Camping in Putah Creek in Northern California

Northern California's Putah Creek is best known as the waterway that feeds Lake Berryessa, one of the region's most famous recreational lakes. Putah Creek flows into the lake's northern end and then reemerges through the spillway of the Monticello Dam. Both sections of the creek offer camping options as well as outstanding trout-fishing opportunities.

  1. On the Shores of Lake Berryessa

    • Located on the shore of Lake Berryessa at the mouth of Putah Creek, Chaparral Cove Campground provides accommodations for both tents and RVs. Formerly known as the Putah Creek Campground, Chaparral Cove includes electric and nonelectric campsites with campfire rings, picnic tables, and easy access to restrooms and drinking water. Most of the sites are open and spacious, and a few are located right on the water, allowing you to hand-launch a kayak or cast a fishing line right from your site. Though not located directly on Putah Creek, several other campgrounds are available around the shoreline of Lake Berryessa, including the Pleasure Cove and Lupine Shores campgrounds.

    Wild and Scenic Putah Creek

    • Lake Solano County Park sits on the banks of Putah Creek about 7 miles downstream from Lake Berryessa, right above the much smaller Lake Solano. You can choose among more than 50 campsites that range from primitive tent sites to RV spots with water and electrical hookups. Modern restrooms with hot showers and flush toilets are open to all campers, and each site includes a campfire ring and picnic table. Lake Solano is long and narrow, making it more like a wider section of creek than a true lake, and its shores are a short walk away from the campsites. A free boat launch for nonpowered craft is open to campers at Lake Solano County Park.

    Plenty to See and Do

    • Lake Solano and the section of Putah Creek below the Monticello Dam are famed for their trout fishing, and fly fishermen are often rewarded with substantial catches of brown and rainbow trout. Lake Berryessa contains trout as well, along with largemouth and smallmouth bass, catfish, bluegill and landlocked salmon. Boats with unlimited horsepower are permitted on the 20,000-acre lake. If you'd like to escape from the crowds, you can explore the Putah Creek and Lake Berryessa wildlife areas, which collectively stretch along several miles of the creek and most of the lake's eastern shore. These state-managed wildlife areas are accessible just east of the dam and include numerous opportunities for hiking, wildlife viewing, shore fishing and hunting.

    Know Before You Go

    • At the time of publication, reservations at Chaparral Cove Campground are available by phone and through the website of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. You can reserve a site at Lake Solano County Park through the official Solano County website. A current California fishing license is required to fish at Putah Creek or any other body of water in the area. Licenses are available through the California Department of Fish and Game website and at most bait shops and sporting goods stores across the state.