Englebright

I know its a bit late, but I wanted to give a brief trip report on our February outing this year for all of those who missed out.

I really wish I had had more time to explore! This place is a treasure trove of coves, inlets, rivers, waterfalls, and wildlife. Unfortunately, I didn't make it out on the lake until late Sunday morning, so I missed out on a good full day of paddling on Saturday. After meeting Charlie and Steve at camp on Boston Bar, we paddled up to Point Defiance where the south fork of the Yuba River joins the main body of the reservoir.

The north end of the lake is a beautiful canyon; a stark contrast to the south end that is rather mundane with its grassy hills and sparse oak trees. At the mouth of the South Fork the water is very shallow and it is easy to get stuck. I actually kind of enjoyed the challenge. Paddling up the current in the main channel in about 6" of water was quite fun. This area is also a "no-wake" zone making it very kayak-friendly.

The campsites at this lake were surprisingly well-maintained and very picturesque. All were equipped with generous tent pads, picnic tables, fire pits and had easy access to the water. The weather was perfect! Temperatures dropped into the upper 30's at night, but as soon as the sun came up it was very pleasant (upper 60's).

This is definitely a place that I would like to visit again. From what I understand, the lake gets overrun with tourists (speedboats & PWC) in the summer. I think early spring and late fall will be our best options in the future. Sorry about the lack of pictures, for some reason they refuse to upload. I'll get some more next time I visit this hidden California gem.