PLACERVILLE . INFO

Sly Park, located 17 miles East of Placerville in the Sierra foothills, offers many recreational opportunities including water sports, hiking, camping and boating. Appreciated for its picturesque beauty, Sly Park’s Jenkinson Lake also supplies drinking water to El Dorado County. The lake was formed by Sly Park Dam, and has a storage capacity of 41,000 acre-feet with a surface area of 650 acres. visitors are advised to call for wintertime conditions as snow may cause park closures.

Camping
Sly Park offers regular campsites for up to eight people, regular group areas for 1 up to 100+ people, youth group areas, handicap accessible campsites and an equestrian area. No hook-ups are available! A dump station is available at the park's entrance. Camp Hosts are available to assist campers if needed. Firewood is available for sale.

There are 159 sites available by reservation. Each site is equipped with a table, barbecue and fire ring. Sizes of the sites vary, accommodating from one to three vehicles. Vault toilets and water faucets are nearby. A maximum of eight people are allowed per campsite.

Group Campgrounds
There are five group areas, two youth group areas and one day use picnic area that are available by reservation only. These sites can be reserved up to a year in advance to the date.

Accessible Campsites: Sly Park has nine sites available that are specified handicap accessible with paved ramps, vault toilets, wheelchair access to tables and designated tent areas. Park staff work hard each year making other campsites accessible to people with various needs and desires.

Equestrian Campsites
Black Oaks Equestrian campground includes 15 campsites, a 21 by 84 foot split corral and numerous smaller corrals adjacent to the campsites. Other amenities include electrical outlets, vaulted toilets, water, a large group barbecue and fire ring as well as overflow parking. Group reservations are accepted beginning April 1 of each year. Individuals are welcome the third Monday of each month on a first-come first served basis and may stay the week.

Boating on Jenkinson Lake
Jenkinson Lake is open to all types and sizes of watercraft except for personal watercraft like Jet Ski's. A five miles per hour zone in the back of the park is calm and quiet  for fishermen. The lake offers many kinds of trout - German Brown, Rainbow, Lake Trout and Kamloop small mouth bass and blue gill. A California Fishing License is required.

Boat Rentals
Boat rentals are located adjacent to the Stonebraker Boat Ramp, about 2.5 miles from the park entrance. Pedal boats, canoes, kayaks, dinghies and small, motorized fishing boats are available on a first-come first served basis from May through September.

Hiking Trails
The main hiking trail that surrounds the lake is 8.5 miles and covers both easy and difficult terrain. This trail is shared with mountain bikers. A very popular 1/2 mile nature trail, known as the Miwok trail, is located adjacent to the little Calvin Sly Museum. A self-guided brochure is available to visitors. The Liberty Nature Trail area follows a small stream down to the lake shore and is located towards the back of the park. Hikers are asked to:

• Stay off all horse trails
• Not short-cut the trail system
• Use extra caution in multi-use areas

Biking Trails
Mountain biking has become extremely popular at Sly Park. Portions of the trail are advanced, challenging even the most adept mountain bike enthusiast. Bikers share the hiking trails and are asked to:

• Stay on hiking trails and roads only - staying off the lake bed and horse trails
• Walk bikes in designated hazard areas
• Use caution in multi-use areas
• Bikers are prohibited on fragile meadows
  
  NOTE: Park Staff made the decision to allow bicycle riding on all hiking trails, except nature trails and horse trails, in an effort to accommodate as many people as possible. We ask that cycle riders be courteous and always use safe cycling practices so this privilege will not be rescinded. Thank You!

Equestrian Trails
Horses are permitted on horse trails only. No horses below the high water line. Please use extreme caution at crossings.

James Calvin Sly Museum
The museum is open 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM from May through September. The "Sly Park Story" is featured and displayed. Native American artifacts and early 20th Century photographs are on display. Named for James Calvin Sly, a member of the Mormon battalion that passed through Pollock Pines in 1848.

Day Use
Day Use and Picnicing are available during park hours (6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.) in scattered areas throughout the park. All day use areas have picnic tables. Barbecues are provided on some but not all of the day use areas. Annual Day Use Permits are available.

Stores & Nearby Services  

• Snacks are on sale at the boathouse, located in the park adjacent to Stonebraker Boat Ramp.
• A general store is located across the street from the gatehouse offering various food staples, fishing gear and propane
• There is also a coffee shop offering hamburgers, sandwiches, beer and wine
• Gas is available at the resort across the street from the recreation area
• Restaurants offering Chinese, American, Mexican and fast foods are available five miles north in Pollock Pines, you'll also find laundromats there!

   

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  Location: 4771 Sly Park Road Pollock Pines, CA

  Information: (530) 644-2545

  Reservations: (530) 644-2792

  Fax: (530) 644-1003

  Email: recreation@eid.org

  
  

  Mailing Address

  P.O. Box 577, Pollock Pines CA 95726