Craig Morgan's "Redneck Yacht Club" plays in my head as I near the water's edge, only I don't see any Bayliners, Bass Trackers, or party barges on the lake. I do see a whole lot of American muscle powered jet boats though, and they sound sweet! But that's short lived as the engine dies somewhere just out of site and they idle back in. Guess that's why they call it a B.O.A.T. aka Break Out Another Thousand!
But in all seriousness, it took me 8 years to get here, hopefully it's only another 8 days before I get back!
Boca is a perfect example of why living in Reno-Tahoe is grand! Lakes and reservoirs like these are scattered all over the area, and they offer that brand of "make your own" fun that I've only experienced here. What I mean to say is, there's no really developed facilities at any of these places, like picnic tables, shade structures etc. so you have to plan ahead and get creative! A day trip is just as much work as a full blown overnight camping trip, but hey, it's a hellluva a lot of fun!
This reservoir is just over the CA border, but it's a quick drive from anywhere in Reno! It's surrounded by lots of natural forest, hills, and mountains too, with space enough for waterskiing, tubing, or just cruising around, and I hear decent fishing can be had too. They have a long concrete boat ramp that's in great shape, and for boaters, the best part is that they only require a self inspection form be filled out and left on your dash to launch! That's a lot less work than Tahoe or some of the other lakes in the area.
What has me most intrigued are the dirt roads that wind off the main road into the forest surrounding the lake. They remind me of the roads out at Frenchman's that take you into Plumas National Forest, where camping is allowed wherever you're comfortable. We boated into a little tributary of the lake and walked up the hill to find some primitive campsites just a stones throw from the water, overlooking a big meadow. I don't love established campgrounds because of how close you have to be to others, so this is a great option!
On my next visit I want to actually stay the night. I think this place has great potential, and it will be a lot more fun on the water in the warmer weather.
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