Our family getaway in the Airstream this month was to Beals Point at Folsom Lake.  We chose this campground for a few reasons. We were looking for a destination that was close to Apple Hill, had access to water (because of the heat this time of the year), and closer to the Bay Area. We knew we would get stuck in Friday night traffic and didn’t want to get in too late Friday night. The hookups were an added bonus so we could run the AC when the temps became too much for us to bear. It turned out to be a gem of a spot. The RV loop is separate from the tent loop, the sites had paved pads, and the surrounding brush provided some privacy between sites. The bathrooms facilities were flush and offered coin operated showers. They were relatively new, clean and well maintained over the weekend. There were lots of hiking and biking trails next to the campground and the lake with day use just a short walk away. The biggest drawback besides the heat and of course the drought was the proximity to the busy highway and the noise of the cars.

Dogs are allowed on the trails, in the campground, day use side, pretty much everywhere except on the swimming beach.  Now of course the swimming beach doesn’t really exist right now due to the lack of water to the swimming beach…so, this was not a huge concern.  It was great too, to have our dog with us everywhere we went.  Lady and I enjoyed our morning and evening walks on the trails and through the day use side. We even hiked down to the lake. Wow is the water so far from the shore. We enjoyed seeing jack rabbits, bunnies and lots of birds. Luckily no rattlesnakes. On Saturday we enjoyed a late picnic dinner by the lake and the kids went swimming. Due to the heat there were many more people out in the evening than during midday and the day use stayed opened until 9pm. The kids loved swimming in the dark and using flashlights to hike back up to the park.

The temperatures were in the 100’s here all weekend.  It was so hot, the kids were grateful to have the water and didn’t mind the long trek to get to the water’s edge.

When the lake levels are near normal, I imagine this is a very popular place to be. There is a large swimming area with beach and lifeguards, snack shack, and water sports rentals facility. There are BBQ’s, benches, tables and grassy areas all with access to the lake. We look forward to returning some day and seeing this lake in its full glory.