LAME!!! This place used to be fun. Now it feels like going to a prison camp that you can fish at. The rules make no sense and the staff barks them at you relentlessly. SMUD still isn't allowing trailered boats to launch even though the rest of the state relaxed their launching regulations. SMUD even relaxed their mussel restrictions on the upper American, but not this stagnant pond. My son and I used to enjoy fishing here, but since closing the launches and forcing adults to wear life jackets on paddle boat watercraft or threatening to kick us off the water...your time could be spent better elsewhere that doesn't feel like the rest of California telling you what to do. read more

Nice flat access for older fisherman. There are no food services here, or nearby. Bring your own. Plenty of grills and tables are available. I will certainly be back. read more

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Really nice place. Clean facility. Friendly and kids friendly with paddle boat and swimming read more

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We usually have a good time. But last time the dock we like to fish off of was burnt. So we were a little disappointed and went to the far side close to where swimming is allowed. While we were fishing people started swimming in the reservoir where we were fishing. Which made it even harder to cast our lines and fish. So we left and when we got home, we decided it was time to get us a small boat so that we could float around the reservoir and stay away from people. And that's what we did. We got us a boat and we went back to Rancho Seco today. We unloaded the truck got the boat in the water ready to go and I had to use the bathroom, so I went to use the outhouse and inside the outhouse someone had threw up all over the floor and no one had cleaned it. The flies were everywhere. The smell of chili was in the air. It was disgusting. read more

Rancho Seco Recreational Area - Recreation Centers Near Me - Herald, California

El lugar está bien , pero los que supervisan demasiado exagerados parece que no quieren que la gente se divierta , entiendo las reglas de seguridad pero se lo toman muy a pecho Pasaron como 6 veces a revisar nuestras tiendas de campaña Ya habíamos dicho q ue solo teníamos 3 tiendas en el espacio y él decía allí veo dos era una sola tienda pero de las que son dobles y las veces que pasaron dijimos lo Mismo en los dos días , y cuando volvíamos a decir lo mismo decían ah si ahora recuerdo que ya nos habían dicho. Dale y dale que mueve tu carro Allí no puede poner eso Muy tediosos Hay mejores lugares donde no te ostiguen tanto read more

I am starting to see a pattern of decline to this beautiful property ever since the new management came on board. My family and I have been coming here for years to camp or just enjoy a day by the lake, but everything has changed for the worse ever since manager John and his wife took over. The manager John and his wife have some power trip complex; they feel they are entitled to yell at staff in front of guests and also yell and scream at guests themselves. THIS IS NOT OK. We have witnessed on several occasions the managers wife driving around the property in her husband's truck sneakily taking pics of guests and on her phone. Shortly after this every time John comes out yelling and screaming at guests and even small children. Is there an ounce of civil humanity in this man's bones? I think not. Another think I find odd about this manager is he goes around asking guests to write reviews of what a good job he is doing even after they have witnessed his bad behavior. Moving on...there in no longer pride in cleanliness within this park. The showers have visibly high mold content and one of the shower doors locks you inside the shower. We have witnessed an employee painting over the mold. Don't get me started on the bathrooms, they are filthy to the max, totally unsanitary for use and you are lucky if you see the old man driving the white truck once in an entire day. I do believe the Health Department needs to come out and see the painted over moldy showers and the disarray within the bathrooms. One last note, we are being charged $12 for park entrance with electricity and another $12 if we want to come in early to set up for the day. There is nothing posted about the extra fee to set up early. What is this about? Hopefully SMUD can come out, take a look at the decline of duties here and step in and address the issues at hand. read more

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Went here to fish, I was very impressed with the whole park. Very clean, lots of tables and bbqs. . The have pedal boats, you can camp here. Although I only caught 1 fish, it was still a good day! Definitely coming back! read more

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Great fun little spot to go out for the day. Clean and well maintained grounds. Lake is always loaded with fish. Water is so clear you can see the fish, honestly, you have to try and skunk. read more

Went there for a weekend camping with our 3 boys. We enjoyed fishing, hiking and swimming. Our dog enjoyed playing ball in the dog park when he wasn't chasing geese out of there. My only complaint is I wish people coming into the park would slow down! Kids are playing here people. If you want to speed, hit the highway! read more

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Horrible staff , day fishing is good , if you camp here the staff is HORRIBLE and you CANNOT NIGHT FISH . They threatened to make my friends sleep outside with roaches and raccoons everywhere . sleeping in cars is prohibited none of these rules were mentioned upon arrival . 1 star for me will not be camping here again . read more

Rancho Seco Recreational Area - Only good thing about the night was the fire . Roaches every where . Racoons will attack your items - Recreation Centers Near Me - Herald, California

For those coming to swim, BEACH CLOSES AT 5:30 PM!!! Why not put this on the website, as well as beach entrance gate, instead of making people drive there and back to find out? Before showing up, we checked the website, as well as the brochure on the website for a closing time, the only time stated was that entry closes at 6 pm, no mention of the beach closing earlier whatsoever. read more

Some lady tried to drive a golf cart across my fishing lines. Told me dogs belong on a leash. So I put my dog on a leash. After a while I took her off to throw a ball a couple times for her (No one was around) and she came back over and told me to leave. I get it. It's the rules. But her passive aggressive attitude and overall howdy towty persona made me not want to go back again. Bummer, it's a pretty nice lake, if only decent people worked there. ​ read more

I do not recommend this place to camp at all!!!! It is for ppl who rather want to sleep at 9pm... rangers are rude and harassers! Unnecessary check up every 15 mins... read more

I've been coming here for over 30 years this is the first year that changed my outlook on this place , this is a man made lake right not a public pool , so tell me why they have life guards yelling over a bull horn at people swimming and playing with there children and I mean yelling "no jumping " " no splashing " "get out the water" , last I checked your job is to make sure people don't drown not dictate how people parent the kids , and to top it off they have security looking like I'm back in the Middle East tactical vest guns ect this is. family place not the hood , very disappointed with smud for allowing this and ruining a perfect family lake and Turing it into a public pool , someone isn't getting there yearly donations this year and any thing any time soon read more

We have camped here three times so far this year... Usually we have 2-3 sites. We bring our dogs and always have a great time. The park is beautiful, spacious and well cared for. John, the camp manager is always friendly and welcoming. He makes himself available to take care of issues. He noticed I walked to the restrooms, then walked to a different location. He asked if anything was wrong and I mentioned that the first restrooms I visited were locked. He apologized and immediately unlocked the women's restroom. He is always helpful. We used to camp regularly at Dillon Beach, but Rancho Seco is close to home, clean, affordable, and offers so many amenities. We enjoy the beach, fishing and bbqing with friends and family in a safe, well maintained recreational area at Rancho Seco. Definitely a favorite spot of ours!! read more

Horrible staff. Rude. They look for something to get you on. We played our dues pay our fee and they still come after you. Very disrespectful and looking for something to complain about. Don't camp here. read more

Did a day trip out there with the dogs and was pleasantly surprised at how nice the area was. It was the heat of the late summer and it was green and lush out there. Lots of kids swimming and was super impressed with the clean bathrooms. Did not realize they had full hook up camping out there. We may just hook up the fifth wheel and spend a weekend out there read more

DO NOT keep anything inside your vehicle, especially when out on the water at this park. Been going here for years. This is a great park with camping. The fishing is not the greatest anymore. There are a lot less big bass in this lake compared to 3 years ago. Most of the bass on their spawning beds are less than 1lb... and there are half as many spawning this year. They now have signs that say "catch and release". I have personally seen multiple fisherman put fish in their coolers this year. They tacked a new 5$ fee to everyone fishing, even if you have an annual boat pass. The staff are friendly and there is only one way in and out that is gated. You have pay 12$ for a day pass to get in. You would think this would be a safe place to relax and have a great day. Sadly that can be ruined when you get back to your car finding your window broken and personal items missing inside. These pictures are of my car taken on 5/14/23. I was parked directly in front of the first dock where every single person first enters the park. There are no cameras but there is security that drives around the park. I can tell you for a fact that these animals paid the cashier to enter and intentionally entered to break into cars and steal whatever they can. I am warning everyone to not keep any valuables inside your vehicle, especially when out on the water. The following pictures show the handywork of the dumbest criminals alive. They cause hundreds of dollars in damage to take one item worth maybe 50 bucks... I consider myself lucky as I did have much more expensive gear inside. read more

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Leeches in the water. I also drank water from their fountain and have been having bowel problems. Showers are dirty and smell.

Rancho Seco - this is a beautiful area owned by SMUD. It is perfect for either a day trip with your friends and family or camping by tents or RVs. Rancho Seco was a nuclear power plant more than 30 years ago. SMUD - Sacramento Municipal Utility District turned it into a Recreational Area after the voters shut down the nuclear power plant over 30 years ago. The park has many trees, green lawns, and water sports available at the lake, initially designed for the emergency cooling of the nuclear power plant. I have seen families come here on the weekend for fun. Some company picnics are famous in Rancho Seco. The park also has campgrounds for people who love camping. They also have hook-up RV campsites with water and electricity hook up. A dump station is available in the park too. This is a very clean, safe, and enjoyable location, very close to Sacramento. I hope you will enjoy your short trip with your family and friends. read more

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This place is one of worst places I have ever been. The staff are very rude. We went there on a Thursday we were like 6 families they got 12$ from each family and we told the staff that we would have a birthday party they just charged us extra 30$ for one of the tables then they came and said no balloons allowed in here when I asked where are the written rules the staff use the f word and ask me to leave or they will call the police I don't suggest going there read more

I almost don't want to give a review. Cause it's my secret hidden oasis. From the moment you check I. At the front box, you're greeted with a smile! The best time is to escape on the weekdays. I made a goal to learn how to yoga on my paddle board by the end of summer. For the most part the crew is so helpful and friendly. With the exception of a fat lazy angry man who likes to taddle tale. He seems to be grumpy at all times. But the rest of the crew is so nice and helpful. They make it very clear the property is open and welcome. They give suggestions on the amenities. I grew up here and it's amazing to see the upgrades they've been doing. read more

Racist rude manager! manager was power tripping and very rude and accused us of speeding around the speed bumps over 10 miles an hour which was impossible .he yelled at us said it was his park and said we could never come back . Horrible experience management needs to change. read more

I've camped at around 100 campgrounds in my days and this was by far my worst experience, the campground itself was well maintained, but the prison guards (staff) were unbelievable. Driving around all day and night harassing us and others every 15 minutes on every minor infraction. Me and a few friends camped there last weekend and 2 of us planned on sleeping in our cars. We did the first night, then the next morning they told us that was not allowed (it doesn't say that anywhere in the rules just says no roof top campers allowed). I told them we didn't bring a tent this time but we'll be sure to next time and they said no that's not allowed, you'll have to sleep outside on the ground... it was in the low 40s and there were roaches and raccoons everywhere. Luckily one of my buddies was coming that day so we had him bring an extra tent. There was a family next to us in the middle of group prayers at 9pm and a staff member interrupted them to tell them they had to take down the flashlight they had on the tree. A big reason we camped there was to fish in the evening because for whatever reason they close before sunset but they said if we camped we could fish anytime. We went out and a staff member came all the way across the lake at night to tell us we can't fish and threatened to kick us out. Seemed like they were just making up rules as they wished. The bass fishing is ok but the catch and release "rule" is blatantly stunting the fish. I've fished there about 2 times a week for a year and don't think I've caught a heathy bass. For the most part they are all paper thin which happens when bass are not being culled out. I know this may seem like a rough review, I've never left one but if you don't believe me read some of the other ones. Do not recommend camping here we will never again. read more

Raccoons are damn persistent at night. Lock up everything in your car if you're camping in tents. Oh there are coyotes too howling nearby. They announced at 4 that they're closing the showers at 6 for cleaning and locking it up for the night. The next day I go for a shower and it wasn't cleaned. Hair, mud and slime are still there. What a surprise. read more

Well my actual review would be zero stars. We had a great day fishing and swimming until we went to pack up and leave. My son and his friends had left their crocs on the beach and when we went back to get them they were gone. We were right to the side of the beach area fishing. The staff told us they moved them. I then went to check lost and found (which doesn't look like it even gets used) and they were not there. I was then told that the staff may have just THROWN THEM AWAY!! Three whole pairs of crocs within 20 minutes of "closing" which there were still families around, families camping, it was a busy day there. The lifeguards said they asked everyone around if they were theirs and no one claimed them. Then they proceeded to say, unfortunately someone probably stole them. You just told me no one claimed them and now you're telling me someone who says they aren't theirs, stole them? I'm pretty sure my son and his friends shoes (3 pairs of crocs) and two t-shirts were thrown away by the staff at this beach. I'm furious at the lack of care by these staff members. I work in customer service and would never just throw away someone's belongings. Terrible Terrible Terrible Don't go to this place ever!!! They don't care about you or any of your stuff. read more

This place is just alright. There is always a person driving around checking what you got if you go fishing here and there is a awful overflow in weeds and grass mats. Very shallow so you will not catch anything here in the winter or even fall. Kayak/Boat almost always needed. Not only that but there is basically not a single place where u can sit down there and actually have a nice time fishing unless you wanna sit down on mushy clay. I dont like this place for that. They also supposedly stock trout here but everyone catches all of them the first day they do. Not a fan. read more

This place is great for families wanting to spend the day there, hanging out, BBQ, swimming etc. The park is kept clean with plenty of bathrooms and showers. There's a convenience shop that you can rent paddleboats and kayaks ($10 for the first hour) at. The beach area is pretty small and a swimming area for kids. Saw plenty of people paddleboating and kayaking and plenty of people fishing There's some hiking trails nearby but we didn't get to explore this time There's also camp ground here for tent and RV(price varies by season). The parking entrance fee is $12/vehicle which is higher than most parks but if you are spending a whole day here, it's worth it. Dogs are allowed but it's $3 per dog. You can reserve an entire picnic area for yourself for the day, so definitely good for large events! read more

Rancho Seco Recreational Area - Recreation Centers Near Me - Herald, California

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Very nice campground. Spots up to teen numbers are spacious and most have shade. However, not very level so bring extra levels. Spots in teens are close together and not much shade. Bathroom by the tent/RV area gross by end of day. Our dogs loved the dog park and swimming. The recreational area looks very nice and quite crowded in a Saturday. Sadly, people drive unbelievably fast on the road through the campground area to the little store. Dangerously fast when you're this close to families camping. Probably a couple more speed bumps would cure that problem. Cute stores with necessities, fishing supplies, fun gifts and swimming paraphernalia. Bugs... bring what you can to keep bugs off of you, out of your tents and trailers, and some thing for bug bites. read more

Worse campsite ever!! I wont come back this place again. It should call "prison" than camping. All lights have to off at 10pm, the security check in our site many times making sure no loud conversation, no light on. It is so dangerous for campers. Horrible read more

My family comes here for the summers but we had the most horrible experience this time im actually disappointed. It honestly felt like we were harassed the whole time security was always just parking on our site sitting there watching us. We rented out 4 sites all together so my family can all come and we were having regular conversations but the security told us to quiet down when i spent money for my family to have a good time and we felt uncomfortable talking after just cause we don't know what is to loud when they threatened its our last warning. read more

This park is great for Tent and RV campers. The dog park is large and a great place for them to swim. Beth is an absolute diamond in the rough and ee had a great time getting to know her. Rules are tight here...very tight. Dogs have to remain on a leash, security is everywhere. These guys are pretty nice too, but they are all over the place until after 1am. Bring a pole for bass or trout! We really enjoyed this place. I recommend they work on leveling the rv sites a little better, but other than that, no complaints. It's close to home and a great place to get away....we'll be back for sure! read more

Rancho Seco Recreational Area - Recreation Centers Near Me - Herald, California

Great camp area. Clean, quiet, nice store and great little Lake for kayaking and fishing. read more

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I didn't shower but my family did and the hot water sucked and turned off every 15 seconds. The place had barely any lighting even with flash lashes so very dangerous at night when walking to the bathroom. Major problems with staff as they told my parents three weeks ago they can have two pop ups on one site. After everything was set up and hours being there already and they have passed by numerous of times they only wanted to say something once everything was set up which was BS. They let my parents stay at the site with the two pop ups for the night but than in the morning pay for over flow which was 30$ which was more BS as they already paied for a site 6 months. Would not recommend coming here to camp. Will NOT be going back. read more

Rancho Seco? Should be called Rancho Sucko. Where do I begin? Showers sucked horribly. Turned off after 15-20 seconds because they're operated by a button and weren't even hot the whole time. Took me 20 minutes to wash my hair. Doesn't include washing my daughter's hair. The customer service sucked. My family booked FIVE sites SIX months in advance. One family member went three weeks prior to our visit to check out the sites since this was all of our first time camping here (we usually camp at Lake Pardee but they're closed for remodel). My family member was told information about which campsite he could put his pop up camper on after explaining that another family member would be on that site with a pop up camper as well. Friday comes around and both pop ups are being set up. One of their workers kept coming by every 2-5 minutes to harass us about "too many vehicles on our site" (we had two trucks and one pop up camper that was towed in by one of those). Then that employee came by to harass us about one of our dogs that had gotten out of the camper and we were trying to find the runner for her. Mind you, the camper the dog got out of was on the site that the two campers were on. Did she say anything about the two pop up campers on one site? Nope. An hour passes and another employee comes by and tells us that both the pop ups can't be on the site together. AFTER everything was set up. This was at 6pm. They had been there since 3pm. The other pop up had been there since 4-4:30pm. The representative who spoke to my family member three weeks prior claimed he never said that. My family member AND his wife were both present at this convo three weeks prior. Eventually, they ended up letting both pop ups stay for the night and said one had to be moved the next day. 8am comes around and they show up stating it had to be moved IMMEDIATELY or they would call the sheriff's. THEN, my family member was charged an additional $30 to park his pop up in the overflow parking with NO power hookups. This place can't get their rules straight. The individual at the main booth for check in when you drive in should've been checking this stuff prior to giving out the vehicle tags. Literally just gave last names (which you can see on the board when you pull in) and they give you a tag and off you go. No map of the place. No direction. Nothing. They also told us EVERYONE needs to wear a helmet while riding bicycles, but their rules/regulations does not reflect this. They were just adding rules and threatening that we'd be asked to leave if we don't abide to a rule that's not on their list. The ONLY nice service received was the nice girl in the beach store. But that minuscule amount of good customer service doesn't make camping or visiting here worth it. Horribly lit at night. Even with flashlights, you can't see ANYTHING. Dangerous for tent campers who don't have a toilet to use if they need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Never visiting there again. read more

The lake was great, but the showers sucked the people that work there suck! They told me one thing 3 weeks ago then we showed up this weekend and then they lied and said they never told me! Then I had 5 people tell me something different! Then after I paid six months ago for my spot that I couldn't stay at they charge me another $30 for a overflow spot. This place is garage never will I go back to this place again!!!! read more

Our favorite place to camp until recently. They changed staff and maybe management, too. Not friendly. Felt like we were constantly monitored. Way too many restrictions and not even nice about it. read more

Went to Rancho Seco to get away for just an overnight. It took forever to get reservations so when I saw a space available and I jumped on it. Very easy getting a reservation thru the web page. We got there and very easy checking in. Our space was paved and had water and electric hook ups. The weather was very windy and chilly. We had neighbors and never heard them. We didn't start a fire since it was so windy and dry. Just being cautious. We had a great view of the lake and geese swimming around. It was very enjoyable. Already looking for another time to come. Maybe 2 days the next time! read more

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RSRA=Family Fun! Such an awesome place to spend the night with your family. Checking-in and setting up camp was a breeze, with plenty of space at each campsite, you wont feel crowded at all. However you'll most likely hear your neighbors snores (about 80% of us probably need a sleep study!) Head on over to the beach where even the little ones can swim worry-free because at its deepest is only 5ft (always keep and eye on kids of course.) It seems crowded at first but once in the tepid water you'll realize how much room there is. The facilities are modern, clean, and well equipped for when duty calls. If you forget something (like me!) the beach store has plenty of camping supplies and floaties for you...I mean the kids...yeah um the kids. My only complaint: Be aware that the beach closes at 5:30ish not 6pm like indicated, which seems like such a waste of prime sun especially in July-August. read more

Hours are not ideal, if ppl paid for a day pass and already in your park let them stay until sunset. From my understanding they will start kicking ppl out at 3:30pm and if you're camping you can not fish or swim after 3:30pm as well. What a joke! read more