Bass Lake (Oakhurst)
Bass Lake is one of the most popular vacation spots in Central California. Here you can enjoy the great outdoors and all of its activities. Speaking of the great outdoors, John Candy's The Great Outdoors was filmed here.

Lake McClure & Lake McSwain (Merced)
There are five major recreation areas at Lakes McClure and McSwain: Lake McSwain, McClure Point, Barrett Cove, Horseshoe Bend and Bagby. They have an average elevation of 400 to 1,000 feet, and provide pine and oak woodland settings. All areas offer swimming and sandy beaches.

Turlock Lake State Recreation Area (Turlock)
Open all year and featuring camping, picnicking, fishing, swimming, boating, water skiing, and clean country air, the area offers visitors an opportunity to see the wonderful variety of native plant life that once flourished alongside the rivers of the San Joaquin Valley.

San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area (Los Banos)
Nestled in the grassy hills of the western San Joaquin Valley near historic Pacheco Pass, San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area is noted for boating, board sailing, camping, and picnicking. But it’s anglers who find the unit’s three lakes most inviting.

Millerton Lake State Recreation Area (Fresno)
With over 40 miles of shore land for water sports, this SRA offers visitors swimming, fishing, and boating. The hills surrounding the lake provide good hiking opportunities. Wildlife in the park includes ground squirrels, cottontails, mule deer, badgers and bald and golden eagles. During winter, the park has special boat tours to view the bald eagles.