California's best lakes
California's best lakes, ranked by our curation, with camping and facilities on each page.
Updated 2026-08-03.
- Big Bear Lake — Lake · 8 campgrounds
- South Lake — Lake
- Ediza Lake — Lake
- Twin Lakes (Mammoth) — Lake · 1 campground
- Lake Aloha — Lake
- Lake Mary — Lake · 3 campgrounds
- Thousand Island Lake — Lake · 1 campground
- Fallen Leaf Lake — Lake · 1 campground
- Lake Sabrina — Lake · 1 campground
- Wrights Lake — Lake · 2 campgrounds
- Lake Arrowhead — Lake · 3 campgrounds
- Caples Lake — Lake · 1 campground
- Don Pedro Reservoir — Lake · 3 campgrounds
- Lake Isabella — Lake · 8 campgrounds
- Pyramid Lake — Lake · 1 campground
- Silver Lake — Lake · 2 campgrounds
- Huntington Lake — Lake · 6 campgrounds
- Lake Almanor — Lake · 3 campgrounds
- Lake Thomas A. Edison — Lake · 1 campground
- Grant Lake — Lake · 1 campground
- Eagle Lake — Lake
- Union Valley Reservoir — Lake
- Crowley Lake — Lake · 3 campgrounds
- Silver Lake (June Lake Loop) — Lake · 1 campground
- Trinity Lake — Lake · 7 campgrounds
- Pinecrest Lake — Lake · 2 campgrounds
- Lake Berryessa — Lake · 5 campgrounds
- Bass Lake — Lake · 5 campgrounds
- Loon Lake — Lake
- Lake Nacimiento — County Reservoir & Recreation Area · 1 trails
Campground status on Explore is checked against official booking calendars, not reviews — 78 campgrounds carry a checked date. Sources.
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