Los Banos Reservoir - Merced County, California

Visited on 4/16/2018 while traveling back from the Central Coast of California for a work assignment and a weekend trip to Avila Beach with Jeff and the dogs, we stopped off Interstate 5 to visit Los Banos Creek Reservoir on our way home.  Los Banos Creek Reservoir is at an elevation of 328 feet above sea level.  The Los Banos Dam and Reservoir are on Los Banos Creek above the San Luis Canal, near Los Banos, California. The dam and reservoir are features on the Central Valley Project - San Luis Unit. The reservoir has 410 water surface acres and 12 miles of shoreline. There are several planted trees around the campgrounds along with shade ramadas.  Los Banos Creek Reservoir is under the jurisdiction of the Four Rivers District of the California Parks and Recreation Department.  This facility is primarily used as a warm water fishery, and swimming is also popular.  The recreation area offers trails following the Path of the Padres, a boat and hiking trail. The Path leads to the baths used by the padres of early California. During the spring, guided interpretive tours are provided on the trail. The reservoir offers day use facilities for picnic and family activities. A horse camp is available and there are equestrian trails for the horse enthusiast.

Los Baños Creek or Los Banos Creek, originally El Arroyo de los Baños, is a tributary stream of the San Joaquin River. Its source drains the slopes of the Diablo Range within the Central Valley of California, United States. Los Baños Creek has its source at the confluence of North Fork Los Banos Creek and South Fork Los Banos Creek. It flows northeast to the west edge of Los Banos and then north to Mud Slough 2.5 miles upstream from its confluence with the San Joaquin River.

Los Baños Creek is reported to have taken its name from the pools, near its head, called Los Baños de Padre Arroyo for Padre Felipe Arroyo de la Cuesta, who was at Mission San Juan Bautista from 1808 to 1833 and conducted proselytizing missions into the San Joaquin Valley. El Arroyo de los Baños was a watering place on El Camino Viejo in the San Joaquin Valley between Arroyo de Quinto and Arroyo de San Luis Gonzaga.

Jeff and I in our "camping hair" at Los Banos Creek Reservoir.  The campground was nice, we liked camping spot #4 right on the lake and the dogs, shown in the background were enjoying a quick dip in the nice cool water.  This location was a little windy the day we were there.

This picture of Los Banos Creek Reservoir looks like and resembles a Rattlesnake.  Which ironically the campground had signs warning of rattlesnakes in the area.