Lake Oroville State Recreation Area

Most hikers give California’s “reservoir parks” a pass. Too many jet skis, not enough peace and quiet. But Lake Oroville is different. It’s so dang big—167 miles of shoreline big—that you can’t help but be drawn in. It’s the kind of lake where boaters, waterskiers, anglers, tubers, campers, horseback riders, and yes, even hikers, all manage to carve out their own corner. And if you ever doubted how much California worships water, one trip here will set you straight.

The lake itself was born in 1967 when the mighty Feather River got plugged by Oroville Dam. Not just any dam, mind you—this one is taller than Hoover, a fact hammered home at the visitor center with a gleeful exhibit comparing Oroville Dam to the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty. Subtle it is not. There’s even a kind of water gospel on display: reverent dioramas about western water pioneers, models of aqueducts, and celebratory panels about California’s gigantic plumbing system. Step into the observation tower, and you half expect a hymn to water to start playing over the loudspeakers.

Of course, the dam has had its dramas. In 2017, heavy rains nearly overwhelmed the main spillway, leading to the evacuation of 188,000 people. For a moment, California’s big dam confidence looked more like dam hubris. Still, the water stayed put, and the lake remains the state’s go-to showcase for both recreation and water storage.

So what’s in it for hikers? Two modest trails that can be strung together for a leg-stretcher in oak and digger pine country. Loafer Creek and Roy Rogers Trails form loops of two miles or nearly five, with options to cut things short—or extend them if you’re feeling ambitious. You won’t get solitude here, but you will get a workout, a brush with California’s horse culture, and glimpses of the lake framed by oak woodlands and grassy slopes.