Alpine Lake offers an idyllic retreat for outdoor enthusiasts seeking tranquility and stunning vistas. The surrounding terrain boasts incredible natural beauty and a serene ambiance, making it a popular destination for paddling, relaxation, and wildlife viewing. What many fail to realize is that the lake's true splendor is best appreciated from the water, where visitors can immerse themselves in the serene landscape. Nestled amidst the mature coniferous forests along the shores of serene Lake Alpine, the Lake Alpine Campground is one of five scenic camping destinations within the larger Lake Alpine Recreation Area. It is a superb place to paddle and camp! FOr more info: https://www.paddlingcalifornia.com/Alpine_Lake.html read more

Beautiful Lake at 7300 feet! I came up to this lake to go kayaking. The water was clear and perfect for paddling around in Mid-September. Probably a little chilly for swimming, though. There was plenty of irregular cloud cover, and the temperature was in the seventies with a slight breeze. I wore a long-sleeved shirt and PFD and felt comfortable. My paddling companion was wearing a t-shirt initially, but felt cold and had to add layers partway in our circumnavigation of the lake. There are some nearby structures that I guess are privately owned residences nearby. A few others were also kayaking around. I saw one motorized craft tooling slowly around, so it is allowed. Parking was pretty crowded for the number of available parking. Day use parking is $5 available at the store in the lodge building or at the little shack near the boat launch. $10 fee to use the boat launch. The campground host of the Silvertip campground also oversees the camping at Lodgepole campground, about a mile east of the lake where we camped. According to him(Thom), he also patrols the parking in the day use parking and along the shore. If you are staying at the campgrounds and have checked into your site with the host(Thom), the additional $5 day parking fee is waived (wish someone had told us that. We had already paid at the store earlier). read more

I had a great spot #12. It was a waterfront view and a big space because no one was on the left of you. However it was right next to the walking trail but that didn't bother me since people walk around almost all the campsites. Saw a bald eagle both days perched on the shoreline tree while hanging out on the paddle board. Quiet and relaxing on a Sunday-Monday overnighter. Deb the host was very nice. read more

Best place ever I saw some weird things but it was still good first off I saw a black phone ringing in the middle of the night from a pay phone I asked the camp director about it he said it hasn't worked in over 10 years I kept hearing it over and over I also saw this group of a girl and 2 boys they were talking about how the girl had weird dreams and on my last day everyone was on the lake and I saw one of the boys from the group getting choked and there were some barrels with skeletons inside them and they popped out of the ice as if it were GRABBING something five mins later I look at the lake again and the boy who was getting choked out is now smashing something into the ice an hour later our stay was over but overall good experience read more

Thus once beautiful lake and ff campground is no longer a gem. We went saturday to visit and it was a madhouse. Dozens and dozens of cars parked on the roadside illegally over the shoulder lines, making it hard for 2 way traffic to get through, no Rangers doing traffic control and giving tickets. illegal parking on the side dirt roads that clearly say private property no parking. In the 15+ years we've camped here plus day use, I've never seen it this bad, even on July 4th and memorial day. Now a charge of $5 for day use parking and rsvp only for camping read more

Such a beautiful place to relax and have some fun with the family and friends. Came here for the day had so much fun. Every day use picnic area has grill and picnic tables. Make sure you bring a lot of bug spray lol read more

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I've been camping at Lake Alpine Westshore ever since I was a little girl. I now take my family and my kids absolutely love it and look forward to our yearly camping trip here! The bathrooms I will say do smell like a terrible ammonia smell- I wish they would change that somehow. Other than that--- the most beautiful peaceful lake!!!!!! I will say- during the weekends do get a little crazy with people who come up just for the day. We avoid this by camping here Sunday-Friday to avoid that weekend crowd. If you have little ones- avoid the campsites on the outside of the loop. In the past few years, we've stayed at site 13,15,16,17- no complaints about any of them. read more

While not as grand as some of the high country lakes in California, Lake Alpine gets props for being scenic enough and within reasonable driving distance from civilization. Going up Highway 4, one could easily stop in Murphy's for lunch, stop at Calaveras Big Trees to behold the giant sequoias and then travel another 30 minutes up the pass to the lake. It's located across from Lake Alpine resort and a few miles east of Bear Valley, so it's a popular summer area for beach goers. I arrived around 3:30 on a Sunday so the parking lots were clearing out and the crowds were dispersing. There is a $5 day use fee, cash or Venmo but it's in the honor system. For my visit, I was there for a hike around the lake. I got more than my moneys worth as the hike featured, not only lake views, but some quieter back country-esque trails that meandered along a creek, plus some late season wildflowers. You can do a full loop around the lake but there is a section about 1/2 mile in to the trail (if you're going counter clockwise away from the parking areas) that detours a bit around private property. We almost lost the trail at one point and then picked up a sign that took us on a short portion of Slick Back road and back to Lakeshore loop trail. For about half of it, you're not within site of the lake but it's pretty well signed. You'll eventually get closer to the shore on a single track dirt trail and enjoy both lake and forest views. It ended up being 4.25 miles and a fairly easy to moderate hike. Lots of mosquitoes and we even encountered a late afternoon summer rain. There was also lots of solitude. Everyone was centered on the easy to access shoreline near the road, and not a single soul on the loop trail. It's a popular area but peace to be had if you venture out for a hike. Definitely a fun hike and would go again! read more

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I'm happy to see that Lake Alpine has a listing on Yelp. As a kid growing up in the Central Valley, we went here every year. Camped at Big Meadow, then made the 10-mile drive up to 8,000 feet with the fishing poles and inflatable boats and spent the afternoon here. But Yelp doesn't want me to write about how it was in the last millennium, but how it is now, so there you go. How is it now? BUSY. There are three campgrounds on or near the lake, two within one mile, and Big Meadow is a further drive. As of 2020, all but Big Meadow charge $30/night, high for a Forest Service campground. But they all tend to fill up every summer weekend, and stay near full the rest of the week too. Maybe they know something that you don't? Well, they know that here's a stereotypical mountain lake. It's a hundred year old reservoir that some people have been known to swim across. You can rent boats across the "highway" (a 1-1/2 lane road) or bring your own. Several large granite rocks were submerged by the water but not completely, so you can get out there and have more fun. Lots of kids jumping into the water from these islands. Dog friendly. At one place, the lake lapped up against Highway 4, but they've built a bike path along the shoreline, so there's now separation between lake and road all the distance. So it's sometimes quite hard to find a parking place, though not as hard as Pinecrest. There are many day use parking lots, and they get full too. You can park on the side of the road if you can find a spot, but these can be hard to find too. So if you stick to the north shore, you will have a lot of company. The east and west shores are more inconvenient, but you'll have many people here too. Finding solitude means hiking for at least a mile on the south shore, or boating across. WARNING: At one time you could hike around Lake Alpine. I was shocked to find out that there is now a private resort near the dam. And the jeep trail had to be rerouted around the ranch and the Lakeshore Trail dead-ends into it. I hope that someday the Forest Service is able to negotiate an easement for hikers along the shore of this resort. So: if you want a popular mountain retreat, Lake Alpine could work if you can find a place to stay overnight. If you want peace and quiet, do NOT come to Lake Alpine! If you're on a budget, stay somewhere else and commute in. read more

Lake Alpine - Lake Alpine from one of the many rock islands - Campgrounds Near Me - Bear Valley, California

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Little windy, not a very warm surrounding, low 70's in mid summer. Clean, good vibe and a very pretty surrounding.

We visited lake alpine during our visit to Arnold, about a 30 minute drive. We went in October on a Saturday morning around 10am. We were able to find a parking spot easily and find a sandy area near the lake to sit. The lake is beautiful surround by trees and large rocky areas. After being there for a while things started to go downhill. My four year old found 3 pieces of broken glass in the sand. Luckily no one stepped on any and got hurt. There was also a lot of old fishing line left around with rusty hooks attached. Really sad as this lake is beautiful and could be a nice place to hang out with the family, however due to the high amount of dangerous garbage left around it was not a very pleasant visit. Be careful! read more

Lake Alpine - Nice scenery - Campgrounds Near Me - Bear Valley, California

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The place to go for a nice detachment from the Bay Area! The main campsite has a set of porterhouses. If you're doing any individual camping away from the main site make sure you have bear canisters for food. Lighting has also been known to strike here so make sure you are wilderness trained! We went with a group of medical students (including leaders who had been trained through the Stanford Arrillaga Outdoor Education and Recreation Center (Farrillaga) Wilderness training program: http://rec.stanford.edu/adventure. Try to bring layered clothing as the weather is not necessarily representative of california- you'd be hard pressed to find a campsite that's perfect weather! We had hail when we were there in August! Most of all don't forget to bring bug spray! read more

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If I could stay in any campsite in the West Shore campground I would probably pick #12 or #14 because they have the best views of the lake with few drawbacks. They both are spacious, with #12 sitting further from the loop road and closer to the path around the lake, while #14 hugs the road a bit but seems further from neighbors. If I was going with friends I would try to book #11 and #12, in which case I think that would be my first pick ahead of #14. (Oddly, the parking spot for #12 is practically in site #11, which is more of a drawback for folks in #11 but not ideal for either site.) #13 is also nice but on the opposite side of the loop road from the lake and a little more exposed. I recently stayed in site #9 and would stay there again as it was big and had obstructed views of the water, but would try to get a progressively higher number site (up to #14) if possible. #15 - #17 are similar to #9 but seemed less appealing to me for some reason. #9 is very close to the toilets which is usually a big drawback for me, but they were unlit and not a disturbance, arguably a convenience for some. Sites #6-#8 are good sized a pretty private, but further from the lake. Sites #18-#23 are a bit crammed together, close to the road and further from the lake, so I'd avoid them if possible. Overall I really enjoyed this campground and I love Lake Alpine more generally. It's a relatively small lake and can get very crowded on summer weekends, but weekdays you can have a cove all to yourself. read more

Man, there may not be many better places on the planet than Lake Alpine. The perfect mix of a beautiful lake, a great trail that circles it and a great place across the street to eat and drink when you're through enjoying the lake. OK, I know I'm not the ultimate "Adventure Man" but there's good kayaking here, a 4 mile hike around the lake,, ( with an optional 2 mile straight up 600 ft climb) to Inspiration point), several mountain bike trails and yes and bar and restaurant to boot. Let's be honest it really doesn't get much better than that. Did I mention it's a gorgeous place!! So, it may not be the easiest place to get to ( especially if you live in SoCal) but hey, it's worth the trek up into the mountains, you just don't find this kinda scenery anywhere in SoCal. There a kinda lodge there but also tons of places to stay 2 miles down hill in the awesome little village of Bear Valley!! read more

Lake Alpine - A pano from the West shore! - Campgrounds Near Me - Bear Valley, California

They should call it Lake Dog Poop! Seriously so much dog poop you would think it was a dog park! I love dogs and all but no one here picks up after them. Don't take your shoes off! Poop, broken glass, cigarette buts and fishing hooks everywhere! If you think you're going to get privacy here forget it! Lake is way to small to enjoy peace and quiet! Nice lake but after 10 minutes your like ok let's go! Was here last week and swear it smells so bad of dog poop and urine we had to l read more

We have been to many high Sierra Lakes over the years. I only write this review so people don't expect too much or spend a whole day driving to get here. Lake Alpine is very pretty and maybe you have to see it once in your life. We have camped here or have just come on a day trip from Arnold. This Lake is extremely busy! From all the people fishing, kayaking, boating and just hanging out to beat the valley heat, Lake Alpine is way too small for the number of people that visit here. You will not find parking or any privacy. I would say this place needs a minimum occupancy rule. The thing is everyone vacationing along the HWY 4 corridor ends up here along with vulgar individuals that are cussing, playing loud inappropriate music, getting drunk, and causing a scene. There is no law enforcement present so you are on your own. Please keep your shoes on as there are extreme safety hazards all along the shoreline. From rusty hooks and so much broken glass it's scary! I'm afraid to let our dog run around here. Very little beach area available and people will set up shop for the entire time they are visiting even if there not there. For camping, the bathrooms are horrible and always gross. Feels like one giant group campsite as your neighbors are so close. Only small RVs will fit as the roads are too narrow to maneuver. The generator situation is very annoying from the noise and fuel smells from them running all day. It may be a little further but there are better lakes up north without all the crowds. Not sure if we will be back here. read more

Camping here is quite nice. There are only a couple camping spots with a waterfront but other spots are just a 2 minute walk away. Each car parking spot can fit 2 cars despite how small they look -- just beware of rocks living the edge of the spots. A ranger goes around each morning to make sure everyone's paid their fee. I went right when they opened this year and there was still a significant amount of snow. Only a small portion of campsites were open at the time. The bathrooms were stocked with a ton of toilet paper and seemed to be refilled daily. There's a general store down the road where you can buy firewood, food, and rent kayaks. Bring cash. read more

I went here with my family in 2014. Many campgrounds scattered outside the lake; it was easy for us to find a spot that was only a short drive to Lake Alpine. The good thing is that the lake was full and clean unlike other dryer camping grounds with very low water levels due to the drought. We didn't have to deal with muddy, rocky water which was great. I remember there being a lot of people, but not to the point of being over crowded. Best to bring water shoes and camping chairs to sit and be comfortable. If you get tired of swimming, you can go for a walk on the huge rocks and get some nice views from the top. The water is cold initially, but you get used to it after awhile. It's much better to swim in than those low level reservoirs. So, if you're looking for a nice place to swim with adequate campgrounds, come to Lake Alpine! Lots of trees, nearby store(s), showers, etc. read more

Lake Alpine - A view of Lake Alpine. - Campgrounds Near Me - Bear Valley, California

HIKING Lovely lake about 35 minutes east of Arnold. Cool Lodge to dine or imbibe if needed. However the lack of guides/signs/info etc if kind of troubling. If it wasn't for the nice chap from England in the aforementioned Lodge gift shop who supplied me with a basic map, we'd probably still be driving around... Trails are NOT marked. Very frustrating. However, once on the trail, around the lake, very pleasant with lots of shade and wonderful little nooks by the water to stop and enjoy. Nice place to camp (I assume) or picnic. Boating, but none of the obnoxious speed boaters are allowed. Mellow canoes, low powered MBs, and kayaks. Beware Highway 4 goes from a 2 line highway to a wide turkey track about 1 mile or so prior to getting to the lake. SLOW DOWN. read more

First experience camping only 3 hours away from San Jose, just right next to a wonderful lake in a no less wonderful forest (the lake belongs to the Stanislaus National Forest). The whole scenario is very idyllic and will go back for sure. Everything is so clean and well maintained, totally worth the $25 you have to pay for your spot. There are so many bathrooms and they are all so clean and well maintained. You can see the ranger or person in charge of checking that people pay their due night pass and also picking trash or doing some cleaning several times a day. I found this to be a glamping experience and the air is so fresh and the night so fantastic (we saw the milky way, I haven't seen one I think...ever!). Kayaking experience is great. You can rent equipment or bring yours. Mostly people fishing, but kayaking in equally pleasant and the landscape is luscious greenery everywhere. Some other campers put music a little bit too loud but i liked the style, so won't complain. read more

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The water level was about 6 to 7 feet below recent high levels but the water was crisp and clear and the boat launch still had about 6 feet left of ramp into the lake. It's a great spot to kayak, canoe or scull. The water is cool but on a very hot day it would be refreshing. If you do kayak give yourself enough time to visit all of the inlets and beaches around the entire lake. read more

Just a short walk around what should be the island (thanksalot drought) this morning, it was sooo pretty. There were other people around, but mellow and considerate. Nice to enjoy the blues and greens (and even wildflowers) at a pretty remote spot! I would have liked to get in the water-- the dogs did! read more

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Pros Bautiful alpine lake Huge campgrounds Plenty of parking p,enty of BBQ or picnic spots Awesome collection of hiking trails Kayaking on the lake General strore across the street Cons None!!! Superb Sierra lake for hikes & kayaking or just a picnic. read more

The lake is beautiful. We drove over from our campsite, and managed to find a parking spot in the lot. We probably could have walked, except that we had coolers and a lot of gear. We set up at a table, and then went for a canoe ride for 6. That thing was difficult to maneuver, but it was fun going in circles, and then ending up on a big rock in the middle of the lake. We sunbathed, swam, jumped off, ate and then paddled back to shore. I wished we had brought fishing poles because it looked like everyone we saw caught at least one fish. Tintin said at one point, he looked down in the water and saw a ton of fish. The water really was that clear. It also felt very clean and refreshing, especially after sitting in front of a fire all night, and cooking a hearty breakfast. I would definitely come here again. read more

From Arnold, CA take State Route 4 east 27.1 miles to the Lake Alpine sign. Turn right at sign, and left into campground. You can also look for the sign for Pine Marten Campground. During a camping trip in Stanislaus National Forest my honey looked up good hiking spots in the area and Lake Alpine was one of them. We pulled into the campground and parked on the side of the road, no problem! Luckily we had a trail map from the rangers station though because there are none to be had at the trail-head. At this point we walked half way along the lake through the forest and back to the Inspiration point trail. There was a nice view of the lake itself plus the rocks and tall trees. Going to inspiration point itself is only a half mile or so in before you take the spur and we wanted a little more hiking. Once you go to inspiration point you are going to slog uphill for a mile until you get tot he top. The view is worth it! There is a lovely view of the surrounding area and the bluffs at hte top of the trail. Personally, I recommend spending some time to look around at the very top before you walk the extra quarter mile to Inspiration point, he view is better. Anyway, once you reach the top you will walk another quarter or half mile out to the point. There are a lot of loose rocks people wrote their name with and a view of duck lake and surrounding area. Because the top is wind swept and rocky, the scenery is better lower down, but it is worth the climb up for the view. read more

It reminded me more of an ocean than a lake. I had never seen waves so big in a lake before. I could have been the first person to surf at a lake, but sadly I don't know how to surf. I could have been the first person to boogie board at a lake, but what was even more sad is that I forgot my boogie board. I didn't really "forget" it, I just assumed I didn't have to bring one to a lake. I guess you can never be too prepared... I'm sure that's where that saying came from. In all honesty, I don't think I would have even surfed in that lake even if I knew how and I wouldn't have boogie boarded there even if I brought my boogie board. It was way too cold and windy. We ended up eating food by the car and watched the lake waves crash to the shore. It was kind of like going to the beach for me. I typically don't go in the water at the beach either. This lake was like a beach with less sand. I prefer my beaches with less sand, so lakes are my ideal beaches. "The more the better" never applies to sand or people. I hate sand and I'm pretty introverted. So a big party at a beach or a sand pit is like my worst nightmare. Luckily for me, this lake had just the right amount of sand and people. read more

The staff was rude at the store, they barely have any booze or food and it's way over priced.....the worst of all being the old fart at the boat rental station. He tried to charge me double saying my time for a boat started when I requested one. The kids at the boat rental dock said otherwise, that it started when I physically got the boat. End of the day came and the old fart tried to hustle me, makes me wonder how many simpletons he's got over on. This old fart caused a scene and tried to say I kept from other people having a boat, which isn't true due to the fact they didn't even have a boat for me because they were all rented already. Old fart even pretended to make a fake radio call to "his boss". So the ticket they give you is not a reservation, don't be fooled by the old fk I mean old fart.... lake alpine is almost as trashed as Pinecrest... so sad, used to be a nice place... read more

About 2 hours drive from the valley. Perfect place to relax and enjoy the lake by swimming, kayaking or just to enjoy the view of the beautiful lake just across the campground. The camp host was very helpful when I needed to use his extension cord to inflate our air mattress with our air pump. Overall it is a perfect place to camp!! read more

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Lake Alpine is a beautiful place, We used to come here when I was younger to do some camping and fishing. We came up last week on a Thursday mid day and OMG it was packed there was absolutely no available camp spots in any of the camp grounds there was mostly what I call yuppies with their kayaks, people were parking everywhere it was unbelievable. We ended up driving up to Mosquito Lake which is also very beautiful. We did get lucky and found 1 available spot there as it to full capacity. We had a great time except for some jerk who managed to get his 35 foot trailer into one of the spots across from us who ran his generator 24/7 the whole time we were there. This used to be a great place to get away from the crowds but I guess there are just to many people now a days. So much for the good old days. read more

Visited here in September 2015 - I fell in love with this Lake and can't wait until I get to camp there. Perfect for the dogs and lots of places to explore. read more

Lake Alpine - Campgrounds Near Me - Bear Valley, California

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Beautiful trees, beautiful lake and beautiful campground. Too bad it was a bit Smokey and really cold at night!

Camp host made our experience very uncomfortable. Very noisy, made comments like " I HAVE BEEN WATCHING YOU FROM MY WINDOW". was very rude to us telling my husband that our autistic son was being to loud. There was nobody else camping but our family in 3 sites mind you. Been coming up here for years and this will be our last time camping here. The generator rule is ridiculous 1 hr of use in the morning and 1 hr of use in the evening, and the host sets a timer because we ran our for 63min and she was already on her way down to our site to demand it be shut off. The weather was 40 degrees and we needed to charge are camper batteries to maintain our heat through the night. She didn't care and told us we can leave if the rules are to much to understand. Strongly recommend not coming here it was the worst trip by far and we are avid campers and camp with our family multiple times a year. Zero star review if it was possible... read more

Perfect Place in High Sierra's. Food, Service, Fishing is all perfect. Great place for a nice breakfast in the Summer, but all the food items I've ever had were perfect. Good Lunch. Great Dinner Specials and Best Bar around. --Jerry & Mitzi read more

Over crowded, no parking anywhere near the lake. We couldn't even find parking at the store/restaurant. Can't get a reservation in any of the campgrounds. The website says "first come first serve" on a few of them, but that was not the case. Even the overflow campground sites had reservation tags on them. read more

We have been vacationing around the area and came upon this magical place. The water is clear, clean and beautiful. There are huge rocks that you can lay on or walk and there are a ton of fun activities to do. There are walking trails and trails for biking as well. This lake without a doubt is the best lake we have ever been too. A must if you go to the area or live around it. read more

Stunning. It's a little bit of a drive, but the pristine water makes it worthwhile. A wonderful place to spend an afternoon.

My family just came home from Lake Alpine this morning, we found it on Yelp and were really looking forward to going. As a young family with 2 toddlers, we were very happy to see that Pine Marten Campground is VERY family friendly and dog friendly too. There were a lot of families and also boulders everywhere that amuse the kids. The Eastern lake shore is very shallow which is great for children to wade around in, there are a lot of beaches so that makes it easy to find a spot in the sun to spend the day. The camp hosts were nice as were our neighbors. I'm afraid that the only group keeping others up all night was mine, my 1 year old didn't like sleeping outside of his crib and woke up screaming about every 1/2 hour both nights. Exhausting, I'm sorry to those he kept up. We were also very cold over night, but that can be expected in June at 7300 feet. The water was at normal capacity, which was great considering the drought we are in, it appears that this lake is not one that is drained for the general population. Now for the "real" review. The reason I gave this place 3 stars is: *Because the water is VERY cold, and being so shallow I didn't end up going in at all. I brought float toys and life jackets for the kids that were never put to use because even laying down the kids would not have needed them. That is, if they wanted to get in the cold water at all. The beaches themselves are half grass, and covered all over with pine cones and sticks. I don't think that it is the rangers job to keep this clean, that would be too much of a task, but there was nowhere to sit if we didn't have chairs. *This place is almost too dog friendly. There are no dog fees, which is nice, but there are also no rules. There was dog poop everywhere. EVERYWHERE. I couldn't take my dogs on a walk without them stopping every 5 feet to smell some poop. If I didn't watch my dogs closely, while tied to a tree with a long rope, then they would be eating some previous dogs poop. We couldn't walk on the beach barefoot because there was dog poop all over it. I didn't see any signs saying to clean up after dogs, so hardly anyone does, and it's gross. *Fees were different. The usda.gov site for Pine Marten (the only site we could find) stated the fees were $22 when we were charged $24 per night. I will have to prepare accordingly if I want to return. This lake is perfect if you have a canoe or kayak that you can paddle around in and skip the shore all together. I suggest water shoes if you are going to the beach, so you can easily walk on all the pine cones and sticks without hurting your feet. This is great for group camping if you aren't too set on going in the water or all have personal boats. The views are gorgeous, though I never did check out the other side of the lake. All in all, we might return later in the summer to check out the West shore, see if it's more appealing to our style. Otherwise we will be going else where. read more

Great Lake Camping Resort. Thanks Justin. (camp host) for all the hot tips.

The atmosphere is beautiful, unfortunately the food is not worth the price and the service is the slowest ever. I want to love this place as it is only miles from me. We will stop by the bar for a drink and appetizers but that's usually it. read more

This review is in regards to the Overflow camp site. Worse bathrooms I have even been to. Camp ground sites were not level. Trash bins were full so we had no where to put our trash. I did enjoy my time at the lake though. read more