This was one awesome place. I only went to the beach and it was so relaxing. Everyone there were so friendly and the environment was very relaxing and beautiful. I will be returning. read more

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So you visited historic Folsom and got your shopping and dining done, but you may want to stretch your legs and enjoy the natural air that we are so gifted with living in the hills. THIS IS THE PLACE TO GO. there is something for everyone, kids will appreciate the flat and fun bike trails, hikers will appreciate the extensive trails, kayakers will appreciate the rentals and the dock ramp, photographers will appreciate the imagery, families will appreciate the shallow shoreline and the picnic area, and runners will appreciate the safety and the wide range of terrain. Yes you need to pay a fee if you drive in, but it goes to the parks so of course i am more than happy to pay. They have nice restrooms, and great maps to easily find your way around the area. I always feel safe coming here as a woman with sometimes just my dog. Also, visitors are always impressed of the scenery! read more

Amazing place to go cycling and walking. Great location, beautiful, well kept, a great place to go cycling. If you are lucky, you might run into the guy in the Postal Service jersey who calls out to everyone he passes and says really nice things. Lots of restrooms and benches strategically placed at perfect points all the way up to Folsom lake and down the other way too. We loved it. The people are so nice up there and say hi. If your bike has a problem, they stop to help! My Aussie BF was shocked at how nice people were. We have cycled all over the SF Bay Area. The nicest people we have ever met are up here. read more

Came here to celebrate my daughters 1st birthday. Terrible parking but it's first come first serve. The bbq pits need a lot of updating and so do the bathrooms. Water was ICE COLD so my daughter wouldn't get in. Parking is $10! read more

Thanks Yelpers for recommending this spot! I just moved to Granite Bay and this rec area is only about 12 minutes away. I went on a Sunday afternoon around 1pm (in early August) and it wasn't too crowded. We picnicked at a bench covered by a shady old tree, then rented 2 single person kayaks and paddled around for hours. This place is gorgeous to kayak around & rentals are affordable (they take card and cash). read more

This is a great place to spend the afternoon. Just went here on the weekend and rented a kayak for $10 an hour and had lots of fun! Great place to picnic barbeque and swim! read more

So much fun. This is a great area, out of the way and not too busy the 2 times I've been. So much parking! And the water is always beautiful and glassy, and so cold, very refreshing. And the kayak rentals are great and super chill. My sister and I had a 2 person kayak and we used the small compartment which is supposed to keep your belongings dry, but unfortunately when we were done we discovered it was broken closed and when finally we managed to get it open we found our stuff was soaking wet. The guys at the rental stand charged us the cheaper rate for a 1 person kayak for our trouble. read more

I've been here a lot last summer. Great place to go kayaking or paddle boarding. There are restrooms and trees with shade to relax. Update today5/28/2020, beach area is closed for construction....bummer. read more

They have you pay $10 and the young park attendants that don't know how to communicate do not tell you that there is no beach access because of construction. The placement of the sign that tells you there is no beach access is misleading and directs you to a dirt parking lot. Everyone is turning around wasting their time. You park and lug all your stuff in 100 degree weather only to learn there is no beach. How hard is it to apply common sense and tell people upon entry that the beach is closed. Disappointing... read more

This is a great little beach on upper upper lake natoma. There is a rock-encircled cove which is perfect for kids to get out and swim around inside as it provides shelter from the gentle current in the middle of the lake. You will be sharing the space with kayakers, paddleboarders, and large Canadian geese who all tend to pull into this area to relax. I take my little raft out there with a few brews to sit back and relax to beat the summer heat. Definitely a good spot to check out. It is worth the drive. read more

Love it! Walk, bike or sit along the American Riverbank, with lots of free parking and great views of three bridgesMoments away from Historic Old Folsom across the bridge, which has food, shopping and a railroad museum! What are you waiting for? read more

I grew up going here in summer and also having picnics when it was too cold to swim. Water is cold but nice place to take kids

Clean beach, beautiful scenery. Rented a kayak one day and a paddle board the next. The guys who do rentals are friendly and helpful. Great lake, COLD lake. We love to take our floaties out and spend the day at the beach floating around. Worth every cent of the $10 it is to park. read more

Beautiful out there, well worth $125. :) :) :) Great for family of ALL sizes. Clean water, clean trails, and secured nicely best restaurants around, and a historic lil town. Don't forget to throw a peace sign up when you cross Rainbow Bridge! :) read more

A beautiful place to take photos with the family! Conveniently located outside the city of Sacramento. Lots of activities for everyone to enjoy! read more

Adequate parking and good access to the lake natoma loop (which at the moment isn't a loop) . $10.00 parking. I run from there all the way to lake Folsom- read more

Watch out for thieves!! I used to come here every weekend with my son to paddle our boat. A few weeks ago I parked my raft by the swimming area for a few minutes and someone went in my raft and stole my phone, car keys, and house keys from my water box. The Rangers were less than helpful and treated me terribly in front of my nine year old son. This use to be a great place but the trash that gets in there now makes it not worth it. read more

Been here for fishing, hiking, and puppy time. Its a fun little place, but it will get so packed over the summer so we're enjoying the quiet time now. I just hate the parking price that we have to pay, even if we're only there for half an hour. read more

This park has a great area for having a family picnic. The beach is extremely family friendly and there is a no alcohol policy, and the rangers are very strict about it. During the summertime out on the beach/picnic area there is a kayak rental that you can rent from up enjoy fun out on the water. The scenery is beautiful, and the water is extremely calm on the lake always. I recommend this park to anyone. read more

Went here for the first time last Saturday- Brought our Kayaks- got close parking but it is a long walk with two heavy boats/ gear. great spot to hang out- next time we are going to travel farther up the water. read more

Beats standing in 3 separate lines at the sac state aquatics center. Great fun, no hassle. The rental procedure is simple, which I appreciate... more time on the water! read more

Sit at a table in the shade and place chess. Launch your kayak, swim, BBQ, look for bikinis. All good. A nice pit stop for bike riders just off the bike trail. read more

Whether you want to relax and bask in the sun, BBQ, or do some water sports this place is perfect!! Bring the dogs and the family and some beverages and enjoy the day:))) read more

I love this place. Clean water. A little cold because it comes of of the bottom of Folsom Dam but that's the way it works. I also like to rent kayaks at Negro Bar. Ten bucks/hour for single. A nice melting pot of people who enjoy cooling off on a hot day. The "nice-ness" of the place will rub off on you. read more

Went kayaking for the first time and Negro Bar was the best place to do that. My friend and I rented kayaks and were so impressed with the young men taking our info and cards as they were so friendly, accommodating and professional; thank you so much Dylan, Grant and Gabe. Dylan was super helpful and got us off into the water with some useful instructions. It was a beautiful day and feel this is a great place to relax, and enjoy the calm water; and definitely good place for first time kayaking. read more

This would be a great place. Our problem with it is homeless camping. We like to go to the area to walk. For the past two years we have frequently come across homeless people camping and leaving garbage all over. This is a State Park. We pay $125 a year for passes, we rarely see park rangers anywhere. We see homeless more than rangers. Perhaps if it was more tightly patrolled we would feel better about using it. We have left complaints at the entrance but to no avail. This whole area is a gem and nice to have smack in the middle of suburbia. However, it is not taken care of properly and has gone downhill fast. read more

There are a lot of things to do in this area. You can walk, bike, kayak, paddle board or basically just roam around.

Definitely a crowded spot on a Saturday afternoon. Not overly crowded but don't expect the lake to yourself like you might during the week. Great spot to launch paddle boards and kayaks. Still $10 parking though. read more

I paid $10 to park my car here on a weekday. When we got back from our walk along the bike path our car had been broken into. Smashed the window on the drivers side and ransacked the car. Called the state park who could send a ranger but it would take at least 45 minutes to arrive. I think for $10 each they should have someone patrolling the area. Didn't even get my $10 back! Be careful if you park there. read more

We are fortunate to live pretty close to Negro Bar. This entrance to the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area offers a boat launch where we have put in our kayaks countless times over the years; you can either paddle towards the prison or head the other direction towards Willow Creek, the CSUS Aquatic Center and Nimbus Flat. If you don't have your own kayaks you can rent them on a first come, first serve basis in the summer months (this is also true for the Willow Creek/CSUS aquatic center entrances). In addition to kayaking there are many other activities to enjoy including the numerous hiking / running trails, the American River bike trail, several bridges for great photo ops, a campground, fishing, swimming and BBQs. We have also been known to jump on the bike trail at Hazel and 50 and have lunch at Sudwerk which is right past Negro Bar (they have PHENOMENAL outdoor dining / bar overlooking the water). I recommend checking this place out and if you live in the area consider purchasing a state parks pass, we more than get our money out of it because we have so many awesome state parks in the area. read more

Black Miners Bar - Parks Near Me - Orangevale, California

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What more can I say other than this leads to a ten dollar parking fee, and after that it's an amazing trail to a clean and refreshing lake! Your able to rent kayaks , able to swim, there's even free live vest for children and adults but please return them! There for the Community! You can bring your pets on the trail but they say not near the water! There are also bathrooms with toilet paper! Overall this is a place for you to bring your family when it's hot to cool off and BBQ! read more

Nice enough place but good luck getting any help from the staff working here. They are happy to take your money but if you ask for where to hike or do anything, they just say Here is a map... of the entire Folsom lake. That's zero help. read more

I spend a lot of time walking on the American River Trail that is by here. It is very scenic and I enjoy the changes along the trail as the seasons change. It is a great location to put in your kayak for a lazy paddle on a smooth lake. read more