San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area

Phone Number

(209) 826-1197

Max. Trailer Lengths

Trailer: Up to 30 Feet
Camper/Motorhome: Up to 30 Feet

Park Hours

6:00am - Sunset
Vessel Use: 6:00am-Sunset

Dogs Allowed?

Yes
Dogs allowed only in campground.

Driving Directions to San Luis Reservoir SRA

On Highway 152, 7 miles West of I-5, or 33 miles East of Highway 101 from Gilroy.
Address for Park Headquarters:
31426 Gonzaga Road, Gustine, CA 95322
Hours are Monday-Friday, 8am - 5pm Closed Saturday, Sunday and Holidays

Visitors will be able to reserve campsites and lodging six months in advance from the current date. Bookings may extend from the arrival date to the desired departure date – based on availability and the park’s maximum stay rules.

Upcoming Park Events

No events scheduled at this moment.

BOATING
Boating
Boat Ramps
OVERNIGHT FACILITIES
Family Campsites
Group Campsites
Primitive Camping
RV Sites w/Hookups
RV Dump Station
RV Access
TRAIL USE
Hiking Trails
Horseback Riding
DAY-USE ACTIVITIES & FACILITIES
Picnic Areas
Exhibits and Programs
Fishing
Guided Tours
Off-Highway Vehicles
Beach Area
Swimming
Windsurfing/Surfing
Family Programs
Geocaching
OTHER FACILITIES & VISITOR INFORMATION
Parking
Restrooms / Showers
Restrooms
Drinking Water Available
Wheelchair Accessible

Temporary Closure Notice: Dam Safety Project to Temporarily Close Basalt Campground and Day Use Area at San Luis Reservoir SRA: California State Parks announced the extended temporary closure of the Basalt Campground and Day Use Area at San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area due to a Safety of Dams Project.  As of May 31, 2022 the Basalt Campground and Day Use Area will be closed for the entirety of the Dam Safety Project. Reservation holders will be contacted directly by State Parks’ reservation system -- ReserveCalifornia.com. Alternative campgrounds and day use locations will remain open in the park complex during the temporary closure. 

Welcome to San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area!

Nestled in the grassy hills of the western San Joaquin Valley near historic Pacheco Pass, San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area is noted for boating, board sailing, camping, and picnicking. But it's anglers who find the unit's three lakes most inviting. San Luis Reservoir was constructed as a storage reservoir for the federal Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project. It stores runoff water from the Delta that would otherwise flow into the ocean. The water arrives through the California Aqueduct and the Delta-Mendota Canal, and is pumped from the O'Neill Forebay into the main reservoir during the winter and spring. The Los Banos Creek Reservoir was built to prevent storm runoff from flooding the canals.

The Romero Visitor Center is administered by the CA Dept. of Water Resources provides full information about the reservoirs and water projects through audio-visual and printed materials.

 

A Brief History 

Long before the dams and canals were built, this land was the home of the Northern Valley Yokuts, native Americans who harvested seeds, acorns, and the roots of the tules that grew in the marshes of the sluggish San Joaquin River. There were also fish, geese, and ducks for food, as well as huge herds of pronghorn antelope and tule elk on the plains. With the coming of the Spanish, though, this way of life disappeared. Many of the valley people were taken to missions around 1805, and an epidemic, possibly of malaria, decimated the human population of this area in 1833. In the 1850s, the survivors were killed or driven off by Euroamerican settlers.

Pacheco Pass was named for Francisco Perez Pacheco, who settled here in the 1840s. The pass was used by Native Americans, Spanish soldiers and missionaries, Mexican ranchers, and gold miners, as well as more recent travelers. In 1856, Andrew Firebaugh improved the pass and made it a toll road, with a toll house two miles west of the summit. He had hardly finished when the Butterfield-Overland stages began using the road as part of their route from San Francisco to Missouri.

The first water works in the area were constructed in 1871, when farmers built a canal from Mendota Dam to Los Banos Creek to irrigate their wheat crops. Many canals were added over the years, until they totaled 180 miles in length. Ground was broken in 1962 for the San Luis Project, which created the current reservoirs. Today, Los Banos area farmers cultivate alfalfa, grapes, tomatoes, melons, corn, cotton, beans, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, and raise dairy and beef cattle.


Contact Us 

Four Rivers Sector Office (209) 826-1197

Basalt Campground Kiosk (209) 827-6846
O'Neill Forebay Kiosk (209) 826-4714
Los Banos Creek Kiosk (209)826-6393
Mederios Entrance Kiosk (209) 826-6240

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