Lake Natoma

Could be the best place for water rec in the area... almost. The good: perfect place to paddleboard, kayak, fish or swim. Huge floating area that can easily accommodate lots of people without feeling too crowded. Lots of inlets to explore and nature (deer, bald eagles, etc.) to see. Hardly any current and (usually) no boat wake so it's easy enough that kids can have a blast. And friendly rangers and lifeguards on beaches. Now the disappointing: I have yet to go when there is not a handful of people that bring speakers and blast music from their boards. I'm fine if people want to listen to music just for your small board radius, but the volume they set seems to be for the benefit of the whole lake. And unfortunately it's often the people with the most questionable taste in music that seem to crank it the loudest. The level of explicit lyrics and zero shame even when kids are nearby is pretty sad. Nobody wakes up and hauls all their gear out onto the water to hear somebody else's music. If they did, they wouldn't bring a speaker, they'd just enjoy their fellow boaters broadcasts. And there is quite a bit of beer etc being consumed so it's possible some people are too faded to realize how loud they have it? But noise carries extremely well over still water unlike the ocean so less is seriously more in this case. So if you go and you're actually there to enjoy nature, maybe pack some earplugs. And a last heads up for swimmers, there is supposedly a no wake or low speed boat rule but twice now I've seen boats flying down the channel and almost hit a swimmer in the water. I had to quickly paddle in front of a swimmer so the boat would change course, and the guy had just been staring at his phone. He also was blasting music so wouldn't have heard anyone warning him anyways. Definitely use the neon floats for distance swimming and hopefully they'll start patroling the boat traffic before someone gets hurt. Good luck!

Great place for fun family picnic or to beat the heat in the summer time. If you also, are looking to Paddle board, kayak's or fishing with an easy convince boat launching area this place is for you. You can purchase yearly parking pass to enjoy all year round. The park does get pretty pack during the summer. Have mind It's a first come first service bases. Security comes by to check often which is great. Sac State aquatic center right across the lake rents out water equipments if you don't have your own.

Lake Natoma offers a wealth of different activities and honestly is becoming one of my local favorite waterways. All of the waterways in this area falls under the Folsom SRA but I really wouldn't consider Natoma in the same way I think of Folsom Lake. One of the best things to do out here is to bike or walk the perimeter of Lake Natoma. You can park at the hatchery for free and bike all the way up to Folsom and back. There is a lot of elevation changes but it is quite a picturesque loop and hard not to stop when you visit early in the morning or later in the evening. Another activity that I have been enjoying lately is kayaking on this lake. The two man beaches seem to be along the Nimbus Flat or Black Miners Bar Beach areas. You can enjoy the beaches or even better take a kayak and explore the lake.Dont sleep on this place if you have younger kids, even with the high water level along the American River, this area is still slow moving and there are quite a few places to visit!

Okay, so the review that I'm writing is for Lake Natoma, which is the entire portion of the American River between Folsom Dam and Nimbus Dam.The address on this business page is for Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, which is different, and which there is already a dedicated Yelp page for. There is no State Recreation Area named "Lake Natoma." Rather, there are actually several different state recreation areas from which one can access Lake Natoma. Off the top of my head, these include Folsom Lake SRA, Nimbus Flat, Hazel Overlook, Willow Creek, Beal's Point, Mississippi Bar, Folsom Powerhouse, Negro Bar, and more. Several facilities offer kayak rentals on Lake Natoma. The most popular ones that I know of are the Sac State Aquatic Center on Hazel, and Adventure Sports Rentals in Folsom. My daughter and I have gone kayaking on Lake Natoma from the aquatic center many times, and every single time has been a wonderful and memorable experience.Lake Natoma is surrounded by trails. For cycling, these include the American River Bike Trail, Lake Natoma Trail, and Johnny Cash Trail. For hikers and equestrians, there are the Pioneer Express and Jedediah Smith Memorial Trails.While popular hiking websites state that the hike around the lake is only about 12 miles, it's actually more like 18, if you go around the entire lake.However, it's easy to split into an 11 mile and a 7 mile portion. The 11 mile loop, starting in Historic Folsom, would include Lake Natoma Trail, crossing the river at Hazel to the American River Bike Trail, and finally crossing the river again at the Historic Truss Bridge to close the loop in Old Folsom.The 7 mile loop, starting in Historic Folsom, would cross the Historic Truss Bridge to the American River Bike Trail to Folsom Dam, then cross that dam to the Johnny Cash Trail, back to Historic Folsom. This loop is pretty easy, and usually takes just over two hours to complete. Optionally, one can add a few miles by extending the hike/ride up to Beal's Point, which is about a mile and a half up the American River Bike Trail from Folsom Dam.While the hiking trails run roughly adjacent to the cycling trails, they are much longer, overall. Hiking around the lake on the Pioneer Express and Jedediah Smith Memorial Trails takes about 20 miles.As to flora and fauna on Lake Natoma, there is way too much for me to name. Folsom is a popular nesting spot for bald eagles, which rest in the ancient blue oaks on the bluffs high above the river. California wild grapes, blackberries, and figs line the lower shores. Just a few miles away from the aquatic center, near Mississippi Bar, there is a protected heron rookery. Kayaking past this area, one is rewarded with views of white and blue herons and egrets.When I first moved to Folsom, I was so confused by the term "Lake Natoma." As I've mentioned, it's actually just a segment of the American River. As the crow flies, it's only about 6 miles long, but a hike all the way around, including crossing over both dams, is closer to 18-20 miles.

Folsom area is a once a summer journey. For the second straight year I biked the area...the paths are set up nicely and the beach/picnic area and trails at Lake Natoma seemed the nicest of them all. We went before the dangerous heat and had a great time.

Beautiful park where you can bike, hike, swim, and do all sorts of water activities. Clean and safe. Has picnic tables and bbq grills. Bathrooms are private and clean. Just a great place to visit. They also have a life guard on duty and free life vests to borrow. A rental company has been set up for renting kayaks and paddle boards. Close to Old Town Folsom and the American River.

I go cycling by lake Natoma year round, place is very well maintained. Trails are clean. Nice place to get out.

Lake Natoma is truly a gem spot in Sacramento that epitomizes the beauty of this area and the many recreational activities that may be enjoyed here. Paddle-Boarding, kayaking, windsurfing, sailing, swimming...you name it! This is a gorgeous, flat-water area for safe water sports. There's no need to drive far away for paddling sports when you can just go here. I recommend meeting friends here with a picnic basket and have fun during the many hot summer days here. Spending time on the water makes it easier to enjoy summers here.

Muy bonito lago para ir con la familia, sus baños muy limpios . Me gustó el lugar para ir con niños pequeños.

Great lake to go with family and spend all day. It is a perfect combination for picnic spot, bbq day at the lake, beach for kids and adults, water activities like kayaking, peddle boats and sail boats. The lake has cute ducks as well. Great parking which is close to the set up spot so it's easy to load and unload your stuff.