San Luis Reservoir

Merced County, Diablo Range, Central Valley, California · State Recreation Area

California's fifth-largest reservoir nestled in the Diablo Range foothills near Los Banos. Popular for boating, windsurfing, striped bass fishing, and camping. Strong winds make it a renowned windsurfing destination, with hiking trails and multiple campgrounds on-site.

Campgrounds

• Group Sites — Year-round · 2 tent sites · reserve
• San Luis Creek Campground — Year-round · 1 tent sites · reserve
• Los Banos Creek Campground — Year-round · 14 tent sites · reserve
• Medeiros Campground — Closed (checked 2026-08-01) · January – July · 125 tent sites · reserve
• Basalt Campground — Closed (checked 2026-08-03) · 79 sites

Top trails

• San Luis Reservoir Northwest Access Trail — 1.2 mi
• San Luis Creek Accessible Trail — 2.5 mi one way
• Lone Oak Trail — 1.8 mi one way
• Romero Visitor Center Overlook — 0.4 mi
• Rants Peak — 0.6 mi one way

Coordinates: 37.0561, -121.1138.

Get the Explore app for offline maps, live conditions, and every spot in California. Data sources.