Lake Natoma

“The lake and trails are amazing. I hike around the lake for 4 hours, and it’s incredible. The people are also very nice. It’s a great place!”

Could be the best place for water rec in the area... almost. The good: perfect place to paddleboard, kayak, fish or swim. Huge floating area that can easily accommodate lots of people without feeling too crowded. Lots of inlets to explore and nature (deer, bald eagles, etc.) to see. Hardly any current and (usually) no boat wake so it's easy enough that kids can have a blast. And friendly rangers and lifeguards on beaches. Now the disappointing: I have yet to go when there is not a handful of people that bring speakers and blast music from their boards. I'm fine if people want to listen to music just for your small board radius, but the volume they set seems to be for the benefit of the whole lake. And unfortunately it's often the people with the most sketchy taste in music that seem to crank it the loudest. The level of explicit lyrics and zero shame even when kids are nearby is pretty sad. Nobody wakes up and hauls all their gear out onto the water to hear somebody else's music. If they did, they wouldn't bring a speaker, they'd just enjoy their fellow boaters broadcasts. And there is quite a bit of beer etc being consumed so it's possible some people are too faded to realize how loud they have it? But noise carries extremely well over still water unlike the ocean so less is seriously more in this case. So if you go and you're actually there to enjoy nature, maybe pack some earplugs. And a last heads up for swimmers, there is supposedly a no wake or low speed boat rule but twice now I've seen boats flying down the channel and almost hit a swimmer in the water. I had to quickly paddle in front of a swimmer so the boat would change course, and the guy had just been staring at his phone. He also was blasting music so wouldn't have heard anyone warning him anyways. Definitely use the neon floats for distance swimming and hopefully they'll start patroling the boat traffic before someone gets hurt. Good luck!

I recently visited Lake Natoma for a day of boating, swimming, and relaxation, and it was an absolute delight. The clear water provided the perfect setting for a refreshing swim, and the gentle breeze made our boating experience incredibly pleasant. The calm atmosphere allowed us to fully unwind and enjoy the tranquility of nature. Overall, Lake Natoma is a fantastic destination for a peaceful and enjoyable day out. Highly recommended!