have a cozy time together. Lake tours/cruises are also available. These day-use areas are popular family spots, with public beaches and shoreline fishing available. Don't own a boat? On the southwest shore, the 2.6-mile Smittle Creek Trail connects the Oak Shores and Smittle Creek Day Use areas. 14 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in California, 18 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Los Angeles, 20 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in San Francisco, 19 Most Beautiful Waterfalls in the World, 12 Top-Rated Beach Resorts in Southern California, 14 Top-Rated Resorts in Northern California, 12 Top-Rated Beaches in Northern California, Plan the Best California Road Trip: 5 Great Ideas, 10 Best All-Inclusive Resorts in Turks and Caicos, 19 Best Places to Visit in the United States, 11 Best Luxury All-Inclusive Resorts in the World, Where to Stay in Lake Tahoe: Best Areas & Hotels, Top-Rated Tourist Attractions at Lake Tahoe. Bliss State Park, which also offers camping and lakeside attractions. The hot summer temperatures of Napa Valley also make Lake Berryessa a fun place to beat the heat. Boating lakes, swimming lakes, and the best lakes for a vacation combine into one at resort destinations like Lake Berryessa or Lake Almanor. A marina on the lake features gas, supplies, and a full fleet of rental boats. The alkaline levels of the lake add a unique sense of buoyancy to activities like swimming and boating. We may earn a commission from affiliate links (). The concrete arch dam was built by the United States Bureau of Reclamation between 1934 and 1938. Two day-use areas are also found on the southern end of the lake and feature public swimming beaches with lifeguards on duty. Buses: $25/per bus. While many lakes in California support a healthy fishing habit, Cachuma Lake in the Santa Ynez Valley is regarded as one of the best lakes to fish thanks to its prize-winning bass. A unique adventure at Shasta Lake, the underground Lake Shasta Caverns is accessible by boat across the water. Day hiking is a popular activity at Bass Lake, and hundreds of miles of hiking trails span the forest. Campground amenities include drinking water, flush toilets, laundry facilities, hot showers ($), a dump station, playground, general store, marina, recreation hall, nature center, swimming pool and trailer storage. This does not prevent visitors from enjoying the scenic shoreline and surrounding oak forests, and the encompassing Cachuma Lake Recreation Area is filled with hiking trails, campgrounds, and picnic areas. Cachuma Lake Campground has almost 500 campsites located next to the lake with views of the Santa Ynez and Rafael Mountains. No crawling or climbing is involved throughout the guided tours of the caverns, but an extensive number of steps are traversed along the way. Campsites 1-121 have full hookups, sites 149-179 have water & electric hookups and the rest are standard (no hookup) campsites. Things to Do in Santa Barbara, California: See Tripadvisor's 140,058 traveler reviews and photos of Santa Barbara tourist attractions. The abundant brine shrimp at Mono Lake attracts numerous migratory birds to the area, which also makes Mono Lake a premiere destination for bird-watching. One of the best views of this interesting geo-history is found at the South Tufa Area. Other campgrounds in the area include Fremont, Paradise, Los Prietos, Upper Oso and Sage Hill Group. Campgrounds, cabins, and luxurious resorts are found close to the shores of North Lake Tahoe and Tahoe South, and the 165-mile Tahoe Rim Trail circles the entire lake basin. Camping Resources | Blog | Contact | Popular activities in the Mammoth Lakes Basin include hiking, fishing, and taking quick dips in the water. Numerous outfitters and marinas around the lake offer boat rentals and other activities like scenic lake cruises. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in June. Cachuma Lake is a domestic water supply, which means body contact is not allowed with the water. Other lakes like Mono Lake offer unique geological attractions, and places like Folsom Lake are popular with Jet Skis and other water sports. The U.S. Forest Service also operates five campgrounds close to the shore for tent and RV camping. Comprised of sprawling fingers and riverways that collect behind the massive Shasta Dam, the 30,000-plus acres of Shasta Lake invite all types of exploring. Cachuma Lake is a domestic water supply, which means body contact is not allowed with the water. Numerous lodging options in Chester lend easy access to both Lake Almanor and the steaming attractions of Lassen. Spanning state borders between California and Nevada, Lake Tahoe is also generally characterized by a north and south region. There’s also a boat launch over by the marina (boat rentals, bait & tackle available). This does not prevent visitors from enjoying the scenic shoreline and surrounding oak forests, and the encompassing Cachuma Lake Recreation Area is filled with hiking trails, campgrounds, and picnic areas. While activities like water skiing, jet skiing, and swimming are not allowed on Cachuma Lake, personal and rented watercraft can still access the water. Primitive and developed campgrounds are found throughout the area. Boat rentals are available at Pleasure Cove Marina on the far southern end of the lake, and several campgrounds are located along the 165 miles of shoreline. One of the most popular lakes in Southern California, Silverwood Lake is in the San Bernardino Mountains and less than 90 miles from Los Angeles. These unique geological formations are created when freshwater springs shoot up through the alkaline lake and cause sediments to combine. Cachuma Lake – Area Recreation & Activities Outdoor recreation in the area includes boating, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, bike riding, swimming (in swimming pool), picnicking and wildlife viewing. In the Sierra National Forest, an hour north of Fresno, Bass Lake is a popular destination for all types of water activity. A unique way to experience the water and history of Big Bear Lake is to hop aboard the historic Miss Liberty Skipperliner for a 90-minute guided tour offered by Pine Knot Marina. One of the most beautiful lakes in California, the dazzling blue water of Lake Tahoe is framed by granite Sierra Nevada Mountains. Did you find us useful? The lake has a capacity of 648,000 acre feet (799,000,000 m3). Hundreds of miles of hiking trails surround Big Bear Lake, like the Cougar Crest Trail, which overlooks the water and connects to the country-spanning Pacific Crest Trail. Discover destinations, find outdoor adventures, follow the journeys of our travel writers around the world, and be inspired. The lake is so popular that the surrounding state recreation area often reaches capacity during the busy season between April and October. Like Big Bear Lake in the same mountainous region, Silverwood Lake is a popular destination for boating, fishing, and swimming. The speed limit across the entire 500-square-acres of Lake Natoma is five miles per hour, which usually detracts motorized boats from accessing the water. Lake Tahoe is popular with motorized and non-motorized boating. There’s also a boat launch over by the marina (boat rentals, bait & tackle available). Less than 15 miles north of Redding in Northern California, Shasta Lake is the state's largest reservoir. For aquatic attractions and activities in California, the top-rated beaches in the state deliver with a West Coast appeal. In the San Bernardino National Forest, less than 100 miles from Los Angeles, Big Bear Lake breaks the typical conventions of Southern California landscapes. The unit has a private patio with table and chairs. Five minutes from the Sierra Nevada Mountain town of Mammoth Lakes, home to Mammoth Mountain ski and snowboard resort, the Mammoth Lakes Basin offers a surreal collection of alpine water. Less than two hours north of San Francisco, Lake Berryessa is a massive freshwater reservoir and the largest lake in Napa County. Numerous campgrounds and boat-access campsites line the eastern shoreline of Lake Havasu, and the adjacent community of Lake Havasu City provides modern accommodations and an iconic London Bridge that spans the water. Advertise, Copyright © 2021 CampsitePhotos.com Boating is increasingly popular on Lake Almanor, particularly in the early morning when the surface is smooth as glass. Due to its sprawling nature, Shasta Lake is accessed from many different regions. In the scenic Santa Ynez Valley, a half-hour drive from Santa Barbara, the mountains surrounding Cachuma Lake add to the lake's rugged beauty. Boat rentals at these marinas include stand up paddleboards and pontoon boats. It's a popular destination in the summer, and the winter season also draws a small crowd to Silverwood Lake for bald eagle watching. Your email address will not be published. It's one of the best boating lakes, and it's common to see motorboats and Jet Skis skimming across the lake. RV parks, campgrounds, and rental cabins also line the shore of Lake Almanor. To be sure to see everything, our guide to the best places to visit in California has a definitive collection of must-see destinations and things to do. Visited Cachuma Lake Campground lately? Lakeside institutions like the Forks Resort and Millers Landing at Bass Lake offer boat rentals and cozy places to stay. Outdoor recreation in the area includes boating, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, bike riding, swimming (in swimming pool), picnicking and wildlife viewing. If you’re heading down to the coast, you may also want to check out El Capitan or Refugio. The scenery of Lake Berryessa, surrounded by golden hills of oak and manzanita, is worth the visit just to stand on the shore. Many premium campsites are water front. Lakes like Lake Mary and Horseshoe Lake are accessible by vehicle, while smaller lakes in the basin are only accessible by hiking trails. Another attraction worth seeing is the Morning Glory Spillway at Lake Berryessa. At the backdoor of the once-booming gold town of Folsom, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, this massive reservoir was created by the impoundment of the American River. The 315-acre lake at Lake Chabot Regional Park offers a number of activities including fishing, boat rental, a marina and restaurant, and boat tours of the lake.. Body contact with the lake/water is not allowed. Note: Some businesses may be temporarily closed due to recent global health and safety issues. London Bridge spanning Lake Havasu with hot air balloons. Motorized boating reigns as one of the most popular activities on the water, with vessels ranging from Jet Skis to houseboats. Nightlife and entertainment surround the shores of the lake, particularly at tourist spots on the southeast shore like the resort cities of Stateline and South Lake Tahoe. Anything our community should know before heading out to Cachuma Lake? Surrounded by pine trees at an elevation of over 6,700 feet, and adjacent to a city with the same name, Big Bear Lake is a snow-fed recreation spot that is popular with all types of boating throughout the summer. Accommodation: Where to Stay in Lake Tahoe: Best Areas & Hotels. Among the many stunning outdoor spaces across the state, the most beautiful lakes in California sparkle with scenic natural attractions. Exploring the Outdoors in California: A good place to begin exploring the great outdoors of California is checking out the best national parks in the state. The aquatic wildlife is unique in Mono Lake, also, with brine shrimp thriving on the native green algae. To get the legs pumping throughout the state, the best hiking trails in California traverse a wide range of diverse landscapes. Along the way, and often with fewer crowds, the top-rated state parks in California deliver with equally scenic appeal. Plan your activities on and by the water with our list of the best lakes in California. A guided tour is the only way to see the caves, and each tour begins with a 10-minute boat ride across the McCloud Arm of the lake. This unique water management system acts like a massive drain plug and creates a whirlpool in the middle of the water when the reservoir is getting too high. Crane Lakeside RV Resort offers guests a large sandy beach area, boat launch and fishing pier on Lake Elsinore. It's one of the best boating lakes in Southern California, and numerous marinas like Pleasure Point Marina line the seven-mile Big Bear Lake. For those looking for non-motorized boating endeavors, the neighboring Lake Natoma within the state recreation area is the place to go. On the shores of Twin Lakes, in Mammoth Lakes Basin, Tamarack Lodge and Resort is a popular place to spend the night. Lake Almanor and the adjacent tourist-friendly city of Chester are a gateway to Lassen Volcanic National Park. Did we forget something? All of these are located along the Santa Ynez River. Lake Havasu City sits on the lake's eastern shore. Nestled into the scenic Shasta Cascade region of northeastern California, the Lake Almanor Basin is filled with hiking, camping, and fishing opportunities. Private RV Campgrounds | The encompassing Folsom Lake State Recreation Area surrounds the water and provides hiking trails, campgrounds, and several places to access the shoreline. While the summer is the best time to enjoy the water of Lake Tahoe, the shoulder seasons and winter also offer stunning views of the aquatic environment. More to See in California: Many of the best West Coast road trips travel throughout the Golden State and stop at breathtaking places. More than a dozen lakes are spread throughout the entire area. Vehicle Entry Fee: $5 per vehicle, $4 per trailered vehicle. We have reviews of the best places to see in Santa Barbara. Lake Tahoe is also home to one of the best state parks in California, and Emerald Bay State Park delivers with a view that inspires repeat visits. Surrounded by desert landscapes, Lake Havasu is popular for motorized boating, bass fishing, and swimming from the shore. Boulder Bay Park, on the southwest shore, features one of the largest swimming beaches. Straddling the Arizona and California border in the far southeast part of the state, this popular body of water is a 19,000-acre impoundment of the Colorado River. 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