Great place to inner tube down the river. Why do reviews have to be 85 words... who put the English…read moreteacher in charge... what am I writing an essay?

I brought my son to a river rafting excursion at Knights ferry and during that time high explored…read morethe trails and ruins. The history is so interesting. It was such a beautiful hot day, with not a chem trailing the sky. The grass in the hills was pretty dry. I imagined how lush and green must've been when the waters were so high that it wiped out the bridge back in the 1800s

Nice way to spend a summer day. Impeccably clean beach area, bathrooms and snack shack. Fun…read morewaterslides, docks and diving boards. Our family enjoyed this spot. The gatekeeper was friendly and knowledgeable regarding the ins and outs of the lake and its rules. The swim test is one of the harder tests I have seen, glad they prioritize safety.

AVOID this small manmade dirty "lake"- esp if you're a POC outsider. The locals and staff were…read morepretty rude and not hospitable to "outsiders". The Locals next to us reported our 8' umbrella to staff. (Tattle). Staff demanded we take the umbrella down, due to not "standard" size. (Define "standard"?) Pretty humiliating and darn hot in 90+ temps. They really don't care that you paid $100 total or $10 pp admission for 10 people, and have no shade in the heat. Even if one friend has a heart condition fr. Heatstroke? We were just so miserable that we left after 1-2 hrs. Yes, Rules are rules. Except for the white kids using the OVERSIZED unicorn floatie. Double standards much? Also, No fishing that day. Lake did not stock fish we learned when we got there. So kids were unable to use their fishing poles, like the umbrella. Does the lake post fishing updates on their website? . Disappointing lake visit all around. not friendly to outsiders. imo. Maybe the 5 star reviews are from locals.

I've rented the big party boat here twice for my birthdays, and I honestly can't even describe how…read moremuch fun we had--it was such a vibe both times! Being out on the water with friends, music going, and just enjoying the lake... unforgettable memories every time. We also added jet skis, which made the whole experience even better. Definitely worth it if you want to level up your day on the water! What really stood out to me was the staff. Everyone was so friendly, patient, and made sure we understood everything before heading out. They explained all the safety details clearly and made us feel completely comfortable getting on the water. If you're planning a birthday, group outing, or just a fun lake day, this is 100% the move. I'll definitely be back again!

My group of friends have rented from here a few times. On our recent visit we rented the boat for 3…read morenights. Check in is at 3pm and they say we have to return the boat back by 10am. However we ran into some trouble not being able to start the boat so we didn't return until 11am. There was no penalty. All the staffs were kind. This time we were welcomed with a choice of water, soda, beer or mimosas. Of coarse we opted for the mimosas. Not sure if this is a new thing but we did rent the biggest boat, the 60' Escapade II. We weren't offered drinks in the past where we rented smaller houseboats. They do have a store where you can get some food including ice cream, drinks, apparel and this is also where you check in. They also have an ice and water station. Houseboating is so much fun. The house boat had everything we needed to enjoy our getaway.

We rented a tandem kayak from On the Lake Kayak Rentals for a 4 hour rental. They did a great job…read morewith communicating where to meet and made the experience simple and easy. They also recommended a good place for us to have lunch and suggested the best places to kayak that would be away from the wakes from the passing boats. We definitely would rent from them again.

I had a great time! Amanda and Matt were both great and picked me up from the parking lot and set…read moreup the kayak for me. It was a really good kayak brand new good quality and very comfortable. They also went and got me some water because I forgot to bring mine! I crossed over to the other side of the lake and pulled up the kayak and had breakfast on the bank under a tree. Then I kayaked around, saw the boats and the shoreline to complete my four hour half-day trip I feel it was really good value and I would do this again anytime and recommend otjers to kayak on this beautiful lake with this amazing service !

I love this place the view is great and the river is right by its the perfect place for a family…read moreouting and is very relaxing as a person who lives close its nice to go. Recommended

I should probably have gone swimming at Knight's Ferry Covered Bridge but I didn't.. And I was so…read morehot and bummed out about that! So I swerved left and parked the car when I saw the sign for another recreation area. Then jumped out of the car, and in the water! It was probably pretty funny to watch: first I got in, and only then did I start shedding clothing. Easy access to carry a couple of chairs over the water. Some people around, who were so, so friendly! Someone gave us advice about where to sit. Another person wanted to swim across the river with me. I had a ball. Not sure if there's any facilities. There are certainly no lifeguards. There are signs that advise wearing lifejackets for safety. I think that's probably a great idea for children or those who are not strong swimmers. This river is mellow enough, but it's nothing to laugh at... All in all: This was a great place to spend an hour or so. Glad to have found it!

It will reopen in about 2 weeks from when I'm posting this review(05/23/2026). They let us in…read morebecause we traveled from San Francisco and didn't realize that they were remodeling. They still need to add tables, running water, set the restrooms up, open up the restaurant/store and set the boat rental. I expect great things when they open again. Great experience we had today; amazing view, weather and access to get into the lake.

The lake is closed down as of 2025...sadly. I think they…read morehave a buyer from out of state to upgrade all the things that the owners did not fix up to date with the county. Lets just hope this was our yearly family go to spot at the cabins...

Whenever I'm driving down CA-120, I always try to make it a point to stop at this vista point. The…read moreviews of Don Pedro Lake from this vista are just simply incredible! There's a large parking lot that seems to never be full when I come here, and plenty of places to take in the gorgeous views. You can also see the Jacksonville Bridge in the distance. There's a small hiking trail that will take you to the top of the hill. I've never had enough time to actually hike it all the way to the top, but the Jacksonville Bridge is clearly viewable from the trail. There's lots of dry brush depending on the time of season that you go and this trail doesn't seem to be maintained on a regular basis. Just be prepared to have a few pieces of the dry brush stick to your socks and clothes. At any given time, you'll see people kayaking and sailing their boats on the lake. This vista point doesn't grant actual access to the lake, but you can pay $10 (per standard vehicle) for full access at the nearby Moccasin Point Marina Recreation. This vista point is an excellent spot to catch a beautiful sunrise and sunset. I've usually come here on the way to and from Yosemite, so I've had the pleasure of seeing both. It's definitely worth a stop if you're passing through the area.

Love this place. Spent a few hours here on the way to Yosemite. There are a lot more house boats…read morethan I remember, but it's been years since I've been here. I only wish there were more shade trees Great place to spend some time to unwind

We stumbled on this place yesterday before temps reached the triple digits. We were looking for a…read moreplace to take the dog hiking that didn't have a $15 entrance fee and we were able to kill some time here. This is a small recreational area with limited parking and bathrooms. We weren't able to find any trails and the beach area (all rock, no sand) was very small but the water is shallow and easy to wade through. We let the dog run in the creek a bit before packing it back in. I could see this being a nice place for a picnic when the weather is cooler. We probably won't be back but it's always nice to try a new place. I wasn't able to check in because it wasn't on Yelp until I added it, but I thought people in the area should know about it especially since it seems like there is a fee for the many other rec areas in the vicinity. Happy hiking!