Jenks Lake,located in the scenic San Bernardino National Forrest is a terrific getaway for the…read moreentire family! Conveniently located just 40 minutes from downtown Redlands,California and nearby I-10 freeway- Jenks Lake offers beautiful mountain vistas,a clear lake view and trails,piknik areas and is the entrance to back country travels and hiking! They also stock the lake with trout if you enjoy casting a fishing line! Highly recommended for a family day of relaxing, mountain and lake adventures!

First time at Jenks was last year, 2025, been here twice this year. We bring the whole family out,…read moreand have a fun time. My 4year old has a great time catching fish off the pier. The atmosphere is nice and calm, restrooms are for the most part clean, for a park, the picnic area is a plus. There's an older gentleman by the name of Hugh, who patrols the park, cool guy to spark up a conversation with, Drives around in a golf cart, patrols the park, lets you know an hour before closing, helpful when you're not staring at your phone/watch. Jenks lake is becoming our regular escape from the city.

Lake Gregory Water Day…read more We made the most of our day at Lake Gregory! We tried the inflatable water park, paddle boarding, and a Duffy boat ride and each one was a different kind of fun! Paddle boarding More challenging than it looks, especially when you're trying to keep your balance, but so much fun once you get the hang of it. Duffy boat Definitely the relaxing part of the day! Cruising around the lake, enjoying the scenery, and taking in the beautiful Mountain View's Inflatable water park: The kids had a blast! Adults be prepared to work for it because the climbing and balancing are no joke! Overall, such a fun family day at Lake Gregory. Definitely recommend trying all three if you're visiting!

This was our third visit on 9/5. We had such a great experience during our first two visits that we…read morechose to return to celebrate our birthday twins. Unfortunately, this visit was incredibly disappointing. We reserved a cabana and arrived as soon as the lake opened, only to find guests setting up pop-up tents directly in front of the cabanas, completely obstructing our view of the lake. During our previous visits, tents were not permitted in this area--which is part of what made paying extra for a cabana worthwhile. I brought the issue to both the cabana hostess and the office. I explained that had we known pop-up tents would be allowed directly in front of us, we would have brought our own instead of spending the additional money on a cabana. The only solutions offered were to move or leave. I wasn't asking for a full refund--just a reasonable discount because the experience we paid for was clearly compromised--but the manager refused. To make matters worse, the wind later picked up and the tents began blowing around, creating the exact type of safety concern this policy should prevent. We've enjoyed this lake in the past, but the manager's poor handling of the situation and complete lack of customer service left us extremely disappointed. If you're considering paying extra for a cabana, I recommend confirming beforehand whether tents will be allowed to set up directly in front of it. Otherwise, the cabana may not be worth the additional cost.

Had a great experience with my entire family. Staff very helpful and friendly. Made some…read moreincredible memories and looking forward to visiting soon

We had our very first trip up to Lake Hemet Labor Day weekend 2026! Let me say this .... WE HAD A…read moreGREAT EXPERIENCE!! And we will definitely be going back! And it all started at the gate as we entered the park. We were greeted and received by theeeee most kindest, most polite, professional young lady ever! That was such a blessing because we really had no idea what we were getting ourselves into :/ Sienna ..... you were an absolute delight!! And we can't thank you enough for answering our 50 thousand questions lol And yet! You did it with grace, and with so much patience. We will FOREVER be thankful to you, and I hope and pray that you will be a part of the Lake Hemet team for a very very long time! Because they definitely have a "Gem" on their team!

Beautiful little lake. It is March, 2026, and it was silent when we got here, not another person in…read moresight! I loved that! It was so quiet and all i could hear was the birds chirping, frogs, and fish occasionally jumping from the water. You do have to pay for parking unfortunately, but it isn't too bad. There are some trails to walk on. I would love to come back and spend more time here.

A walkway around the lake. It offers fishing and picnic areas. Road is rocky, two ways one dirt the…read moreother asphalt.

For those who love the great outdoors, you've got nature's playground right next door to Raging…read moreWaters. Not only do you get to enjoy a beautiful lake, but there are rolling hills with lush grass, covered gazebos with grills, and several playground apparatuses for the kiddos. I counted three off-hand, but I feel like there were more. Want to jet ski? Check. Wanna go fishing? Check. Kayaking? Check. Boating? Check. Prefer to pedal a boat on the water? You can do that too. Or bring your bike. You can also hike or stroll around the park and take in the wildlife. The wild geese, ducks, birds, squirrels, lizards, and small fish are fun to watch. Just don't feed them, per the signs posted around the area. However, humans can pack a picnic and lounge the day away. Admission per vehicle is $15/day and you have in/out privileges all day long. Special events like concerts, triathlons, and fishing tournaments happen here so check out the calendar on their website. Also, Bonelli Regional Park has Overnight Family Camping on the second Friday of June, July, and August so mark your calendars. We did, but this summer escaped us. We'll be putting that on our bucket list for 2027. Also, you can horseback ride and the Equestrian Center is at the back side of the park. NOTE: Regional Parks are closed Mondays & Tuesdays. Parking was $15/car and you have access in/out all day long.

What a beautiful park with so many varied areas to recreate!…read more I have to admit, I do wish it was limited to unmotorized boats, other than the Lifeguards. It's so peaceful to be near or out on the water with people using row boats, kayaks, paddle boards, peddle boats, fishing etc. But then you get a speedboat or jet ski blaring back and forth in this little strip area. I'm not sure why that would even be fun in such a confined area. Anyway, I don't recommend it for motorized boats. Too small. But often it's quiet and peaceful there. They have a bird wetland/marsh habitat area at the southeast end of the lake with all kinds of beautiful water birds. The bird watching there is amazing. You even sometimes see Bald Eagles. Many families have parties there and stroll the grounds on the weekend. Perfect for people who don't have yards and want to come and relax on the grass and picnic on the weekend. I recommend anyone in the area that uses the park often get a yearly membership and support this great resource of ours!

Haven't gone camping in a while and I'd say this was a pretty nice introduction back to it! We…read morestayed from Friday night to Sunday afternoon and booked 2 campsites and it was pretty spacious for us (for 7 people we could've done with just fine with 1). They have a shower and restrooms which was very nice and convenient: pretty clean when we first arrived but over the course of the weekend one of the toilets got clogged and some people would really take their time in the SINGLE COMMUNAL shower. There's a lake nearby with jet ski rentals a lots of families playing in the water which is really nice. I do agree with the other reviews that people don't really follow the nighttime curfew here. We heard people singing karaoke and being loud. Overall we had a nice experience! Despite the downsides we still had a fun time. I would consider coming back here if I were to go camping again.

The worse nightmare! Subject: Formal Complaint Regarding Management and Conditions at Lake Perris…read moreCampground To: California Department of Parks and Recreation Superintendent John Rowe Inland Empire District Superintendent Kelly Elliott Dear Superintendent Rowe, Superintendent Elliott, and the California Department of Parks and Recreation, I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding my recent experience at Lake Perris Campground. The numerous issues we encountered demonstrate a lack of proper management, poor customer service, and unacceptable campground conditions. Upon our arrival, Joselyn Ortiz, who identified herself as the campground manager, informed us that our campsite reservation had been canceled. We never received any notification of the cancellation by email, phone, or mail. Furthermore, no documentation or proof of a refund or reimbursement was provided. This situation caused unnecessary stress and inconvenience after we had already traveled to the campground. In addition, the campground appeared to be overbooked and poorly managed. Throughout our stay, we experienced the following issues: Campgrounds appeared overcrowded, with campsites placed extremely close together, leaving little to no privacy. Excessive noise from loud parties continued without intervention. Park staff and rangers were not visibly present to enforce campground rules or maintain order. Dogs barked continuously, disturbing campers. Children were left unattended and entered other campers' sites without supervision. Restrooms were dirty and not maintained to an acceptable standard. Trash was scattered along the shoreline and beach areas, creating an unsanitary environment and negatively impacting the natural beauty of the park. Wildlife, including mice, raccoons, and squirrels, repeatedly accessed campers' food due to poor wildlife management. Flying cockroaches were present around the campground. Large numbers of bees were concentrated near the shoreline trees, creating potential safety concerns for visitors, especially those with allergies. These conditions did not meet the standards that visitors should reasonably expect from a California State Park. We paid for a safe, clean, and enjoyable camping experience but instead encountered poor management, inadequate maintenance, and insufficient enforcement of campground regulations.

I really love this lake. We came to do an adventure hike today. We stopped at the store for our new…read moreparking pass for the year. Our walk was lovely and we encountered so many really cool things today. I took a bunch of pictures of nature. I still haven't seen a bald eagle. I was pretty sure there was a dead body in the trash dumpster but after lifting the lid it was just trash that stunk to high heavens. The dead racoon carcass was a crazy sighting! Poor baby, I wonder what ate it? We saw Cormorants, granite spiney lizards, carpenter bees, murders of crows... a whole bunch going on. There are so many things to see here on the trails, you should come check it out for yourself!

Great place and well kept, people are nice, fellow campers respectful. Beautiful location, very…read morecrowded place too, sites are close together. Dogs welcome. Well stocked RV Masters store down the hill if you have any issues. If you are bringing a trailer or RV and expect to have full hookups, please be warned. The location of the sewer hookup on many sites is at the back end of the site that is uphill from your dump outlet and no way you can actually use it even with hose supports. The water hookup is also in some cases a shared 4 bib in the adjacent camp so you will be tripping over your hose. So be prepared to dry camp so your trip isn't stressful. Meaning fill your water and drain your tanks. Electrical worked fine for us. But the outlets are 30a so if you have a 50a rig, bring your adapter. The fire rings can be moved if you need them in another place to not have smoke in your rv so that nice. There is a store and the bathrooms are real toilets not pit, cleaned and kept stocked and they have showers if you need. They have 2 RV dump stations that are free when you stay but only 1 has working water for flushing. Overall , we would camp again with the expectation of dry camping, but the prices should reflect the inability to actually have "full hookups".

Bears play a pivotal role in my life: they are one of my spirit animals, my name means "Little…read moreBear" in Latin which is also a pet name moniker, I have a tattoo with a bear and another of the Ursa Minor constellation, my deceased father was obsessed with bears, etc. When I was a teenager before evening living in the state of California (which obviously has its own bear connection); I was obsessed with MTV just like every other hot-blooded teenage girl. One year, MTV production went to Big Bear for a winter skiing getaway. I was instantly drawn to Big Bear per the name and somehow felt my soul tugged (the same as to the entire state which is why I moved here nearly two decades ago). I vowed to someday visit Big Bear. I am also one of the proud members of the 'Eagle Fam' who is faithfully devoted to the world-famous bald eagle couple Jackie & Shadow watching their nest cam every day. My adult vow, added to the teen one regarding visiting, was to see Jackie and Shadow's nest in real life sans camera. Well, the day has come and Little Bear has finally visited Big Bear! If those of us living in Los Angeles aren't spoiled enough; we have the amazing San Bernadino Mountain range village of Big Bear just a two-hour drive away where we can escape the hustle-bustle of stressful LA and enjoy the alpine splendor that is Big Bear. Big Bear is known for its skiing season but is also a summer retreat with cabin life, hiking, boating, fishing, zip lines, shopping, etc; 7000+ feet above sea level surrounded by pine trees and mountains that kiss the sky. Even the drive to Big Bear is glorious on the winding road up the mountain that famously reveals Big Bear and its centerpiece model the lake in the distance glittering blue surrounded by mountains. Big Bear is breath-taking even before you formally arrive. As an Angelino, the energy and vibe of Big Bear can't be ignored. Not only is the air clean and devoid of smog, but it is peaceful, slow-paced and calming: a genuine retreat that feels worlds away from the LA proper. At the center of it all is the main showpiece: Big Bear Lake, itself. The lake is 7 miles in circumference but manages to appear sweepingly larger and is surrounded by cabins, boat docks, shopping, skiing, hiking trails, Big Bear Village (the central mountain tourist-y district) and the commercialized village center with everything from Vons, Starbucks, Dollar Tree, Marshalls and Grocery Bargain Outlet to nearby Big Bear Courthouse, post office and library. The lake is the prom queen of Big Bear. If you're thinking that it is probably just any old lake; you are sorely mistaken as it is a thing of beauty. As a Jackie and Shadow fan club member; I went to the Captain John's Marina/Dana Point Park shoreline Fawnskin section of Big Bear Lake which is the official, legal viewing point of the bald eagle nest (the land directly surrounding the nest and their famous roost trees is federally protected especially during nesting season and is a criminal act to trespass). Bring binoculars because looking up from the ground is further optically then from the nest cam in reverse. While I was there, Jackie was on the nest with the two babies but I was hoping to catch Shadow, the King of Big Bear either fishing or flying-in. I had waited and just when I literally verbally stated, "Shadow show yourself!"; I kid you not that he flew right over from the other side of the lake and soared above in circles only approximately 60 feet above for a minute in duration. I cried and this was one of the most magical moments of my life and a true spiritual encounter with the celebrity Shad Daddy. Big Bear is also magical in that even in the skiing off-season of April when I visited; a snowstorm hit and the pine trees and lake turned into a Christmas Card. Even I, this Los Angeles sun girl who loves heat and hates the cold; had snowflakes in my eyes and felt like a child surrounded by magic dust has I haven't truly been in snowfall in 17 years. A very dire and controversial topic effecting Big Bear at the time of this review is the fight against land developers who purchased the 'Moon Camp' parcel of land very close to the nest and want to bulldoze over 2k trees, create 50 boat slips and luxury housing even though there is NO housing shortage in Big Bear. The developers have agreed to sell Moon Camp to the Friends of Big Bear nonprofit/San Bernadino Trust for the hefty sum of $10 mil by July 31st to save Moon Camp and forever protect Jackie and Shadow's home area. The cause has gone worldwide viral and at the time of this review is up to $3 mil in donations (failure is not an option and financing will be the next step is $10 mil isn't reached). Big Bear Lake and the entire mountainous retreat city now hold a piece of my heart and I am chomping at the bit to return. This peaceful and heavenly mountaintop lake and city is the must-see of all Angelinos whether for skiing, boating or visiting the King and Queen, Jackie and Shadow.

Year round fun and beauty - not just the winter! Big Bear offers so many different activities that…read moreis sure to please. Whether you're an outdoor enthusiast, someone who enjoys shopping, eating, or enjoying a slower pace vacation with your family pet, Big Bear offers it. Some activities our family makes sure to enjoy for our Big Bear visits have been: Holloway's Marina to rent a dog friendly pontoon boat to enjoy lunch on the lake (they also offer Pirate Ship Charters), popping over to The Village to stroll with our dog and do a little shopping and eat some good foods (there's also many good food places outside of The Village - like the Grizzly Manor Cafe and Blanca and Pierres!), visiting the Big Bear Discovery Center, strolling along the Stanfield Marsh Boardwalk, and horseback riding at Baldwin Lake Stables. In July, Big Bear puts on their "Fireworks Spectacular" which explodes over Big Bear Lake every July 4th and is FREE to spectators. A helpful tip: always check for road closures and road conditions before visiting/leaving and on the day of your travels. CalTrans has not been reliable, but Big Bear's website (Big Bear Mountain Resort dot com) has been. Just click on the "Road Conditions" tab and it'll take you to a page listing real time road updates and conditions. Enjoy beautiful Big Bear!

Beautiful lake, not as big but big enough to rent row boats so you can get the most out of the…read morelake. Im not sure if it's a contact lake but if you're planning on putting on fishing waders, they are not allowed here . Lake can get grassy in the waters . I found a restroom located near the lake . Best times to come fish are in the early AM before the sun rises. Lake is small and anglers can fill it up where you are elbow to elbow with fisherman . I was told row boats are $20 an hour , parking is along the street which goes around the lake. Definitely a spot to fish and hike if you don't feel like going all the way up big bear or if the weather conditions are too harsh going up big bear.

Beautiful Day...trout were biting...brought home a few for a delicious dinner...highly recommendread more