Lopez Lake Recreation Area

Met a new group of friends here over the holiday weekend. Park just re-opened for camping on 2/14/23, after severe rain storms caused damage and some flooding. They're working hard to clean up but all hiking trails are still closed, due to some washouts and associated risks. Still, we had a good time. Rented a pontoon boat one afternoon and puttered around the large lake. Had lunch afterwards at the campground restaurant, which also had a full bar and lots of arcade games for the kids. Campfires at night were great, with nice, large sites and plenty of space between them. Bathrooms are run down and offer just the basics. No soap at the sinks. The showers were dirty and we refused to use them. Essentially, the bathrooms just need an overhaul or at the least, some good cleaning and regular attention. That was the only negative. We couldn't receive any OTA TV stations but did have good 4G on T-Mobile. Very close to cute historic main street of Arroyo Grande, with many cafes, a bakery, a brewery (Humdinger - a good one!) and lots of other shops. Also very close to vineyards and wine tastings. Just a little farther is San Luis Obispo, a college town with lots going on. Beaches too!

We’ve been here twice, January and July.
Both times there were plenty of open sites. We have a sprinter van, so easier than some. Electric and water both times. Lake was low, probably why fewer campers. But, deer, turkeys and a bobcat were seen, so we enjoyed it. Bathrooms aren’t the best, freezing water in January, didn’t risk it in July. There is a ropes course and a water park for the kids… and adults.

Based on the reviews we read, we were not expecting the world of this area, but we were at least expecting something more. We camped here in early October 2018 and the black gnats were everywhere. Non-biting, but very annoying. Perhaps the worst part about the campground was the bathrooms. The toilets were disgusting and the showers were even worse, to the point that we refused to use them for fear we’d catch something. And then our neighbors...they had an additional 3 cars show up as guests, and although they all left by 9:30pm, they were extremely loud the entire time. And they were right back at it first thing the next morning. And by the way, they were on the opposite side of our loop in the Cougar area, far enough away so that even moderate noise shouldn’t have been a problem. I would definitely recommend avoiding this place unless it’s your last option.

This was my first 'away from home' stay. For my first back in, probably picked the worst space, I DID it. Turkeys and deer greet you each morning. Quiet, private, dull. If you fish, you will love it. My BFF lives in Pismo Beach, I was gone a lot of the time. Rangers and volunteers were nice. NO cell service. I have a booster. There was one site that had 4G 2 bars up the road.

We stayed at Lopez Lake in March 2018. We found it thru Campendium and Google. We booked a spot in the Blue Jay Loop which was nice and very quiet. I didn't like that I could not find a detailed camp site map for the campground- so it was a bit of a crap shoot. We got lucky and our site was great! When we arrived at 3 pm there was a family of deer right on the meadow in our loop. We saw them each day several times until the weekend and more campers came into the loop. This is a large campground but it is the off season so it wasn't too busy. The lake is very low which is sad. We found the restrooms and showers were old and did not feel clean at all. The store and restaurant at the marina were "ghost town" like as there weren't many people around. It also seemed dirty and run down. This Recreation Area also has a waterpark and a zip line/challenge course - when we were there these looked in dis-repair as well.
There is NO cell coverage at all at this park- so prepare to be off line during your stay here.
Hopefully in the high season more care is put into the facilities. All that said- we would probably stay again in the off season.

This is a beautiful campground with lots of wildlife. There is NO cell service at the campground so be ready to unplug. There is a nice playground for the littles and in the summer there is a water park that is loosely connected (I haven't been but I've never heard anything bad about the water park).

The spots vary greatly in spacing from your neighbor. This spot that we had was awesome and often gets booked up a year in advance. But there are pictures on the state website to give you an idea about the close proximity of the other sites. Its a popular campground so expect not to be alone.

There are nice walking paths in the campground. We even saw a great blue heron only feet away from the hiking trail.

The campground is a bit of a drive to town at 20+ minutes to get into San Luis Obispo but only about 10 minutes to old town Arroyo Grande.

We were late making reservations, so staying near the ocean was tough, especially through the weekends, so we chose Lopez Lake instead.
The campground is about 8 or 10 miles from the town of Arroyo Grande. It's a short 20 to 30 minutes drive to San Luis Obispo, and you can be at the Ocean in relatively short order. Convenient for SLO, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, Avila Beach etc.

There are a mix of sites over multiple loops some with full hook ups. The site we stayed in was quite long and narrow, we had a nice sitting area and fire ring. Decent amount of space and privacy. We saw quite a few deer and turkey wandering around.

The general store that sells basic supplies and ok beer and firewood, there is also well as a sports bar and kayak/boat rentals.

The biggest problem here is the complete lack of cell phone coverage. Absolutley zipon Verizon or AT&T. There is sluggish WiFi at the store.