Cities near the park:

Folsom Lake SRA

State Recreation Area

Folsom Lake SRA is implementing a Service Reduction Plan in order to meet a portion of the $14.2 million budget reduction the entire Department is facing this fiscal year. In order to realize significant savings to help meet this budget reduction while limiting impacts to the many visitors who enjoy our State Parks, certain outlying park units will be closed and park hours will be reduced starting November 1, 2009. In order to maintain a high quality of service and public safety during the busier season we must reduce services during the slower season.

Located at the base of the Sierra foothills, the lake and recreation area offers opportunities for hiking, biking, running, camping, picnicking, horseback riding, water-skiing and boating. Fishing offers trout, catfish, big and small mouth bass or perch. Visitors can also see the Folsom Powerhouse (once called "the greatest operative electrical plant on the American continent"), which from 1885 to 1952 produced 11,000 volts of electricity for Sacramento residents. For cyclists, there is a 32-mile long bicycle path that connects Folsom Lake with many Sacramento County parks before reaching Old Sacramento. The park also includes Lake Natoma, downstream from Folsom Lake, which is popular for crew races, sailing, kayaking and other aquatic sports.

The Oaks Nature Trail - Take A Hike!
The trail is just over three quarters of a mile and is located in Folsom Lake SRA. It is a natural trail that is accessible for the disabled and is considered easy for all fitness levels. There are interpretive panels located throughout the trail. Nature enthusiasts will enjoy the oak woodland, lake shore views and the various creek side habitats. Wildlife that can be seen include: deer, fox, wild turkeys and various reptiles.
 Trail Map

Location
Folsom Lake State Recreation Area is located in the Sierra-Nevada foothills about 25 miles east of Sacramento, can be reached via either Highway 50 or I-80. Both Folsom Lake and Lake Natoma have many access points and entrances. The administrative offices are located at the base of Folsom Dam at the corner of Folsom-Auburn Road and Dam Road in Folsom, California.
Latitude/Longitude: 38.7075 / -121.1549
 
Park Entrances
The park has multiple entrances most of which are fairly easily accessed by either Interstate 80 to Douglas Blvd.(east), or Highway 50 to Hazel Ave., or Folsom Blvd., (north).

Directions to the Peninsula campground:
80 east Reno
From Hwy 80 take the Elm St. exit out of the city of Auburn, at the 1st light make a left, at your very next light you will make another left that is High St.  High St turns  into Hwy 49 you will travel on Hwy 49 for 10 miles towards the city of Cool. You will enter a small town called Pilot Hill from that small town you will turn right on Rattlesnake Bar Rd. that road will dead end into the campground in 9 miles.

Hwy 50 S.Lake Tahoe
From Hwy 50 you will take the El Dorado Hills Blvd. exit go north on El Dorado hills for about 10 miles (at some point the road changes names to Salmon Falls Rd.) you will enter the small town of Pilot Hill you will make a left on Rattlesnake Bar Rd. which dead ends onto the campground in 9 miles.

Directions to the Beals Point campground:
80 east Reno
From Hwy 80 you will take the Douglas Blvd. exit out of the city of Roseville. Go east on Douglas for about 6 miles make a right on Auburn-Folsom Rd. go about 2 ½ miles until you  come to a stop light the sign will say Beals Point and you make a left.

Hwy 50 SLAKE Tahoe
Take the Folsom Blvd. exit go north on Folsom for about 7 miles (the road will change names to Folsom-Auburn) you will come to a stop light, the sign will say Baals Point and you make a right.

Transportation to the Park
A variety of transportation methods are available to park visitors at Folsom Lake and Lake Natoma. With its urban setting and the accessibility of the parks entrances, local bus services can be used reach Folsom Lake and Lake Natoma. Private vehicles as well as bicycles, horseback, and foot travel are the most frequently used methods of park entry.

Visit Recommendations
The primary recreation season coincides with the spring and summer months when temperatures are in the 80s, 90s and 100s.

Visitation is highest from April through September. In the spring months when school is still in session, evenings and weekends are the times of highest lake activity.

Climate, Recommended Clothing
Summers at Folsom Lake State Recreation Area are generally hot and dry. Dress lightly for high temperatures but be careful of over exposure to the sun.

Winters can be very cold with lengthy periods of central valley fog conditions. Dress in layers as the damp can bring on a penetrating chill.

Spring and Fall offer warm days and cooler evenings and nights. Dress in layers.

Good walking shoes are a must when exploring any of the park trails. Shoes or sandals are recommended on the lake's beaches and boat ramp areas.

Participate in the General Plan Update Process
The California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), recently began work on the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area General Plan and Resource Management Plan Update.

This two-year process will update the current plan and the long-range vision for the park. It will also result in a new plan that will guide the protection of natural and cultural resources, provide for and manage recreational opportunities, and outline the future development of public facilities.

Park Features Icon Legend
Max Camper Length: 31 Feet
Max Trailer Length: 31 Feet

California Reminds Boaters and Water Users: Don't Move a Mussel!