This lake is absolutely beautiful! It is 8,800 acres bound by three low ridges. The Bernasconi Hills, the Russell, Apuma and Armada Mountains. You can see snow capped mountains in the far background of San Jacinto Mountains. There is tourist spot called the Alessandro Island that apparently attracts one million people a year. You can walk, fish, birding, hiking, rock climb, swim, and camp. They have pontoons and fishing boats for rent. The bathrooms here are well kept and stocked with TP. There are hundreds of picnic tables with stationary BBQ grills. It does cost $10.00 to park per car. Summer hours are from 6am-10:00pm. Winter hours are from 6am-8pm. We didn't see anyone catching anything. Javier was very helpful explaining the different areas to us as well as where you can catch specific fish. Apparently there are a lot of Carp there. I will absolutely be coming back here. I just wish there were more trash cans around. read more

See all

The internet said it was a free fishing day in CA and this is a state park. Drove over an hour to get here and they say you need a license here and wanted to charge $20 for parking to not fish because I do not have a license. Trash and debris line the roads around the park. There are few trees. It is a man made reservoir and not a lake. Fake lake. There were packs of very sletchy people in the parking lots and no staff in certain lots and police presence was fleeting. As a father, take my advice and steer clear of this s*** hole and go somewhere else. read more

Been a long time since I have been here and I was impressed with how much the lake has filled up. I like going here during the cool months to shore fish for bass and I usually catch and release a couple. The shoreline has a bit of trash and I know they were cleaning up from the weekend and it is a shame that "some people" don't clean up after themselves and I know that it is everywhere. There is a cool paved bike/walking path that goes all around the lake and I road it with my eBike and it was approx 9-10 miles round trip. The path was nicely clean and well kept up. So looking forward to do this again as you could not ask for a better place to bike and fish. The cost is $10 to get in for day use and there is camping available. read more

Great recreational lake. Great for hiking, bike ridding. I came here with a meet up group and hiked 6+ miles. I also saw some men on a boat that caught a huge bass as we were walking by. Great family environment. I will be back.9 read more

See all

Just recently went here. very nice Lake ,But they need to enforce the rule much better regarding safety rules. too many times I've seen jet skies going the wrong way ,Jet skier are park on the launch ramp unattended and kids are jumping off the launch ramp Docks as I wait for them to move out off the water very dangerous for the kids to play around the launch ramp while boats are going in and out. really need to enforce the rule for the kids safety... read more

Mmmhhhhmmmm I love this place so much been coming Lake Perris since I was small. A lot has changed as far as the water when I was younger you were able to get in the water , I would definitely say the quality of the water has changed drastically , unfortunately not in a good way. You are no longer allowed in the water. But the walk is beautiful they have this very long and I mean LONG walk that's a straight shot to the other side. Really nice , but lots of birds so you know what that means ! You might get pooped on. They also have horse back riding and a small museum there. Lots to do. read more

Lake Perris - This is the cleanest area I could find at Lake Perris - Parks Near Me - Perris, California

See all

the "people" here are robots, and badly programmed ones at that. It was 8:01pm by the time I got to the boat tag station and the park staff told me they could not tag my boat because I was past the 8:00pm deadline. I told them I was waiting for my kids who were in the restroom and they said I should have driven over to the tagging station and gotten it tagged while I left my young kids in the restroom by themselves. GREAT ADVICE. I asked the staff in the entrance stations a few minutes later and they essentially told me the same thing even though I could tell the "robot" wanted to try and be human by helping me out. now they have to spend more time and money inspecting my boat the next time I go. Anyways, these people are dumb. end of review. read more

Good fresh air,just a small part of beach,little kids enjoy more then big kids.parks are inside with swing slides...

This lake is disgusting the sand is so gross and the water is disgusting and there are so many fire ants

I have been going to Lake Perris since it first opened in the 70's. Sadly, there is a segment of our society who trashes this lake and Lake Silverwood on the weekends much like they do their own country. It's not hard to pick up your trash and put it in a can. If the trash can is getting full let the park staff know. read more

$10 entrance fee Floaties are not allowed unless swimmer has a floatation vest. Beach grilling is allowed only with propane grills, no charcoal grilling allowed. Charcoal grilling is allowed in picnic areas or on grass. Leashed pets are allowed. Lots of gopher holes in the grassy area, watch your ankles. Park officers/life guards regularly patrol the beach area, they are there to help, listen to them. Alcohol is not permitted. Picnic sites are first come first served. It can get windy on the beach so be sure to secure your pop ups Majority of guest arrive around lunch time, come early (8am) to secure your perfered spot. read more

First time here with my kids and we had wonderful time. We got to the area around 11:15am (Sunday) and waited in a line of cars for about 40mins before reaching the entrance to pay our $10 parking fee. Once after, we drove straight to Lot 4 of the beach, parked at the front right up the sidewalk, and planted ourselves under a shaded tree, swam, and hung around for a few hours. It wasn't overly crowded and there was tons of available parking at the time we arrived. By the time we left at 3:30p, there was no line at the park entrance however there seem to be less available parking spots. Just extra notes - Park staff wore face coverings and were nice. Other beach goers practiced social distancing. All in all, it was a good time and we plan to return. read more

My husband's family has a tradition of coming out here during Thanksgiving (for the past 30 years or so). They usually stay overnight a few days in their trailers (not really considered camping). Lake Perris is actually an artificial lake made in the 1970s. The State Recreation Area sits between Moreno Valley and Perris. My husband tells me that back in the day, there was absolutely nothing out there, but as you enter the park now, there are a lot of new housing communities. The park gets busy during summer months. So since 2005, I've been coming here during Thanksgiving. We never stay the night though. It's a decent place. You can go walking, biking, boating etc. Dogs are allowed at the park. Reservations are needed for the campgrounds. Their camp areas vary though. Sometimes, you are just looking at lots of dirt. If you score a site with a view of the water then that would be ideal. There are camp rangers that go around to make sure everyone is following the rules (loud music, hanging up lights etc.) If it wasn't my husband's family tradition to come here, I'm not sure if I would really come here on my own time. It's not really a park I would have a BBQ or set up a picnic for an event. Overall, it's okay and the restrooms are clean enough. 12/100 Reviews for 2014. read more

See all

I originally went to Lake Perris because the pools around me were closed. There are a lot of people who go here to do BBQ and play soccer so this place is a great recreational area that I would recommend to your families. I had low expectations for a lake right next to Riverside, but Lake Perris was definitely something else. One problem I had was how far the water was from parking so we had to trek across a bunch of sand to get to the shore. There were a lot of people on the beach, but there were also a lot of different beaches that were next to the shore. The beach felt pretty dirty and the sand in the water was quite muddy. I didn't spend so much time in the water. We took a walk on the shore which was pretty nice. I really enjoyed the scene and the lake was surrounded by hills and wetlands. I recommend walking down the shore if the beach is not something you want to go to. read more

See all

I had a lot of fun but there are some things that were kind of annoying. Like first of all, the dressing rooms are closed. Second, the women's restroom is full of toilet paper on the floor everywhere!! It might be because there were so much people today. Also, when you go to the lake you HAVE to bring a life jacket if your bringing floats, donuts, etc. Even if you were old enough you still had to bring one, one of the lifeguards was very strict, and literally banned us from bringing the floats in because we didn't have life jackets, we had to wait till about 7 where there was no lifeguard on duty to use the floats. Other than that the scenery was BEAUTIFUL! And when you start to leave, the camping area looks so pretty! read more

See all

I dont know how this place hasn't got a five start rating yet! Is a great place to fish and camp! such a big lake!!! Fishing is free and is just ten dollars for parking! else where they charge you for fishing , parking and your dog. we went two days ago and caught a carp! Got so many bites and actions! Great lake!!!! we live a hour away but is worth the drive!!! read more

Lake Perris - big magic carp!!!! - Parks Near Me - Perris, California

See all

Worst camping experience. We were just here last year but it wasnt like this. The beach is very dirty! The water and the sand. Too much trash, diapers on the sand, small flies on the sand. Cant find a spot for my kid to play in. This will close if they dont take care of it. We stayed 3 nights of hell here. Campground area is nice. But their protocols arent! Its 12 to 1am and people are still playing loud music, rangers very rarely pass. And if they do they will only lower music down and turn it back when the rangers leave. Need more cleaning schedules for restrooms. Some people think they own the whole campground with their loud speakers and microphones its like we were in a club. We went there to experience nature and quietness. The camps 24/7 line is not working. No ones answering. Will definitely NOT coming back again. read more

Located between the cities of Perris and Moreno Valley is Lake Perris, a man made lake that was completed back in 1973. Although we have taken the scenic drive many times before, our first visit to the lake was on Saturday morning. It was a sunny, cold and very windy which I had to wear 2 sweatshirts and a jacket. Bbbrrr! The entrance fee was $10.00, cash or credit. There was ample parking for January is really not the season for the lake. There were quite a few different sized boats already on the water and people fishing. There's a pathway where you can take a nice stroll, jog or sit on the benches that provide a different scenic view of the lake and hills. The park areas we visited was clean, free of debris and graffiti which made it more enjoyable. As mentioned earlier there is fishing and Lake Perris is apparently known for their largemouth bass. Yum! Depending on the season, the lake also have several other species like catfish, carp, rainbow trout just to name a few. A fishing license is required if fishing. The park also offer picnic sites, a family tent campground and an rv site. For boaters, you can purchase a one day pass (check on their website for cost) to Alessandro Island where they have picnic tables, grills and restrooms, BUT you must have a boat for the island is separated from the park. There is also horseback riding, hiking, rock climbing and swimming. Certain areas serves as a habitat for wildlife and birdwatching! Please do your research before venturing out. The scenery was both welcoming and relaxing. It was awe-inspiring just to sit on a bench with my family and stare at the mountains, watch a family of ducks swim, and listen to the waves. No need to spend big money here. What hides between these hills is something priceless, somewhere where you, your family and or friends can disconnect from the hustle, bustle, of everyday life. read more

Had a wonderful time during Easter Weekend at this site. Very nice view and great vibe. I will definitely visit again n the near future. Site has full electric, water hookup, and fireplace. Free hot showers, and bathrooms. Pretty clean however women's bathroom room near site 221 had unpleasant trash in the stall for 2 days. Other than that I would of given this site a 5 start read more

Lake Perris - Floating in the water with a Floating purchased at the beach. Price ranged $10-$40 (pictured). Beach walking distance from our camp site - Parks Near Me - Perris, California

Since the info isn't clear online, thought I'd save everyone the trouble...LP Recreation is only open for walking and biking for now, until Covid19 restrictions are dismissed. read more

Lake Perris - Parks Near Me - Perris, California

A place to definitively relax and unwind, must take a bike ride along the whole ark to fully enjoy it

The camping is completely unmanaged. They let people blast music all night. Very disrespectful to everyone there. We took our kayaks to "Sail Cove" where non motorized craft go. It clearly states no swimming yet the place is crammed with people swimming and getting in the way. GO TO THE SWIMMING AREA! Nothing is enforced. It's too bad this is pretty much the only local place like this to go to. read more

I came here to climb, but was super frustrated at the 7:00 PM curfew when the sun doesn't set until 830 at night. I was hit with a $100 fine for having my car parked after the 7:30 PM curfew. There were no signs posted about any curfew, and I had no idea about a fine. I will not come here again to climb. read more

DO NOT CAMP HERE- UNSAFE CONDITIONS The campground is way too overcrowded. Not all campgrounds in CA are booking at 100% capacity during the pandemic, but here they are. So basically they are not allowing for any safe distance between you and the next campsite. You will be less than 6 feet away from your neighbor. I understand that camping during this time is a risk as it is, but with a trailer and ENOUGH DISTANCE between campsites, it's relatively safe. For this reason, we parked on the right side of our trailer (to allow enough space between us and the next trailer, if we had parked on the left side we would have been a foot away from our neighbor) and we were given a $70 ticket. No directions were given by park staff to accommodate any new precautions, or lack thereof. If I would have known this before we booked, I would have cancelled. Apparently they had just started booking at 100% capacity again the weekend we stayed. Even the park staff I spoke to about the ticket agreed that it was way too crowded and they did not feel safe. The grounds are dirty and loud, broken glass everywhere. Don't get sucked in by the cheap price, it's for a reason. And if you're going for the lake and don't mind being overcrowded, go for it! read more

I stayed at Lake Perris for two days to prepare for a longer camping trip. Attention campers: this is not the place where you go to be in nature. Instead, you'll find yourself awake past midnight listening to the bass and horns of fiesta music. When I went to the group around 12:30am to tell them that they should lower the music, they insisted that their music was not very loud. It seems that groups are used to playing their music loud at this campsite. I think that a visit here would be better for a day trip to the lake. The swim was okay at the beach. The lake was fairly clean, and there is a lot of space to spread out. There is a large number of jet skis and personal boats at this lake which made the swim really noisy underwater. read more

We visited Lake Perris yesterday for the first time. We absolutely enjoyed it. It's a very pretty lake. It's a plus we can bring our dogs. It's $10 to park which is ok. We will definitely go again soon. read more

Lake Perris - Parks Near Me - Perris, California

See all

Having done my research the day before coming here, and being excited to see this supposedly clean lake with twenty feet of visibility ("in certain areas"), I can say without a doubt that claims versus the reality are quite dissimilar. I went free diving and regardless of the depth my visibility never went further than seven feet. Anything past seven feet was nothing but a wall of pea green soup. Despite visibility being so limited I recovered about seven beer cans, twelve chip bags, an innumerable amount of dixie cups, and countless other pieces of trash within about a one-hundred yard distance parallel to the shore. It doesn't seem as if anyone who comes here really cares for the environment, nor anyone else's enjoyment of it as I watched more litter being carelessly and selfishly dropped. Though a minor nuisance and not so much a concern, I shall list that the "sand" on the beach is more of a not-so-finely ground and compressed dirt. Where sand quickly brushes off of the feet and leaves no stains, this dirt clings to you for dear life and makes you feel dirty just standing in it. That black, putrid mud that smells of the depths of the most unfavorable regions is thick and overly-present in the water. Atop the black, putrid mud is layers of thick brown-green algae. Great place to bring the kids on a week day for a quiet little get away, though I'd really only recommend it if you have toys such as stand up paddle boards, boats, and jet skis. Don't forget an umbrella, there is little to no convenient shade and the lake goers are full of seedy individuals you'd rather avoid. read more

I highly do not recommend this place if you have a boat or jet skis, the workers are super disrespectful and so is the manager, I always take my jet skis in and for some reason today it was a really big deal for some odd reason maybe someone before me pissed them off, they were complaining about absolutely everything on my watercraft when there is nothing wrong at all with it, they said I couldn't even have gas or oil in my water craft, you can't ride it without those lol. Very rude and they said I won't be able to go at all for another 8 days. Very very horrible service. Horrible attitude today. read more

Nice little place to go and take your boat. Much better than puttingstone , The ladies at the front when you check-in really nice. It's not a big place is just a nice little spot to go when you don't want to go to far from home read more

They have really been trying to clean it up but We The People got to help as well. This is our Lake I know it's my Lake and I love taken my dogs for there morning walks before the heat. Let keep are Lake Clean and allow visitors see how nice LAKE PERRIS is read more

I love this lake my parents brought us as kids and now I bring my parents and my kids. Always good memories. So relaxing and fun for everyone read more

Made reservations for the 4th of July ...3 days of camping, car loaded to the gills with food, floaties and tents but what happened? Got turned away from all gates ... wasn't even allowed to talk. But...we have reservations...family is meeting us! Nope....we were turned away. So be warned...the workers at the gates do NOT care. We wasted half a day trying to enter a park I had reservations for 3 months for. It is stunning how mismanaged this lake is. read more

It's a nice family fun place to enjoy time and see the natural surroundings and enjoy nature and culture in the park and lake

I love camping and grew up being taught to be a respectful camper. Always leave your campsite better than how you receive it, don't feed or harass the wildlife. Be considerate of your fellow campers. Like most people, I was afraid it would be "too quiet" during the posted and detailed "quiet time" that is associated with nearly all developed campgrounds. Fortunately, the group central in the campground was extremely considerate of this typically inconvenient "lack of urban noise" by ensuring a tuba was blasting a rhythmic melody at 120dB into the early am. I was floored that it was rudely stopped by park rangers after only several hours. Nothing says "Back to nature" like a drunken frat party. Highly recommended. read more

I really love this little gem! Affordable (only $10 for the day) Great for bike riding, fishing or just hanging out Haven't been to the campground side yet but plan to! My one main complaint is that the bathrooms are AWFUL! They need someone on those more often. The porta-potties (idk if that's how it's spelled lol) on the strip towards the dam were WAY more clean! read more

Went Kayaking with the bestie here. It was a fun and peaceful experience! Only $10 entry fee and the ranger gave us options on where to go. We went very early so hardly anyone was out there. Social distancing at its finest. Definitely felt safe too because once we were out kayaking, safety patrol checked our bag we left on the beach. Once we yelled it was ours...he waved! I gave it 4 stars because the lake did have some trash in it which was kind of sad. In light of the whole experience I will be coming back. :) read more

See all

We have had an annual pass to this lake since last year, we take our boat on this lake and bring friends and up until last week I'm not sure we will be back. Took the boat out, Beached the boat around the island , jumped into the water and all of us had leaches attached to our feet and water shoes . Tried calling to let them know but no answer, emailed several links from the website but have not been contacted back. We went out on a Monday, and tuesday I had flu like symptoms for 4 days . We didn't put our faces in the water or heads under the water so maybe getting sick was coincidence but leaches need to be addressed! I really enjoyed this late in the past but now I'm too grossed out to enjoy it again! read more

I went for the birds and I was not disappointed. It was a weekday in the morning so it was not crowded, empty actually. Nice and peaceful. read more

See all

God forbid 3 grown adults want to come float on the lake on some basic inner tubes. The lifeguard was running up and down the beach telling everyone they are not allowed to use inflatables without a life vest no matter what age. We were in the park for just under an hour yet the incompetent employee at the info booth and supervisor both denied issuing a refund. It was only after paying, parking, eating, inflating the rafts, getting in the water, being told we couldn't use them, packing back up and driving to the info booth that they finally handed us a list of their park regulations which don't match the online ones and said too bad so sad you can't have a refund. I hope they got yelled at by all the other families that were not informed about this BS rule read more

Lake Perris - Some rules - Parks Near Me - Perris, California

So beautiful and nicely kept - a peaceful quick escape from Los Angeles. I'm surprised this location has only 3 stars. Perhaps people are comparing this rec center to somewhere like a national park. When it comes to a small campground and recreation center, Lake Perris is wonderful. It's relatively quiet, offers beautiful views and a nice calm lake! I did notice that people tend to leave an upsetting amount of trash, but on the other hand the park staff is up early cleaning and they do an amazing job of keeping the grounds looking nice. By the time we returned to the park and lake each morning everything was beautifully kept. The grass is green, the sand is tidy and the bathrooms are returned to a decent condition every day. Thank you to everyone at the campgrounds and recreation center for taking such good care of one of Southern California's well kept secrets! read more