$6 to park in the lot. Plenty of parking spots. Saw some cars parked outside the lot. Came on a weekend morning. It was very empty, just a few people fishing. The restroom was dirty with leaves everywhere. Plenty of tables for a picnic. read more

Yosemite Lake Recreation Area - Lakes Near Me - Merced, California

Plenty of space but the bathrooms need an upgrade. There are too many geese in certain sections of the lake but it's got everything you need. read more

So disgusting. Geese poop everywhere Nasty water and trash all over not worth the trip and I live 10 mins away. It has really gone to crap over the years. read more

I grew up living by this recreation site and always being here as a kid Swimming, bbqing ,I don't live in Merced anymore but my parents still do and every time I visit I always visit the Lake Brings back childhood memories and the bathrooms are clean read more

See all

I prefer it early mornings in the summer when it is less crowded. The lake needs to be filled up. I have great memories of it as a child and teen though. read more

Since I have a lot of trainings for work in Merced my co workers and I enjoy coming to this lake to get out of the our enclosed space that we are in for 8 hours. $6 fee to enter per car and it is just around the corner from UC Merced. This lake is so beautiful...the beautiful blue lake is contrast with the yellow burnt grassy hills which just looks abnormal but beautiful at the same time. Surprisingly this area is so much cooler on hot days compared to the inner city. There is ample parking and there are geese and ducks galore. There are basketball courts right off the lake, plethora of bench seating and children's play structure. I thought it was so dangerous to have a play structure right off the edge of a play ground as the lack is a few feet away, if a child goes off the slide too fast he or she will end up in the lake! So dangerous, there should at least be a gate around the children's structure. The times that I went on a week day it was empty as a few families were out BBQ or just swimming in the lake. There is a bridge you can walk over and be in the middle of the lake overseeing the whole lake which is pretty. I will definitely be frequenting this lake as it is easier to access compared to Millerton Lake. If you want something to do with the kids I highly recommend to come to this lake to cool off and have some fun! read more

See all

Nice place to sit and stare at the sunset but there are a good amount of insects flying around here. There is a small playground that I saw here. Mainly came to stare at the water as well as throw rocks. read more

See all

My family and I were invited here for a hangout on Sunday 5/28/23 around 11am and as we pull up to the booth entrance to make a payment this young female staff who was wearing a hat and tan camo pants was giving me a bad attitude. No greetings or anything just said, "$6 dollars" I hand her my card and she sigh, roll her eyes and said "I guess" grab my card and gave it to the other female inside the booth to put a charge on it. I thought what the heck maybe because she wants me to pay in cash ‍ anyways Girl in booth pass the pin pad to RUDE LADY and rude lady than hand the pin pad towards me without saying anything and kept staring at me. I thought ok maybe I take the card out since I couldn't see what the screen says, before I could grab the card she quickly pull the pin pad back and said "No what are you doing! Don't take it out, enter your pin!" And hand it back towards me to do so. She than proceeds to ask if I want a receipt and I politely said, "yes please" But she purposely did not print the receipt out for me even after asking. She just told me I can park anywhere. I now know at this point she is just completely RUDE and have No customer service skill whatsoever. Again I tried to ignore it because It's a beautiful Sunday, I'm excited to see my family and I didn't want to deal with her ugly behavior so I just start driving in but what upsets me now that I thought about it was when my 12 year old said, "What's her problem? Why is she being so rude to you mom?" Even my 5 years old know she was being rude to us and on top of all that I found out from sister that THIS RUDE LADY was supposed to give me a day pass to place on my windshield which I never received. Sadly when we exit the lake the rude lady was no longer there. Wish I could've gotten her name and possibly teach her how to be respectful for FREE. I hope no one's get treated like this and beware. read more

Yosemite Lake Recreation Area - Lakes Near Me - Merced, California

Beautiful setting! Combination of tree-lined beach/grassy areas. You can bbq on site very nice and very clean.

I was so pleased with the area I reserved! Super perfect for event! Clean relaxing safe fridge running water spacious read more

See all

The lake is not as clean, and lacks better tables. The overall experience was alright, nothing exciting. read more

See all

Great place to Come for the summer! It's the only place in Merced to come out to to cool Down and BBQ and have a good time Great place to come with friends and family -you have to go early to try to get a spot or you won't get a spot! -entrance fee is $6.00 -on weekends they have sheriff patrolling to keep everyone safe -boat fee is a little more(I forgot how much they charged us) Make sure you follow the water boating rules to avoid tickets because sheriffs have been on their game! read more

Yosemite Lake Recreation Area - Lakes Near Me - Merced, California

On Friday, May 14th, I was hoping to visit Lake Yosemite with my 6-month-old golden retriever, Kona, to celebrate two of my UC Merced colleagues that had finished their dissertations. After reading a 2015 Merced Sun-Star article, I was under the impression that Lake Yosemite had become dog friendly many years ago. However, Kona and I drove up to the pay booth at the entrance of the park and were very disappointed when we were turned away. The greeter told us that dogs were not welcomed in the park. This was very upsetting and we decided that we did not want to come back to Lake Yosemite until dogs were welcome to visit it. Kona is like a family member to us, well trained, and we always clean up after him. If dog waste is the issue, then I would be happy to donate some funds to purchase some plastic bags for the park. I hope that the culture of parks in Merced can change, so that all members of the Merced community can feel welcome and enjoy the park, including dogs. read more

The only thing that brings my review to 4 stars is because Mark opened up the Padyak with kayak and SUP (stand up paddle board) rentals. Affordable and great way to see the lake read more

Yosemite Lake Recreation Area - Lakes Near Me - Merced, California

More water than last year....but the area has gotten more dirty and worn out for example the grass and BBQ areas. A lot of duck poop and feathers (disgusting) so at times trying to find a nice shady place to have lay your mat down is hard. My personal opinion for guest is that PLEASE pick up after yourself!! The lake recreation does have ppl driving around and changing trash but at least respect the area. Leaving empty beer cases lying around and trash--dude they have trash cans there for a reason!! They lake have four areas-dock, first lake, second lake, third lake. They also have a private island or sectioned off area for overnight camping. They have rentals such as outdoor picnic areas and a small building. read more

Yosemite Lake Recreation Area - Lakes Near Me - Merced, California

The drought had significantly lowered the waterline but it seems to be back to it's natural self. This place was really great when I was a kid, there is always barbequing during the summer, a droop off for boats and even a playground for kids to let go their hyperactive energy. Now that I'm older I can't use the playground because all the slides are too small haha But in seriousness, I tried fishing there but it seems to be devoid of aquatic life worthy of being a hearty meal. Instead, your only chance of catching fish is be there when they plant the fish I to the lake because after that the fish won't be there anymore. They're probably off looking for Nemo. read more

TROUT,BASS,CRAPPIE,CATFISH,CARP YEAR ROUND.cheap 6$ CASH ONLY excluding summer time its free to enter. its not crystal clear water but if feels great when its 100+. the buildings are way overpriced to rent. its not worth going out of your way if you're driving through Merced thought. Heres a pic of a Bald Eagle eating its breakfast and some fish i've caught read more

Yosemite Lake Recreation Area - American AF - Lakes Near Me - Merced, California

I came here by accident after visiting UC Merced and discovering there was a large lake next to it. I drove in and saw a sign for $6 parking, but nobody was collecting, so I figured it was because it was Columbus Day so it was probably free... Nobody was really at the park, surprisingly (no BBQs on a holiday?!), but I just drove around and enjoyed the view of the lake. There's a little fake beach area with a circular enclosing pier, and there's tons and tons of picnic tables. Definitely would be a nice place to host a picnic! read more

See all

It's nature.. how can you give less than 5 starts for something that's not there to serve you?? It's by campus so it's not exactly supposed to be where you take your whole family for fun. Go. Enjoy. That's all the steps you need to take. There are charcoal grills available and seating. read more

Gorgeous lake in Merced with such a huge body of water and grass land, complete with BBQ pit, lots of picnic tables, plenty of trees for shade, and it also allows fishing, so its perfect getaway for the summer months to catch some breeze and have a good family fun. What makes this place unique is the isolation you get, and the privacy since its quite a long stretch and everyone would have a private space. Also my favorite is the view itself, so serene and picturesque, ultimately contributed by the many bridges and stone work giving this place the rustic look, plus small streams and small river flows with grass and aquatic plants on the side. The lake itself is very breezy and the water is clean -lake style of course (this is not a swimming pool). The park is safe and is guarded. Its only 1 hour from Fresno, so traveling here isn't too bad for a nice lake getaway - definitely a must visit if your in Fresno. Its only going to cost $6 per vehicle- and plenty of parking, and this places come with a complete facility of trash cans, and clean restrooms. Its literally 1/2 a mile to University of Merced -you could see it from the lake area, so its also a great opportunity to see the newest and most modern UC campus and at the same time going to downtown to visit the historical old courthouse museum. Plan to be here for hours, as you can bring plenty of food with you, for an all day picnic, lazing around on the matt and catching a good breeze under the shade of large trees and some sun if you like to suntan. Also great for kids and adults activity with volleyball and football since its so vast in grassland space, enough to run around. Recreational fishing is also a fun activity here, and it allowed. There are also many boat docks but I haven't sienna boats being used. Overall its a really neat and cool place to have a good picnic and family time or friends time in the central valley. read more

See all

Wonderful and picturesque but omg the goose poop. There are resident (non-migratory) Aleutian Canadian Geese there and it's literally everywhere on the beach and grass. The place is perfect except for that. read more

Yosemite Lake Recreation Area - Lakes Near Me - Merced, California

Yosemite lake use to be a nice place to have a picnic, bbq or just hang out. The problem now is that there is so much shit from ducks or other animals EVERYWHERE!!! You can't go for walks. Can't let your kids run around . It's pretty gross. Best bet is to travel farther away to other lakes. Maybe a little cleaner. Use to be so nice before. read more

Hello everyone in Merced well I'm passing to the next well about 2 months ago I dropped my keys in the Yosemite lake and I couldn't find them anymore it had a San Francisco Giants Liston with one key on it I'm giving anyone who finds it 100 dollars thank u and god bless read more

1 star because I went to lake yosemite recreation area with my EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOG hoping to have a good time till I encountered a park ranger who started giving me problems for being in the park with my pet. The park ranger started questioning me as if I were lying about letting another park ranger know that my dog was with me. Then asked "what ethnicity was the park ranger who you talked to! white or hispanic" ?!. I paused and couldn't even believe I was being harassed by a park ranger who made my anxiety shoot through the roof. I politely answered "white" (because he looked white) and I even said he was driving a car. The park ranger rudely cut me off and said "WE ONLY DRIVE TRUCKS HERE, AND THIS MAN (points at his coworker who was standing by him) IS THE ONLY WHITE MAN THAT WORKS HERE". Isn't a truck a car ?. lol. anyway. The lake is brown and the chubby bald park ranger sucks. If I could give this park 0 stars, i would. y'all stay safe tho. read more

Great spot to relax and watch the sunset. That's about the only thing you can do in Merced. read more

A lot of geese poops. It's a nice little get away in our own town as our little backyard to either go fishing kayaking or Bar B Qs in the summer. It s a nice get together for the families. The water looks clean and there are always maintenance people who work there that keep up with the place. read more

Yosemite Lake Recreation Area - Lakes Near Me - Merced, California

Disgusting! Place is filthy, the facilities look like they're stuck in the 80s. The restrooms are unsanitary, I rather squat over an Iraqi shit hole bathroom than take my chances on catching something from here. Whoever manages the facility needs to seriously consider what the hell the term management means. The "shore" is absolutely disgusting. I had a bad encounter with the main supervisor. I tried approaching him about the restrooms and he immediately took the responsibility off himself and pointing fingers at his staff. Thankfully one of his employees, Joe, helped me out after talking to his incompetent supervisor and cleaned out a stall for my family and I. It reminds me of a third world country. Don't waste your time. Go out of town to enjoy a clean beach or park somewhere far from Merced. read more

Nice park along Yosemite lake. Free in the winter months. Take time to walk across the dam and look for the "lady of the lake" haunting the tower. read more

Kids have a blast everytime we visit this Lake. I love to BBQ by the water and then take a dip in the lake. No problems at this lake...love it. read more

See all

This review is for a Thursday afternoon visit. I'm impressed with this park. It's clean, there are lots of restrooms, lots of shade and lots of picnic tables. Overall well maintained. Because of the entrance fee there aren't any homeless encampments or maybe because it's on the edge of town. Me and my kids had fun playing on the clean beach and swimming in the very cold water which felt good because it's hot in Merced. Usually over 95 in the summer. The place wasn't crowded at all and there are a couple nice beaches to play at. We left around 5pm and it was filling up though. The only bad things about this park is the geese, they poop everywhere! They need to send these geese back to Canada. Also I think it's crowded on the weekend which I can't stand but some people don't mind. read more

Located next door to UC Merced this beautiful lake is ideal for boating, swimming, picnics, fishing. There's always a slight breeze and it is very quiet since it is located at the very end of a road surrounded by open fields. Water was chilly but just right since the temp this season in Merced is high. Will return on the next Yosemite trip! read more

Yosemite Lake Recreation Area - The pump station - Lakes Near Me - Merced, California

The fourth star is mostly for the nostalgia I get when I'm here. It's one of the closest and cheapest places to cool down in Merced during the hot summer months. $6 per car and the facilities for rent are great for parties. Next to UC Merced but not crowded with rowdy college kids. Such a family friendly place but not always treated with respect. I was here yesterday and it seemed clean but there have been times I've found it littered and smelly. I wouldn't get in the water unless you shower straight afterwards or you may smell like nasty lake water. I feel like if the guests treated the place with more respect this would be a 5 Star place to hang out for sure. I've been sailing on the lake with friends before and it's probably the best way to enjoy this manmade lake. read more

My sisters and I were visiting UC Merced to see if it was a good option for her college education. We stumbled upon the lake while checking out the surrounding area. The water levels are so low which have made the decks be extremely high and they are abandoned. I'm assuming the lake was much higher in the past and this was a lovely lake. We saw some people fishing and sitting around, but I don't think I would choose this lake to go and hang out on a nice day unless I really had to. I would not like to be a fish in that lake. read more

I was passing by the area and decided to fish i caught so far 10 carp , 2 trouts the carp here are huge I don't eat them but it's a fun catch Great Lake looks very clean too. How ever the water line is pretty low hoped the rain helps. read more

So far at front gate waiting to pay my $6 lots of ducks a racoon and sound of the water great place to be to relax. read more

See all

It cost $6 to get into a park that is extremely poorly maintained. The new regulations on having dogs in the park is absolutely shocking and unnecessary considering there is geese poop everywhere. Most dog owners are considerate enough to clean up after their animals. Definitely not worth the price of parking. read more

Lake Yosemite has a little water and a tiny sailing area (everyone has to sail in a counter clockwise circle around the entire lake), but what Merced really needs is a surf park on the north side of Yosemite Avenue between Starbucks and Lake Rd. like the one they have in Lemoore, CA. http://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/surfers-local-technology-make-big-waves-in-lemoore/304074607 read more

Worst park EVER! Trash literally everywhere, what are we paying for if the place isn't kept up? The lake is nasty and hardly any parking. Pick nick tables are falling apart. Worst experience ever seriously don't take your kids here. read more

Its a nice basic park. The rec area is simple but useful and the bbq pits are decent. Its a great place to just chill over some good bbq with friends. If you you're a angler you can't fish off the banks and try for the bass that hang out in the weeds. Crappie usually come through too around 7 or so. The lake also has some gorgeous sunsets. read more

the lake could be a great option. I walk my dogs around the back of lake.. I understand they allow dogs again, but I choose the backside more pleasant for walking the dogs and not as many people, altho always some riff raff and the gate is closed at 5pm. The lake water level is very low, but it could be a great option to take kids, not much around here to do. The problem is the gangs and assholes who think it's a place to fight, do drugs etc it's not kept clean enough so be careful and always wear shoes. read more