Turlock Lake State Recreation Area

Don’t plan on fishing here. It’s just a bunch of people with no manners doing watersports. They race around the lake making huge waves, even in the no wake areas. I didn’t see any management boats so no one enforces any rules. Also its really shallow all around the lake, you need a boat to get out to water deeper than 5 feet. The staff were nice and informative.

needs more rangers, it can get pretty loud at night with rude campers

Just got back from camping here for the first time, my boyfriend and I went for a couple of days, and this was the first time we camped on our own (without friends and family.) We were the only other people at this campground besides the two host families, so it was very quiet. Our campsite was #57, it’s very secluded, right next to the water.
A lot of tree so it’s shady in some parts, but it’s really hot out so it evens out.
There’s 3 bathrooms, all where clean, only 2 woman showers and men showers. Since no one else was there the water was still hot and no lines!
They have these really convenient animal proof storage bins, and that worried me about animals on the campground, but the only animals I saw where squirrels, moles, and tons of food loving birds. For bugs, they have the tiny mosquitoes that loved the camp fire (we got one of those candles from Walmart, and it killed a tons) and a bunch of flies.
Something i loved was that we got into the lakes day use area for free since we had a car pass from the camp site. We spent the whole day there and bbq’d where we could just walk right into the water and cool off since it was 100 degrees.
Something I thought was weird and think should be changed is, that it was really confusing when we first arrived, I had a reservation for the 10^th and we showed up at 3, (check in was at 2, so we were late) but no one was at the office and they had no signs saying to just go to our site, and I bought the tickets online and tried finding a print out button or conformation but nothing, only an email that says I can’t use that at a conformation. But when we showed up we waited at his stop sign next to the check in booth for like 10 minutes because we didn’t know to just drive to your site. We eventually did and a really nice lady on a golf cart greeted us, she was really nice and answered a bunch of my questions.
The only thing I disliked were the bugs and heat, but you can’t really help either of those. I thought it was cool we were alone at the campgrounds so it was just very relaxing. We floated up and down the river by our site like 50 times, the water was really nice, not to deep, although some parts are shallow. I’ll be coming back
Bring canopies, bug spray and lots of water!

This was my second time as this area. The thing that stood out the most was the water levels. Despite the massive drought in California, this lake and the nearby river seemed to be at decent levels. The water was clean and clear (no overgrown algae or muddy waters). The day use area has a beach that was really nice. The designated swim areas have waters that were shallow enough for my kids to enjoy but deep enough for the adults to wade around in. Temperatures averaged around 95 – 100 while we were there, but the the sites had plenty of trees for natural shade. Bathrooms and showers are adequate. I would highly recommend.

Was here for the weekend with a large group. We couldn’t have been made to feel more welcome! The person watching over it was kind & gracious. As we were packing up to leave on check-​out day, she came around inquiring as to how everything had been, etc.
As mentioned by someone else, the showers were a bit lacking. Unless there was another set of them that I didn’t see, there were only 2 small cramped women’s shower «booths». It could use more hooks to hang your dry clothes on while showering, and be a bit revamped (i.e. cleaner & nicer). For a hot shower under $ 1, though, I can live with it!
The restrooms are basic but never unstocked. Even if no paper towels were available, it would have been nice to have hand soap in them, however.
Most other patrons were courteous, too. With the exception of one boy who rode his bike right through our tent area, slowly, seemingly looking for something he wanted. Joke was on him… Our group was heavy in law enforcement & he was being watched my many a keen eye! Haha!
The river this time of year was amazing! Some people had lawn chairs in the middle to sit & soak their feet while watching their children play. Some camping spots are very shaded, while others are a bit sunnier. Where we were was mostly dirt & very brown grass. A potential spot we scoped out for next year had almost no dirt & some color left to the grass & closer to the bathrooms than this year’s spots! We were so pleased with the personnel & location that we made a point of leaving it cleaner than we found it!
The no alcohol policy some are moaning about… Well you’re in close proximity to water & it’s a family oriented area. The only way alcohol will be a problem is if YOU make it one. Meaning who’s to prevent you from a beer in a cup? Don’t make it obvious, don’t overdo it. Knowing there is a no alcohol policy & having it out in the open or having so much as to make it a problem, and attracting the attention of those who can kick you out doesn’t make THEM the bad guys, it makes YOU the a****le that deliberately wanted to cause trouble! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating breaking the rules, just saying don’t flaunt it just so you can moan to everyone that the rules suck. Own your own actions & put on your big boy (or girl) panties and accept the consequences of your wrong doings.
Overall, a nice place for a weekend getaway.

Great place to go camping… very clean water and plenty of shade… wish there was more fishes… the shower are dirty… quiet and peaceful… wild grapes and blackberry.

Went camping here for the first time this weekend and had a great time. The campground managers are so nice here. Upon arrival, they let us know they had a cancellation in a more private site, and asked us if we would like it. With two dogs, the privacy was very much welcome.
It was burning hot when we went, but the river made it all better. It is clean, refreshing, and relaxing. Very shallow water so it’s a good lounging area. Dogs are allowed to swim in it as well, they just need to be on leash, which is understandable with all the people there.
The lake (which is a mile down the main road) however, is much muddier and you definitely can’t see through the water. Good for boats and jet skis, not so good with a little floaty.
The camp is definitely a family-​friendly place. I’m pretty sure my husband and I were the only people that didn’t have kids. People party pretty late here, but it didn’t bother us. I suppose if you’re a light sleeper it could get annoying, so bring ear buds or something.

This was our first time at this area. Visited May 1^st through the 3^rd and couldn’t have been luckier at this campground! Dogs welcome here! The grounds keepers (lovely couple & adorable dog, they are at spot 32) were so friendly and very helpful.
We camped at spot 50 right on the river, lots of trees and canopy cover gives perfect shade… the spaces are spread out nicely, and the bathrooms there are maintained & cleaned daily (actual toilets with stall doors & sinks) with fresh running water were close by. There are showers (no hot water) but in 100° heat, it’s not an issue!
Bbq/​fire pits at each site with a picnic table & a locker to keep the food safe from animals/​bugs. definitely bring your deet & sun screen!
The river was so calm (shallow with mossy rocks & pebbles so bring your water shoes!!) and perfect for my little one to play in, the water was crystal clear and you can see the fish (trout) swimming around you. Bring a pan to sift for gold while splashing around. Bring your huge floaties, donuts, and boats to float down the river, you’ll be so glad you did!
The lake was clean, and has sandy banks like a beach front, bring a towel and lay out to get a tan! Great places for fishing and keeping cool in the heat!
Read up on the rules of the grounds, no outside wood, no collecting wood, but the almond wood sold there ($ ⁸⁄₁ box, $ ¹⁵⁄₂ boxes, it’s a little hard to light but lasts for several hours) burns the cleanest smoke and no campfire residue smell left after, it’s pretty amazing stuff!
We loved it here, our neighbors were all friendly, considerate, and it’s a great place to bring your whole family. Will definitely be back to camp here again soon!

Great place for a quick impromptu weekend camping trip. Nice clean campground with bathrooms with flushing toilets, no hot water, no showers. Tons of Mosquitos so don’t forget your spray! If cayote packs, howling at night freak you out, this is not the place for you! :) Camp hosts are SUPER friendly and helpful! Peaceful and beautiful campground.

We camped at Turlock Lake a while ago and I have been negligent in posting a positive review. We had 5 families camping together and this is a non-​site specific camp ground so we were concerned about being spread out on different sites in the camp ground. The hosts were very nice to make sure to put us all together, so we could all enjoy being together. We spent a day on the lake in floats and having fun on the shoreline in the shade. I would recommend not going when it is really hot. The bathroom cleanliness was average. We had a a really nice time overall.

A pretty campground. BUT the poeple camping here are rude and inconsiderate. Blaring rap music and Mexican music all day and into the nite. The ranger drove by around 1030 pm and did nothing about the music. I’m all for poeple having fun but be considerate. I would like to be refunded my money and just go home. We came here to relax and get away. Disappointed. We will not be coming back. Unless they can get control of this place.

This is a beautiful campground, and certainly has a lot of potential. I just got home from 2 nights camping here with my Girl Scout troop (ages 8 – 11).
The campground hosts were rude and did nothing about the noise, the drunks or the upkeep. We had neighbors on both sides that were up blasting music until the wee hours, getting drunker and louder by the minute. The bathrooms were filthy, always out of TP and there is no ADA access to any toilet in the campground that I could find.
People walked right through our campsite (site 55 — do not reserve this one).
American Land and Leisure is doing a pitiful job here.
It is a real shame, we won’t ever come back. Between the trashy people who came to party and destroy nature for the rest of us, and the absolute filth of the bathrooms, it just isn’t worth it.

We had a great time here. Our young kids loved the river and the lake where they could easily walk, play, and swim. The bathrooms are much better than I had thought they would be. Some sites have more privacy than others, and the whole campground is small enough it is easy to get everywhere quickly. There were a couple people who were inconsiderate after the 10pm quiet hours, but overall it was not too bad. Also the closest town to shop is 10 miles away, so you want to make sure you bring everything with you. Great place for families, we would definitely go again.

Came here to BBQ. Shortly kicked out without a warning for having beer. I have never been to a lake where you couldn’t have alcohol.
Basically this lake sucks. Which is why there was only one other group there on a Sunday afternoon in 76 degree weather.

We just stayed here last night and had a great time. The campground was very clean, lots of shade, and the campground host was very friendly. It was very quiet and peaceful and it is a very family friendly campground. This was our second time this year. I’m sure we will go at least one more time before the cold weather gets here.

Just had three days and nights at Turlock lake. Not a great experience. Camp sites are okay but the bathrooms are horrible. Two out of three of the women’s toilets were out of order. There are NO facilities for wherlchair access at all. Would have been good to know before I made my reservations. I was told when i made the reservation that their restrooms were wheelchair accessible. the only accessible restrooms are over a mile back up the highway at the lake which is closed every night from dusk until dawn. You would think that a «state park» would be ADA compliant!!! Wake up people… disabled people need to potty too!!!

We had a very pleasant weekend at the Turlock Lake Campground.
The place was not crowded so we had some choice in picking a spot when we showed up. We chose to stay by the river. The spots further away were also nice, with bigger trees and more shade. The river water was not cold and the river itself was shallow enough that we did not worry about our kid splashing around.
The ranger was very friendly and the neighbors very considerate. The night was relatively warm and very quiet. We woke in the morning by the by the sounds of many birds going about their business.
We dropped by the lake itself next day. It looked very nice we just wanted to drive back home.
We plan to come again.

Just a note: This place is great but the people who camp here make it not so great.
5stars for a great location, beautiful views from the campground, river is not too deep when the tide is low and is cold but feels good once you get used to it.
Reserve a spot online so you are guaranteed a spot when you arrived coz if you just come and don’t have a reserved spot which others already reserved they have every right to boot you out and ask you to leave so make sure to reserve in advance online. It’s $ 30 a night and plus extra charge for extra cars.
Bathrooms and Showers were disgusting when we camped for 5 days. I don’t get how people act like animals when we are already in the wilderness. I mean really? Leave that to the animals and learn to flush the toilets and throw away your trash. Showers are coin operated, .50cents for 5mins and bring your own Toilet paper coz the one at this park is like paper mâché.
Tip: NO Alcohol allowed! But it wont stop people from bringing it. Sheriff told us so as we called them due to some drunk braking into one of our cars and peeing in it (long story).
Bring Fly traps coz the flies were just ridiculous! They were everywhere during the day! but went away at night.
People didn’t seem to follow the rules here in the valley. They were up till like dawn with their music and rules say no loud music after 10pm. They were noisy and rude. And I thought people behaved worse in the bayarea but I was convinced otherwise in the valley. People were just animals.
Overall this place was very relaxing, great location for a river, lots of trees for shade, has little cabinet trees to put food in and just a nice spot.

Overall a great getaway campground. Lots of shade, nice separation between sites depending on where you choose. The fire pits are about 3 ½ feet off the ground and the grill is not adjustable (makes it difficult to cook on). When we sat around the fire it was hard to get warm since it was so high… River access built in, water available at every site, some sites can hear the river running. $ 0.50 for a 5 min shower. Quarters only. Great bay area getaway.

We’ve been camping for 9 years and usually our campgrounds are always random and we found this, this place is nice, very shaded, nice trees, the campground is a different location from the lake, its about a mile. We arrived 9pm on friday aug. 19, we got lost, but luckily our cousin was there first and guided us with our bad reception phones going in and out of range.
thats att for ya! But we had alot of fun that weekend, eating, eating and lounging, the lake was icy cold though, but the weather was perfect, 80s.