We had a privilege of going on a " Path of the Padres" guided tour here at Los Banos Creek…read moreReservoir on 2/25/2018 Sunday. There's no exit from 152 or I-5 to get to the reservoir , you'd have to drive to Volta Rd , then on to Canyon Rd to get to the boat launching area. A little winding but not too bad. A beautiful lake full of wildlife , while we were riding on a tour boat we saw a couple of ospreys , deer, koots, herriers , red-tails ( hawks). While we hiked our 9 -mile trail , we saw tons of cows, footprints of raccoons and deer, coyote scats . Bobcats and mountain lions been spotted here also. We learned history of Yokuts Indians , saw a could of acorn grinding holes on a rock, learned about the native plants such as wild cucumbers, Willow , dark blue elderberry trees and how the Yokuts Indians used to use them for medicinal purposes. We were welcomed by the nice cool breeze and the warm sun while we hiked but it was freezing cold while sitting in a boat. Luckily , we were prepared and had our down jackets , scarves and gloves. The tour is guided by two extremely knowledgeable and friendly park rangers. Richard has 14 year of experience in this area and very knowledgeable about the Yokuts Indian and the history of California. Nathan is a very skilled boat operator and friendly, skilled outdoor ranger. They made this experience much more memorable and fun. We hike an extra mile and a half to see the abandoned barn and houses by Basque immigrants. Old abandoned barns were pictureristique . It was fun watching the cows grazing up close and walk away as we approached them. Two of the ospreys we saw were so beautiful and majestic. They were perched proudly on the tree branches. Some area of the trail are very steep , narrow and slippery. We had to do some creek and river crossings. I wouldn't recommend it for small children but they do offer school trips there. Overall, a great outdoor experience of hiking , learning and a boat riding. $20 per person for the tour and you have to register through California State Park website. Tours only offered on the weekends during end of February to April.

Oct 2021 I stopped by the reservoir to fly RC Gliders. Jorge the ranger was very helpful letting…read moreme know where to go, unlocking the gate and welcoming this first timer to the park. Had a great time flying my Pittbull fully ballasted the first day in 15 + mph winds till sunset. Next day the lift wasn't so good, but I had a great time flying other planes. I told my other RC Glider buddies and they are stoked to make a trip up. Talking with Jorge and knowing this great park is so welcoming to RC Glider and RC planes, I will sure plan another trip out here in 2022.

Really nice campground but the rangers do not enforce the rules. 8 campers two cars turned into 7…read morecars 20 people music blasting until 2:30 in the morning.

We like this place for fishing. It can get really windy here so bring warm clothes and blankets…read more This is on the southern side of O'Neill Forebay The also allow boating, kayaking and board sailing. They have primitive camp sites along the shore. Each has a table, shade ramada, garbage can and fire pit. Bring your own firewood. There is drinking water available at 3 locations. Lots of portable toilets around and no showers. What we found really disturbing was all the garbage laying around. It's everywhere. They're huge garbage barrels everywhere within a few feet of the shoreline. So no excuse. What's wrong with people?

Peaceful, this State Park was very, very quiet. No one else really talking to other people we…read morewould jump up whenever someone caught a fish we clapped or they clapped when it was us. We didn't do good at all over here. We only caught one catfish. But for us just to get away we had a nice time again. I was able to let my husband fish and I sat back and read a book. But there was one part of this state park that I was able to see a few young fawns. And he or she was so beautiful. I dared not to get closer for a fear of seeing the doe somewhere close. I wish the state of California would get it together we have state parks that need to be cleaned. Just dead trees everywhere that needs to be cleaned up.

Amazing spot to fish with the kids! Lots of shade, and peaceful. It's also a great spot to take…read moreyour kayaks out where the water is not moving swiftly. During the week the entry fee is usually free, weekends about $9 for the day pass.

Decided on our first boat purchase and came to Pacific Marine Center. When we arrived Jason greeted…read moreus, offered us waters and asked how he can help us. We told him that we were interested in looking at a Yamaha Boat. He said it was in the other showroom and we took the club car down the street to their extended property. Didn't realize how many boats they had in stock. When it came to making the deal he was not pushy, got us extra discounts within reason and spoke to Jack (the owner) to see what else they can do to sweeten the deal. Jack was pleasant, probably stressed with how busy they were that day, but still took the time to work with us to get the price right for our purchase. When we came back the next week to pick up the boat they were very good in going over the entire boat and features as well as inspecting every angle. They include basic safety gear 4 life jackets and a throwable that you can exchange for credit if you already have gear. The workers hooked up the boat and trailer to our hitch and we were on our way. It gets busy here especially around 10-11am with people getting service for their boats. A lot of drop offs and pick ups. Definitely plan on coming early when they open. Customers come in stressed but Jason, Jack and staff stay cool and calm to help everyone with their needs. Thanks Pacific Marine Center for the great experience!

Hitting a stage in our boat life when we were ready for pontoon..we looked in our area, but we…read moredidnt find what we were looking for in price or styles. Found pacific marine online. Sent a email as a goof. Ed contacted me and depsite being almost 5 hours away, we had a great deal on a pontoon and a trade in for our old boat. When we arrived, Jason showed us everything we needed to know about our new pontoon and put us at ease about the large purchase. He even gave us his cell number if we had any questions. Financing was easy. Everyone was really nice and inviting. Really, the got us in our dreamboat. It was a 13 hour round trip from our house but 100% worth it. Dont be afraid to reach out and make a drive. We hope to never part with our new pontoon, but if we ever need to upgrade, we're going back.

$6 to park in the lot. Plenty of parking spots. Saw some cars parked outside the lot…read more Came on a weekend morning. It was very empty, just a few people fishing. The restroom was dirty with leaves everywhere. Plenty of tables for a picnic.

I brought my kids on a Monday. Parking is $10. Geese…read moredroppings EVERYWHERE. A small plastic trash bag could come in handy but then again, that should be taken care of by whoever is running things there.

We rented a patio boat for a couple hours ahead of the holiday weekend craziness…read more The staff was so friendly and helpful. Tracy in the booking office was efficient and professional. We had the best time. Here's hoping the holiday isn't too crazy and all your care and kindness doesn't go unnoticed! Thanks for making it so wonderful for us.

We rented two single kayaks from Bass Lake Water Sports. The good: we got there waaaaaay early and…read morethey accommodated us. Of course we got there way early because the instructions said arrive an hour before your appointment time. Good little soldiers we, arrived at 8:02 for our 9am paddle. By 8;10 they wanted to know if we wanted to get breakfast first or just go. Pffft! Lemme at it. The other good: okay, it's the Sierra Nevada. How can it not be glorious on a lake? Buuuuuut... here comes the bad: waiting, waiting, waiting at the end for someone to notice we came back. I blew my requisite emergency whistle twice in frustration and still nothing. Probably ten minutes of employees not seeing us, or maybe preoccupied with the gasoline powered craft. Which brings me to the next maybe not bad but not great... we were the only people who didn't need to sign the disclosure that we had to pay for our fuel separately. That, in and of itself isn't so bad... but it meant this 3.5 mile lake was choppier than some oceans on which we've kayaked. Constant wake. We had to stay on the shore side of the large orange buoys, and the motorized pontoon boats, sea-doos, jet boats with water skis... they were on the other side. It's like when I was a kid flying 11 hours LAX - LHR in the 1970s and the smoking section's boundary changed based on the ratio of smokers. Yeah, there was segregation but hoo, didn't make a lotta difference. Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy. Still, we're on the lake, it's a beautiful day, what's not to love? The ugly wasn't appalling by any stretch but it wasn't great either, and it's the reason I'd rate this place 3 of 5 stars. It got the job done but I didn't see any evidence that people cared. The kayak was dirty and had trash in/on it - half a paddle padding torn off and river weeds. The paddle was held together with peeling electrical tape, had only one drip ring with no padding (maybe sitting on the prow?) and the paint was chipping off. And the drink holder was half full of slimy river water. Blech. Who wants to risk drinking nasty water running down your bottle? For $250 for two hours, I would expect better.

Every year Varys on water level this year it is full to the max it's always a great time any time…read morewe go plenty of spaces for bbq plenty of bathrooms I always bring my family here

I enjoyed my time, just sitting down and enjoying God's scenery. It was a very busy weekend here…read more Couldn't really get any good fishing in because there was too many boats and jet skis in the water. Plus, this is my first time here driving out, trying out new places to go fishing. It was a hot day so it brought out everyone grills were going. People were in the water. This is when everybody was about to pack up where we were sitting at so that's why you don't see anything in the picture but I enjoyed myself my husband got nibbles and bites, but nothing hooked on his head line a lot of little fish in the water.. but the scenery is what made it so wonderful

We had a great experience with Shaver Lake Watersports…read more They have their own marina and parking lot right next to the highway. This was one of the easiest and most fun rental experiences we've had at any lake we've been to. We rented a small eight seat pontoon boat. The price was super reasonable, fuel was included, and the whole process was easy and enjoyable. It was perfect for putting around the lake and going for a swim at various coves. We brought lunch with us and had a wonderful day. They also have larger boats, wave runners, and kayaks available. Definitely anything you could need to enjoy a day on the water. Five stars.

Easy to work with. Unlike the Sierra Marina at the top of…read morethe Shaver Lake, this is a very easy and casual rental experience. It's more expensive here but overall I thought the equipment was newer. The free beaches around this marina are great for a casual beach day. We chose to go further down to the beach for more privacy. Tip - There's a small parking lot in front of this Marina. However, if you drive south less than a mile you will see a gravel road. Drive down this road then take the left road and you'll see a small parking lot right above the secluded beaches.. Parking here will put your car much closer to your beach spot. - New kayaks

The owner and staff are very friendly and professional…read more Unfortunately the jet ski's were booked for the entire day, but we were able to rent kayak's and watch jealously as everyone sped around us. LOL I'll visit again, and just make sure to pre-book a jet ski next time. An error on my part, but was able to check out the surrounding area, and get some Vitamin D in.

Very disappointing experience. The boat shown on the website was not what we received (rented a 10…read moreseater pontoon) . When we arrived, the motor ran poorly, the seats were ripped, there was mold throughout the boat, wasn't cleaned when we got it there was beer bottle caps, there was no radio, and the speed was governed, which made the experience even more frustrating. For $1,000, this rental was absolutely not worth the price. This was supposed to be a fun birthday celebration, but instead the condition and performance of the boat completely took away from the experience. We noticed nicer boats they owned but when asked how we could get the nicer one they said just depends on what's available so you have a 30% chance of getting a nice boat since there was a like 3 nicer boats. We did rent jet skis which were very fun so I'd rent those again but most definitely never the boat. We left feeling misled and disappointed. Unfortunately, I would not recommend this company based on our experience.

My sister and I took the intermediate course with Mountain Descents River Rafting, and it…read morecompletely exceeded our expectations. It was definitely more intense than I originally thought, but in a way that made the whole experience even more thrilling. Our guide, DJ (I think!), had a sense of humor that made the whole ride even more fun. We both left feeling exhilarated and already talking about doing it again next time we're visiting Sequoia.

Lots of fun with a safe and knowledgeable staff to guide us! Staff went out of their way to make…read moresure we had what we needed, including making us straps for our sunglasses. Crystal, our raft guide, clearly explained all the safety info and gave us a really fun experience on the river! It was an outstanding experience, and we would definitely be repeat customers of this buisness!