Sly Park Recreational Area
MVP
Massimo CX40 Fridge—It was so hot this weekend, that a normal ice box would have run out of ice half way to Stockton. With the temperature as high as 110 F driving through the Central Valley, this fridge was really nice.
Camp Review:
We camped at site Hilltop 124 and found the campsite itself to be a good size with lots of trees and nature all around.
There was a water spigot right next to the camp site, which was really nice.
The reason why this turned out to be a bad camping trip was that two out of the three bathrooms close by were infested by flies. In the worst one, there were at least 50 flies that would just swarm whoever was trying to use the bathroom. The cleanest one had around a dozen flies and mosquitos flying combat air patrols.
The other reason why this camping trip was unpleasant was just the relentless heat. It was around 70 degrees by 8am, and around 90 degrees by noon. It was hot and dusty.
Because this was a campsite on top of a hill, it required a quarter mile hike down to the lake, which wasn’t too bad at all. There were geese, however, who were accustomed to being fed by humans, so they were aggressive in following us, and eventually chased us off.
What I Learned:
I have to give my eldest Dramamine before we get out on the lake. She got motion sickness after only a few minutes of kayaking, so we had to hike all the way back to our campsite.
My eldest also has lots of fears of aggressive animals and dirty bathrooms, so she did not have a good time with this campsite.
I forgot that I had Picaridin (insect repellent) until my youngest and I were bitten about a dozen times. It worked surprisingly well once we put it on.
Heating up pre-made food is an amazing way to have delicious food without much effort.
What Happened?
We had our first “failure” of a camping trip (this year) at Sly Park. We had reserved a two night stay, but we only stayed a single night for the following reasons:
The bathrooms were infested by insects and it was unpleasant (to say the least) to use. Because of the heat (and the bathrooms being pit style) the smells were pretty darn oppressive as well.
It was just too darn hot at the campsite during the day.
Until the final stop at the lake, my eldest didn’t have a good time at the lake. The first trip down, the aggressive geese chased us all over the beach until we gave up and the second trip down, she got motion sickness from a short kayak ride.
The upsides of the trip were the following:
All the foods I packed were a huge hit. Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Tortilla Soup, and Kalbi were delicious!
When we got to the day-use area on our way out of the lake, we were able to swim, and cool down, and both of the girls relished it. However, we didn’t stay long as my youngest was shivering in less than 30 minutes.
Because of the bathroom situation, I don’t think we’ll be coming back to Sly Park unless we bring a trailer (bathroom). Even then, given that there is only one dump and there being tons of people at the campsite, I’m not sure we’ll want to come back. There are just better, less busy lakes around the sierras.