A great park to lounge and enjoy a picnic before or after embarking on the Dragoon Gulch trail…read more Woods Creek Rotary Park is a fantastic park for all ages. It has a playground, BBQ pits, picnic tables, and a baseball field. It's lined by elms - as well as a year-round creek. I came here a couple of weeks back to meet up with some friends and I was thoroughly impressed with it's accessibility. I was particularly appreciative of their public bathrooms. The grounds are well maintained, it's fairly easy to park nearby, and there's a nice combination of shady and sunny areas. I look forward to manifesting more adventures here. Trust.

White Pines exploring this weekend was insane. My daughter and I had a blast riding some of the…read morefire roads with unreal views. There's miles of roads and trails everywhere that lead down to the river. Super chill people out and about enjoying the weather. Will definitely be back next time in Arnold.

Came up here for 4th of July weekend, and what a cool little gem it is! Lots of nice beach area,…read morehiking, frisbee golf, fishing, and just general fun on the lake with swimming, inflatables, etc. I totally recommend! :)

Utica is a gem of a community park in Angels Camp, CA. It's built on the site of the Utica Quartz…read moreGold Mine that operated from 1850s to WW I. In the early 1930s, the townsfolk got together to turn the old site into a community park. It's a lively gathering spot hosting the seasonal farmers market and special events. Local folks can rent the pavilion picnic are and kitchen. I love this park. But there is even more to love about this park after the recent major renovations. The entire park was closed for a few years. It opened up again last summer. It's all spiffed up. The bathrooms are now ADA compliant and the newer paved walkways are as well. The children's play area has a newer modern, safer equipment with bounce play mat and playground chips. The play area is gated which is helpful to corral the kiddos. Even adults get a play area, well it's a covered area with exercise equipment for circuit training. There is a new covered pavilion with picnic tables and bbq grills, this area can be used by reservation only. Right next to the pavilion is a new commercial grade kitchen that can be reserved along with the pavilion. In the other side of the parking lot is a basketball court (which is not new) but the three pickleball court lines are new. Next to the basketball court is an outdoor covered amphitheater stage with a natural grassy sloped lawn. This is where they have live music every Friday evening during the farmers market season. Along the far end of the park are gravel walking paths. The path has a incline and elevated at a higher level than the rest of the park. Along the path are the old mining equipment dating back to the 1800s. Neat. Also there is a memorial from the high school class of 1961 dedicated to local soldiers fallen in the Vietnam War. The machinery and memorial were previous items before the recent renovation. Another memorial is located near the playground. That memorial i no s dedicated to the 17 men that lost their lives in the 1889 Utica mining disaster. An internal avalanche occurred within the mine. As tragic as it was, more men were not hurt due to the fact they were not working full staff at the time due to doing internal structural timber improvements. The old growth sequoia trees in the middle of the grassy lawn area are a site to behold. Classic old growth beauties well maintained providing cool shade. Don't forget to check out the Mark Twain statue on the grassy lawn. If you didn't know, Mark Twain lived in the area in the late 1800s for a brief period and heard bar stories that help him create the short story of the Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. The statue is life size and was dedicated in 1944 by the Warner brothers film studio for the film premiere of the Adventures of Mark Twain. In 1957, the statue was vandalized with three frogs removed. Rumor has it that it was removed by a biker (motorcycle) gang. But recently the statue was refurbished, adding back the frogs.

Really pleasant, recently renovated neighborhood park! We walked here but there seems to be plenty…read moreof parking, updated restroom facilities, picnic tables, play structures, as well as grassy fields for sitting or playing. Loved the variety of play structures for kids (and adults) of all ages, including chime-based structures to hit with a mallet, a carousel, swings, slides and exercise activities for adults too. Everything seemed in good condition, clean, and safe.

This park is right off Highway 49 tucked down Big Bar Road. I call it a park but not the kind with…read morea green lawn l, picnic tables, and playground. It is a day use area along the North Fork Mokelumne River in Valley Springs, CA. Another thing to note is the place is called Big Bar Launch but it is not a boat launch. Parking and use are free. There is a bathroom but I sure as heck did not use it. It is a pit vault with no sink or any source of potable water, so it is probably a good idea bring your own sanitizer if you must use the restroom. Access to the river is a short distance. The access is rocky and there is no beach like areas. Swimming is not recommended, the river currents are swift. I saw skilled rafters and kayakers on the water. When I say skilled, they were rigged up with professional gear not a $1.25 floaty. In the summer, it is hot out there with not a lot of shade along the water. There is an area that has calmer water like a creek near the bridge. I didn't stay long after a large family left, that area was a bit too remote and filled with shrubbery. I stayed more towards the river next to the parking lot. It was open and visible with more folks.

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.

First full weekend of June, visited the lake several times…read more Parking Saturday by 10:20am, most of the overflow parking across from the restaurant and general store were already full. To avoid walking too far if you have a vehicle, strongly recommend getting here early to keep the walk short. In contrast, on a Sunday at Noon, there were sporadic parking spots lakefront. Crowds Saturday had some areas of the lake crowded with most benches or picnic benches taken but there were some left by 11am. Sunday, dramatically less crowds. Weather Even in mid-60s, being in direct sunlight can feel much hotter and burn you. Water Just fine for early June, did not feel terribly cold. Restrooms Generally in very good condition and multiple throughout the lakefront, no soap though.

Small yet popular lake in the Stanislaus National Forest. Very convenient for Bay Area vacationers…read moreas it is only a 2.5 hour drive. I've done a few summer weekend trips here, but as a child. So don't remember many details, just that it was always a blast, camping with a large group and delving into lake activities. As an adult, I've mostly come to this area during the winter/spring months, and that's only because Dodge Ridge Ski Resort is in the same area. But never really knew how close the actual lake is to the ski resort...until recently when I finally did both in a one weekend stint. The actual lake is man-made, it is a reservoir meant to harness water, snow melt is my guess due to the regular snow fall every winter in these mountains. Then PG&E bulit a dam and used this for hydroelectric energy and you can see the raging water on the bottom of the dam if you hike over to that corner. We hiked only half of the lake on a gorgeous clear winter's day. I wanted to hike the entire circumference of the lake, which is only a little over 3 miles, but we had a small child in our group, so we kept it manageable. The trail is well kept and very easy to stay on, not many off shoots to other trails. It climbs in a few spots but nothing too difficult (at least to me). The lake is in view in practically every spot on the trail, so very very scenic and picturesque. Even though a man-made lake, seeing the clouds drift by the snowcapped mountains and all the pine trees all around, that I never felt like it was a man-made lake. Very natural contours and plant and tree habitat. I saw an occasional deer and tons of birds enjoying the sun on an otherwise cool winter's day. Even saw a couple of eagles soaring from the trees to the lake line, may have even been bald eagles as I observed white heads. I didn't have binoculars to confirm, so just a hunch, but it still felt special. Not much activity on the actual lake during my winter visit, maybe just a few people fishing off of rocks near the shore. No one was boating or swimming in these months. But in the summer, it is a much different story, as my memories recollect. Now i want to come back during the summer/fall and do some camping and kayaking. A promise I am making to myself and will surely bring into fruition. Trust.

This particular park is a gem. It's a fantastic spot to enjoy a casual walk, an afternoon picnic,…read moreand a mid-day hula-hooping session. It's a lovely peaceful spot to bring your dog, to bring your kids, to play horse-shoe, and you can even view a magical railway from 1899. West Side Memorial Park hosts a variety of activities throughout the year from local fairs, flea markets, a farmer's market, music concerts, exercise activities - and much more. It's located right by the Veterans Memorial Hall - which is also a fantastic and historical resource for the community. Parking is easy (though I'm sure it can get challenging for busier events) - and it's in walking distance to many wonderful local Sonora stores - which is an additional plus - if you're looking to bask in the fresh autumn air on a mellow day. Trust.

Perfect pit stop on the way to Yosemite! One adult went to Mar-Val across the street for groceries,…read morethe other took the kids to the playground here to burn off some of that pent up car ride energy. Playground equipment is in good condition and there are picnic tables around it as well as lots of grass. Plenty of parking, a youth center, and a little museum, with old/replica mining equipment for some little educational moments for those inclined.

Just a small park but very nice and clean. Especially They have a lot of car charging station for…read moreall type of ev around the park area! I think they just build their new toilets room. It's all new clean and modernized. Gas station and supermarket near by with some small restaurants. This place is perfect if you are around Yosemite and look for rest stop for yrself and car fuel .