A floating aqua park with inflatable attractions that include a playground, obstacle courses, slides and more may be coming to Turlock Lake State Recreation Area.
It’s been nearly four years since Turlock Lake has been open for recreation. For 70-plus years, the Tuolumne River reservoir west of La Grange had been a place for camping, picnics, swimming, fishing, boating, and more.
Stanislaus County leaders are working to revamp the “underutilized” park, according to Stanislaus County District 2 supervisor Vito Chiesa.
Turlock Lake is one of just two state parks in Stanislaus County, the other being the newly opened Dos Rios State Park . Dos Rios, located on the confluence of the Tuolumne River and San Joaquin River, currently is open only on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Turlock Lake’s water belongs to the Turlock Irrigation District , but the recreation area is leased to the California Department of Parks & Recreation .
State Parks has set aside about $7.5 million for facility improvements, mostly for demolition and renovation of buildings, many of which were damaged in a 2022 fire .