Turlock Lake State Recreation Area RV & Campground Guide
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Turlock Lake State Recreation Area is a lovely natural space located along the titular Turlock Lake. Found near such communities as La Grange, Turlock and Modesto, there's plenty to enjoy along the lush foothills of the San Joaquin Valley. The weather skews fairly warm at all times of the year with summer temperatures regularly hitting 90 degrees or higher. This makes the park, which stretches from Turlock Lake to parts of the Tuolumne River, an ideal place for activities like swimming, boating and fishing. It's also a great place to camp out in a tent or an RV if you like enjoying the starry night skies.
Spring 57-75 F
Summer 61-92 F
Fall 52-77 F
Winter 40-58 F
RV Resorts & Campsites in Turlock Lake State Recreation Area
If you want to get the most out of your road trip, consider getting an RV rental. You'll have a traveling hotel on wheels that can take you to your favorite landmarks. Plus, most RVs have more than enough space to carry all your fishing and hiking supplies.
Take full advantage of the RVing experience by staying at one of these RV campgrounds while visiting Turlock Lake State Recreation Area.
Turlock Lake State Recreation Area Campgrounds
The best way to enjoy Turlock Lake State Recreation Area in your RV is to camp right in the park. At $36 per night, you've got a great value in addition to being right up in the action with all the amazing sights, sounds and experiences you can enjoy at the park. Camping is a bit sparse with no hookups, Wi-Fi or the like, but the essentials like bathrooms and showers are still available. Pets are also allowed at the campgrounds.
Kit Fox RV Park
Kit Fox RV Park is a fairly new feature in the Modesto area's RVing landscape. At only $50 per night (plus discounts are available), you can enjoy a beautifully maintained and well-designed campground. You'll also get amenities like full hookups, large paved sites, free Wi-Fi, laundry and showers, a dump station, bathrooms, a clubhouse, DirecTV and plenty more. Pets are also welcomed in the facility.
Modesto Reservoir
The Modesto Reservoir is another wonderful outdoor camping space that welcomes RVers. Spots are available for $30 per night in most places with full hookups, picnic areas, restrooms, an archery range and more. There's even a field dedicated to RC plane flying. However, the most popular attraction is the reservoir, which is used for everything from swimming and fishing to bird-watching. Your pets can also enjoy the great outdoors alongside you.
What to Do at
Turlock Lake State Recreation Area
Inside Turlock Lake State Recreation Area
Turlock Lake State Recreation Area has tons to offer guests whether they come to camp or just visit for a day. Since the recreation area covers the north end of Turlock Lake and the Tuolumne River that feeds into it, it's safe to say that a lot of your activities will focus on the water. Swimming, boating, fishing, diving and more are enjoyed by campers throughout the year. Bird-watching and picnicking are also fairly popular as are hiking and cycling through the trails. There's also a wealth of native plants and animals to observe as you explore.
How to Get to
Turlock Lake State Recreation Area
Finding your way to Turlock Lake State Recreation Area is a fairly simple matter. From Main Street in Turlock, you'll want to turn left onto East Avenue and follow it around 4.7 miles. You'll then turn left onto North Hickman Road. Once you get to Waterford, turn right on Yosemite Boulevard. At Roberts Ferry, you'll turn right and go over the river. Take Roberts Ferry Road until it merges with Lake Road and veer left. You'll be able to enter the recreation area on your right.
By Car
Entering Turlock Lake State Recreation Area
The park is open from sunrise to sunset each day, which makes the actual hours of operation somewhat flexible and determinant on the season (think somewhere around 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.).
Turlock Lake State Recreation Area Per vehicle : $12.0
For day use
Turlock Lake State Recreation Area is a fantastic place to experience the unique sights and sounds of central California. When you're out there on your vacation, remember to take lots of pictures and save those memories. You could even send a few of them to the team at RVshare by tagging the site on social media or emailing your photos to [email protected]. RVshare might even feature the pictures it gets in an upcoming blog post.
Frequently Asked Questions About Turlock Lake State Recreation Area
Turlock Lake State Recreation Area boasts a sizable campground with 62 total campsites, and they can all accommodate RVs. There is an on-site dump station, but no RV hookups are provided.
Pets are permitted at Turlock Lake State Recreation Area for no additional cost, but there are a couple of rules. For example, your pets will need to be attended to and kept on leashes at all times.
The park experiences hot summers and mild winters. During the summer, the area can regularly exceed 95 degrees, but the temperature rarely drops lower than 45 during the winter. There's sporadic rainfall between November and March.
You can enjoy excellent bird-watching and wildlife viewing while visiting the park. The area is home to beavers, gray foxes, muskrats, bullfrogs, turtles, coyotes, deer, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, valley quails, hawks, and a variety of other bird species.
Although Turlock Lake State Recreation Area doesn't feature any ADA-compliant facilities, there is an ADA-accessible bathroom near the swimming beach. Additionally, there are designated accessible parking spots available at the park.