San Luis ReservoirState Recreation Area - California |
San Luis Reservoir is part of the larger San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area (California State Parks) and therefore offers many recreational opportunities for fishermen, boaters, and campers. The park is patrolled by California State Park Peace Officers by vehicle, vessel, and off-highway vehicle. In addition to camping and boating, day use picnic areas are available at San Luis Creek, and an off-highway vehicle (OHV) area is available east of the main area at the intersection of Gonzaga Road and Jaspar-Sears Road.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Luis_Reservoir#San_Luis_Reservoir_State_Recreation_Area
San Luis Reservoir is part of the larger San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area (California State Parks) and therefore offers many recreational opportunities for fishermen, boaters, and campers. The park is patrolled by California State Park Peace Officers by vehicle, vessel, and off-highway vehicle. In addition to camping and boating, day use picnic areas are available at San Luis Creek, and an off-highway vehicle (OHV) area is available east of the main area at the intersection of Gonzaga Road and Jaspar-Sears Road.
San Luis
Reservoir
State Recreation Area
Our Mission
The mission of California State Parks is
to provide for the health, inspiration and
education of the people of California by helping
to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological
diversity, protecting its most valued natural and
cultural resources, and creating opportunities
for high-quality outdoor recreation.
Water
or its scarcity
has always played
a crucial role in
Central Valley history.
California State Parks supports equal access.
Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who
need assistance should contact the park at
(209) 826-1197. If you need this publication in an
alternate format, contact interp@parks.ca.gov.
CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS
P.O. Box 942896
Sacramento, CA 94296-0001
For information call: (800) 777-0369
(916) 653-6995, outside the U.S.
711, TTY relay service
www.parks.ca.gov
San Luis Reservoir
State Recreation Area
31426 Gonzaga Road
Gustine, CA 95322 (209) 826-1197
www.parks.ca.gov/sanluisreservoir
© 2011 California State Parks (Rev. 2017)
N
estled in the western San Joaquin
Valley near historic Pacheco Pass, San Luis
Reservoir State Recreation Area is a popular
summer destination for anyone seeking the
perfect place to cool off. Spring rains bring
acres of wildflowers to decorate the grassy
hills at the reservoir. These oak-studded
hills undergo a short cycle of spring green,
followed by the golden browns of summer.
Summer temperatures in this part of the
valley range from the mid-90s to above
100 degrees. Generally, evenings are cool
and pleasant. Annual rainfall between
November and April averages eight to nine
inches. Winter temperatures seldom reach
freezing, but heavy fog is common. Strong
winds can come up suddenly.
PARK HISTORY
Native People
For thousands of years, the southern half
of California’s Central Valley was home
to three distinct Yokuts groups — the
Southern, the Foothill, and the Northern
Valley Yokuts. The area that is now San Luis
Reservoir was a borderland between the
Northern Yokuts people and the Mutsun
branch of the Ohlone tribe, whose territory
extended to the coast. The native people
lived on salmon and other fish, waterfowl,
large game such as pronghorns and tule elk,
seeds, roots of the cattails that grew in the
marshes, and a plentiful supply of acorns
from groves of valley oaks.
European Settlement
In 1805 Spanish Army Lieutenant Gabriel
Moraga and his troops — reportedly the
first non-natives to enter this area — came
to scout potential mission sites. The Yokuts
were forcibly brought into the mission
system at nearby Mission San Juan Bautista,
drastically changing their lives. Indian
resistance to the missions took the form
of cattle raids; what is now Pacheco Pass
provided raiders an escape route into the
relative safety of the Central Valley.
The Mexican government granted El
Rancho San Luis Gonzaga — a vast expanse
of grasslands that included the present
reservoir area — to Juan Perez Pacheco in
1843. At the site of an ancient water hole on
San Luis Creek, Pacheco’s men built a small
adobe fortress to protect their lands from
cattle raiders.
Fur trapper Jedediah Smith traveled
through the valley in 1827; soon others were
trapping river otters, beavers, and other
fur-bearers in the flourishing streams.
After the 1848 gold discovery, California
drew an estimated 300,000 gold diggers
trying to get rich quickly.
Eventually, some of the miners — tired
of heavy labor for small reward — settled
in this area and became farmers. While
the fertile east side of the Central Valley
was ideal for farming, the west side,
however, was extremely dry.
Agriculture in the Valley
In the early years after the gold rush,
agriculture on the dry side of the valley
was limited to sheep and cattle grazing,
and to what old-timers called “sky
farming.” This precarious dry-land wheat
farming depended entirely on the winter
rainfall. When little rain fell, entire crops
were lost.
In 1871 the San Joaquin and Kings River
Canal Company built an irrigation canal
from the Mendota Dam to Los Baños
Creek that eventually grew to 180 miles
in length.
By the mid-1880s, wheat had reached a
harvest peak of nearly 18 million bushels
annually. Farmers shipped their wheat to
Stockton and
San Francisco
by river
steamers until
the railroad
came to the
west valley
in 1888.
Irrigation also made it possible for
farmers to raise dairy cows and grow alfalfa,
fruit trees, and row crops. Irrigation and
flood control projects proliferated in the
Central Valley in the 1900s, culminating in
the State Water Project.
The Reservoir
Ground was broken for construction of the
San Luis Reservoir in 1962. The reservoir
stores runoff water from the Delta for the
federal Central Valley Project and the
California State Water Project.
The water arrives through the California
Aqueduct and the Delta-Mendota Canal,
pumped from the O’Neill Forebay into the
main reservoir during winter and spring.
The separate Los Baños Creek Reservoir
prevents storm runoff i
Área recreativa estatal
San Luis
Reservoir
Nuestra Misión
La misión de California State Parks es proporcionar
apoyo para la salud, la inspiración y la educación
de los ciudadanos de California al ayudar a
preservar la extraordinaria diversidad biológica
del estado, proteger sus más valiosos recursos
naturales y culturales, y crear oportunidades para
la recreación al aire libre de alta calidad.
El agua
o su escasez
siempre ha jugado
un papel crucial
en la historia
del Valle Central
California State Parks apoya la igualdad de
acceso. Antes de llegar, los visitantes con
discapacidades que necesiten asistencia
deben comunicarse con el parque llamando al
(209) 826-1197. Si necesita esta publicación
en un formato alternativo, escriba a
interp@parks.ca.gov.
CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS
P.O. Box 942896
Sacramento, CA 94296-0001
Para obtener más información, llame al:
(800) 777-0369 o (916) 653-6995, fuera de
los EE. UU. o 711, servicio de teléfono
de texto.
www.parks.ca.gov
San Luis Reservoir
State Recreation Area
31426 Gonzaga Road
Gustine, CA 95322 (209) 826-1197
www.parks.ca.gov/sanluisreservoir
© 2011 California State Parks (Rev. 2017)
U
bicada en el oeste del Valle de San
Joaquín, cerca del histórico Pacheco Pass,
el Área Recreativa Estatal del Embalse de
San Luis es un popular destino veraniego
para cualquiera que busque el lugar
perfecto para refrescarse. Las lluvias de
primavera traen acres de flores silvestres
para decorar las colinas cubiertas de hierba
en el embalse. Estas colinas cubiertas
de robles experimentan un ciclo corto de
verde primaveral, seguido de los marrones
dorados del verano.
Las temperaturas veraniegas en esta
parte del valle van desde mediados de
los 90 a más de 100 grados. En general,
las noches son frescas y agradables. La
precipitación anual entre noviembre y abril
promedia de ocho a nueve pulgadas. Las
temperaturas invernales rara vez alcanzan
el punto de congelación, pero la niebla
densa es común. Los vientos fuertes
pueden aparecer de repente.
HISTORIA DEL PARQUE
Pueblos nativos
Durante miles de años, la mitad sur del
Valle Central de California fue hogar de tres
grupos distintos de Yokut, los Yokut del sur,
del pie de la colina y del valle del norte.
El área que ahora forma el embalse de
San Luis era una frontera entre el pueblo
Yokut del norte y la rama Mutsun de la tribu
Ohlone, cuyo territorio se extendía hasta la
costa. Los nativos vivían de salmón y otros
peces, aves acuáticas, presas grandes como
los berrendos y los ciervos canadienses,
semillas, raíces de las aneas que crecían
en las ciénagas y un abundante suministro
de bellotas de las arboledas de los robles
del valle.
Colonización europea
En 1805 el teniente del ejército español
Gabriel Moraga y sus tropas — según los
informes, los primeros no nativos en entrar
en esta área — vinieron a explorar posibles
sitios de misión. Los Yokut fueron llevados
por la fuerza al sistema de misiones en
la cercana Misión San Juan Bautista, lo
que cambió drásticamente sus vidas. La
resistencia indígena a las misiones tomó la
forma de incursiones contra el ganado; lo
que ahora se conoce como Pacheco Pass
proporcionó a los incursores una ruta de
escape hacia la relativa seguridad del
Valle Central.
El gobierno mexicano otorgó El Rancho
San Luis Gonzaga — una vasta extensión
de pastizales que incluía la actual área del
embalse — a Juan Perez Pacheco en 1843.
En el sitio de un antiguo pozo de agua en
San Luis Creek, los hombres de Pacheco
construyeron una pequeña fortaleza de
adobe para proteger sus tierras de los
saqueadores de ganado.
El cazador de pieles Jedediah Smith
viajó por el valle en 1827; pronto otros
se encontraron atrapando nutrias de río,
castores y otros portadores de pieles
en las corrientes florecientes. Después
del descubrimiento del oro en 1848,
California atrajo a aproximadamente 300
000 buscadores de oro que intentaban
hacerse ricos rápidamente.
Eventualmente, algunos de los
mineros — cansados del trabajo pesado
por una pequeña recompensa — se
establecieron en esta área y se
convirtieron en agricultores. Aunque
el fértil lado oriental del Valle Central
era ideal para la agricultura, el lado
occidental era extremadamente seco.
AGRICULTURA EN EL VALLE
En los primeros años después de la
fiebre del oro, la agricultura en el lado
árido del valle se limitaba al pastoreo de
ovejas y ganado, y a lo que los veteranos
llamaban “cultivo del cielo”. Este precario
cultivo de trigo en tierra árida dependía
completamente de
la lluvia invernal.
Cuando llovía poco,
se perdían
cultivos enteros.
En 1871, la
compañía San
Joaquin and Kings River Canal Company
construyó un canal de irrigación desde la
presa Mendota hasta Los Baños Creek que
eventualmente creció hasta 180 millas
de longitud.
A mediados de la década de 1880, el
trigo había alcanzado un pico de cosecha
de casi 18 millones de bushel al año. Los
agricultores enviaban su trigo a Stockton y
San Francisco en barcos de vapor fluviales
hasta que el ferrocarril llegó al valle oes
Legend
San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area
Accessible Feature
Bicycle Trail
• High winds can come up quickly;
wind warning lights will flash.
YELLOW (caution) wind speeds of
15-30 mph.
RED (lake closed) wind speeds
over 30 mph. GET OFF THE WATER!
• Boating pattern is counter-clockwise
on O’Neill Forebay.
• Beware of submerged hazards due
to fluctuating water levels.
• Check for current water levels at
http://cdec.water.ca.gov
• Day-use areas close at sunset. All
boats must be off the water and out of
the gated area by sunset.
• No boats are allowed within ‘500 of
the dam or trash racks.
• Speed limit is 5 mph within 200 ft of
shoreline and on Los Banos Creek
Reservoir. The main reservoir and the
O’Neill Forebay have 10 mph zones.
Point Rd.
Horse Campground
Group
Campground
Romero
Visitor
Center
Restrooms
San Luis
Reservoir
RV Station
O’Neill
Forebay
Sisk
Dam
Wind Warning Light
Check # 13
MEDEIROS CAMPGROUND
LIFE JACKET.
For emergencies call
16
14 15
11 12
10
9
8
7 6
5
2 4
3
1
Accessible Trail to Check #12
San Luis Creek Campground
53 Developed sites with
water and electric
79 Developed sites
Pioneer Rd.
33
an
yon
Rd
Lake
Speed
Limit
152
911.
©2006 California State Parks (Rev. 2010)
13
Basalt Campground
152
LOS BAÑOS CREEK
CAMPGROUND
79
39
41 40 77 78
43 42
76
75
44
45
73 74
46
47
48
72 71
50 49
70
69
51
68
52
67
66
53 54
65
64
55 56
63 62
57 58
61
59
60
C
It FloatsYou Don’t!
BASALT
CAMPGROUND
38
Canyon Rd.
Wear your
Gonzaga Rd.
Jasper Sears
Basalt Rd.
PACHECO
STATE PARK
24 22
23 21
20 19
18
17
Motorcycle Trail Area
Ranger Station
33
24 22
28 26 25 23 20
29 27 21 19
17 18
30 31
15 16
34 32
13
33
11 14
35
10 12
3 5 7 9
8
4
6
Locked Gate
Trail
I-5
36
37
1
2
Horse Trail
Telephone
SANTA
NELLA
SAN LUIS CREEK
CAMPGROUND
152
Dinosaur
Hiking
Showers
Check # 12
DINOSAUR
POINT
Campground
Volta Rd.
BOATING SAFETY
Boat Launch
35
37 36
39 38
34 33
41 40
42 43
31
32
45 44
30
46 29
48
28
49 2627
25
50 52
51
53
Between road
and shoreline
Medeiros Campground
5
MPH
Los Baños Creek
Campground
LOS BAÑOS RESERVOIR
Maps Not To Scale
San Luis
Reservoir State
Recreation Area
31426 Gonzaga Rd., Gustine, CA 95322-9737
Merced County • (209) 826-1197
FOR YOUR SAFETY AND ENJOYMENT
In developed campgrounds, vehicles must remain on
roads at all times and may park only in designated areas.
Eight (8) persons, two vehicles (including trailers)
maximum per developed campsite.
Dogs must be on a leash no more than six feet long and
must be kept inside a tent or vehicle at night. Noisy or
vicious pets are not allowed.
Use of stereos, radios, tools, etc. that emit sound beyond
the immediate campsite is not permitted at any time.
Quiet hours are from 10 p.m to 6 a.m. Generator
operation is permitted from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. only.
Fires allowed in grills only. NO GROUND FIRES ARE
PERMITTED.
Wood gathering is not allowed. Wood is for sale at the park
entrance, or at the camp host site. Please remember that
all plants, animals, and other park features are protected
by law.
Campground check-out time is noon.
CAMPING
San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area has four campgrounds: Basalt, San Luis Creek, Medeiros, and Los Banos
Creek. All campgrounds are open year round. Campsite
use must be paid for in advance. In order to accommodate
the greatest number of visitors possible, your stay cannot exceed 15 consecutive days at a campsite and 30 days
overall in state parks within one year.
DAY-USE
Group Picnic Sites: Five group picnic sites are along the
O’Neill Forebay shoreline throughout the North Beach
and South Beach day-use areas. Group picnic sites are
subject to reservation. Each site has a large shade ramada,
a large BBQ grill, and several cement tables. Group picnic
sites 1 through 4 are located on North Beach which has
a designated swim area. Dogs are prohibited on North
Beach. Boats are not allowed to beach. Group picnic area
5 is located on South Beach, where boats can be beached.
Dogs must remain on a leash and under immediate control
of its owner at all times. Flushable toilets and drinking
water are available on both beaches.
San Luis Creek Day Use Area: North and South Beach
day-use areas have about 200 picnic sites with shade
ramadas, tables, and BBQ grills. Both day-use areas
have plenty of shade and grass. North Beach is the only
designated swim area within San Luis Reservoir State
Recreation Area. Lifeguards are not on duty.
BOATING
San Luis Reservoir has a 65-mile shoreline with two boat
ramps. O’Neill Forebay has 14 miles of shoreline and one
boat ramp. Los Banos Reservoir has a 12-mile shoreline
located in a steep walled canyon; it has one boat ramp.
Boating hours for San Luis Reservoir, Los Banos
Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay are sunrise to sunset.
No boats allowed on the water overnight.
FEES
Fees apply for camping, day-use, boat launch, and for
additional vehicles. Prices are subject to change. Current
fee information can be obtained by calling the par
A GUIDE TO:
CALIFORNIA
OFF-HIGHWAY
ADVENTURES
OFF-HIGHWAY MOTOR VEHICLE
RECREATION DIVISION
CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS
WELCOME!
alifornia State Parks welcomes you to the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle
Recreation Program. Did you know that California State Parks manages the
largest off-highway recreation program in the United States? Established over
40 years ago, the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division, in partnership
with local, state, and federal agencies, offers a wide variety of off-highway
adventures to suit every skill level and age while protecting California's natural
and cultural resources.
C
Off-highway motor vehicle recreation is a great way to spend quality time
with friends and family and encourages healthy physical activity. Motorized
recreation opens the door for millions of people to access and enjoy California's
great outdoors. To help you better identify and enjoy off-highway vehicle
recreation opportunities, this Guide to California Off-Highway Adventures
provides a listing of trails and areas designated for motorized recreation.
People enjoy off-highway recreation in California, and appreciate the need to
protect our environment and preserve access to the outdoors. Those traveling
off-highway include a broad range of recreationists as diverse as the terrain of
California.
Regardless of whether you enjoy traveling with two wheels, four wheels,
hooves or your feet, we all share a common desire: the appreciation of
California's extraordinary natural landscape and love of the outdoors.
Respecting one another's right to recreate in their own personal and
responsible way and following basic trail etiquette will go far in reducing use
conflicts and enhancing your off-highway experience, wherever, and whatever
it might be.
So jump in and join us for a world of adventure that lies just down the road.
Of all the roads you take in life, make sure some of them are dirt! Fun and
excitement provided at no extra charge.
MISSION STATEMENT
The Mission of the Off-Highway Motor
Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division is to
provide leadership statewide in the area
of off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation;
to acquire, develop, and operate
state-owned vehicular recreation areas;
and to otherwise provide for a statewide
system of managed OHV recreational
opportunities through funding to other
public agencies.
The OHMVR Division works to ensure
quality recreational opportunities remain
available for future generations by
providing for education, conservation,
and enforcement efforts that balance
OHV recreation impacts with programs
that conserve and protect cultural and
natural resources.
California State Parks, OHMVR Division
1725 23rd Street, Suite 200
Sacramento, CA 95816-7100
916.324.4442
ohv.parks.ca.gov
ohvinfo.ohv@parks.ca.gov
FUNDING A STATEWIDE
OHV PROGRAM
he OHV Trust Fund is comprised
entirely of funds generated in the
course of OHV recreation, including:
T
• Gas taxes on gasoline used for OHV
recreation on public lands.
• OHV Green/Red Sticker registration
fees and non-resident permit fees.
• Entrance fees to the State Vehicular
Recreation Areas (SVRAs).
GET INVOLVED;
BECOME A VOLUNTEER!
f you are passionate about OHV
recreation, and want to ensure your
opportunities remain open for years to
come, become a volunteer today!
I
tread lightly!
The OHMVR Division is
committed to the principles
of Tread Lightly! Being environmentally
responsible isn't difficult, but it does
involve some basic principles. These
principles are outlined in the Tread
Lightly! Pledge.
Travel responsibly
Respect the rights of others
Educate yourself
Avoid sensitive areas
he Off-Highway Motor Vehicle
Recreation Division of California
State Parks operates and funds 8 SVRAs
throughout the state and provides
funding for local, state and federal
agencies and partners for a system of
managed OHV programs.
T
The funds distributed through the Grants
Program are used to develop, operate
and maintain OHV areas and facilities,
including trail improvement and upkeep,
care and cleaning of OHV staging
areas, environmental monitoring, law
enforcement, and education and safety
programs.
Combined efforts at all levels of
government, joined with contributions
from thousands of volunteers who care
CHILDREN IN THE
OUTDOORS
he mission of the Children's Outdoor
Bill of Rights is to encourage
California's children to participate in
outdoor activities and discover their
heritage.
T
As a volunteer, you can help sustain
a community of informed, caring,
and responsible recreationists. Your
contribution will ensure off-highway
vehicle recreation opportunities
remain available today and for future
generations.
Volunteer opportunities are diverse and
include:
• Trail Patrol/Monitoring/Maintenance.
• Public Outreach (OHV fairs,
community and school functions, etc.).
OHV recreation areas fit
perfectly with this mission.
In some areas, naturalists
and recreation staff lead
programs such as bird
watching, bike rides, and
nature hikes speci