Ready To Relax In The Warm Summer Water Of Lake Sonoma?
Why Lake Sonoma
I was in Costco a few weeks ago and they had all their summer camping gear on display. I wandered around to see if there was anything we needed to add to our van life camping supplies. As I walked past the tents, glad those days are over, I spotted Body Glove inflatable paddle boards.
We had been talking about getting a couple and now was our chance. At a price that was 40% lower than what Amazon was selling them for, I threw two in my cart. It was time to start our summer water time adventures.
Having never paddle boarded before and not feeling brave enough to paddle in the ocean, we searched for lakes outside the San Francisco Bat Area. Lake Sonoma’s Yorty Creek Recreation Area popped up on our search and it was only a 90 minute drive. The next morning we loaded up the van and hit the road.
Getting There
From the Bay Area it was a very easy drive down highway 101 out to the wine country. Driving the van to any of our destinations is always a fun and relaxing part of our adventure.
Once we turned off highway 101 into the town of Cloverdale, it was just a few miles to the lake. Then… we saw this sign. At first we were a bit worried, but luckily our short 18 foot van was allowed.
We started down the road not knowing how narrow and windy this road would get. Well, I can see why they have those restrictions. The road is very narrow at points with very tight and steep turns as you go up the hillside.
Trailers and vehicles over 20 feet would have a tough time getting around the bends safely. If there was a car coming down the hill, they would have to back up the hill to allow you to safely get by. I suggest you follow their suggestions on vehicle length or be prepared to proceed very slowly and cautiously at your own risk.
Once we got to the top of the hill the road straightened out a bit, but be careful of low branches if you have a tall rig. In a short few minutes we were at the parking lot of the Yorty Creek Recreation Area.
Arriving At The Water
As we pulled into the large parking lot we could see the refreshing water with golden brown hillsides spotted with green trees. We arrived about 12 noon on a beautiful Sunday and there was still plenty of parking.
We parked the van, made some lunch, inflated the paddle boards and headed down to the lake, which was about 100 yards away. The outside temperature was about 90 degrees F and the water was warm enough to stay in all day without getting chilled.
Amenities
- FREE – no fees for using this area.
- No lifeguards.
- Large flat parking lot within 25 to 100 yards of the lake, depending on where you want to be.
- 2 vault toilets.
- No potable water so make sure you bring plenty, as it gets very hot there.
- A car top boat launch ramp as no trailers are allowed.
- A large beach area of dirt and grass.
- Swimming, fishing, kayaking, paddle boarding, picnicking.
- A few covered picnic areas.
- Dogs are not allowed on the beach, but can go in the water from the boat launch area and off the beaches of Fisherman’s Trail.
- Hiking.
- No glass is allowed anywhere on the beach.
- US Army Corps of Engineers information page
About Lake Sonoma
Lake Sonoma was created by the Warm Springs Dam in 1983. It is a reservoir west of Cloverdale in northern Sonoma County. The lake provides water for countrywide farming and recreation.
- Length – 5.592 miles
- Miles of shoreline – 50
- Elevation – 200 feet
- Fish – Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Redear Sunfish, Brown Bullhead.
- Depth – 145 feet
- Boat-in and hike-in campgrounds.
Cell Signal
ATT – 1 bar
Verizon – 1 bar