5 Things to do in Pyramid Lake California in One Day

Pyramid Lake California is one of the most beautiful and unexpected places I discovered while road tripping through this state and while I’ve been here two times so far, one of the main things I learned is that if you want to truly explore this place (do the things on the list below), then there’s actually a different way you have to access it which is not well known about and it’s the reason why most people who pass this area aren’t able to do much else than just see it from a distance.

But the truth is that not only can see Pyramid Lake from a distance, but you can also go down to it (the water), boat on it and do a bunch of other amazing things (which I have personally done in one day) and I’ll be providing all the information to help you do the same in this post.

Info on Pyramid Lake California:

• Name: Pyramid Lake.
• Location: Pyramid Lake California (about 1 hour north of Los Angeles).
• What is it? It’s a beautiful lake with a pyramid shaped dam which you can explore.
• Things to do: Boating, hiking, sightseeing, BBQ and more.
• Family friendly area? Yes!
• Rating: 5 out of 5.
• Recommended spot to visit? Yes! I came here twice because the first time I didn’t know that there was a specific way to get down to the area to really explore it, and on my second trip I did just that. This place is absolutely amazing and I highly recommend visiting Pyramid Lake California!

Here are the 5 things to do in Pyramid Lake CA in one day:

1. Visit the Vista Del Lago Visitor Center.
2. Take a boat ride across the entire Pyramid Lake area.
3. Enjoy a picnic by the beach near the lake (or campgrounds).
4. Swim in Pyramid Lake.
5. Hike one of the many trails surrounding Pyramid Lake.

1) Visit the Vista Del Lago Visitor Center:

Details:

This is basically the welcome center to Pyramid Lake. Personally I don’t know why it’s not called that directly, but this is where you’re going to want to stop first. I included a GPS to Vista Del Lago just in case. This area is right off Interstate 5 (exit 191).

This is the first place I recommend you go to first before doing anything else. It’s large parking lot with a welcome center and balconies overlooking Pyramid Lake (and the views there are awesome as well). If you are short on time and maybe have under an hour to see the area, then this is where I recommend you go (if nothing else).

You will not only be able to get what I consider the best views of Pyramid Lake there, but you’ll also have the visitor center you can explore that showcases the history and a lot of other cool stuff about the area. One more thing to note is that across the Interstate from the visitor center is Pyramid Lake Lagoon which is pretty scenic and worth just taking a gander at.

2) Take a boat ride across Pyramid Lake (details on how to do it):

Details:

This is what I originally wanted to do on my first trip to Pyramid Lake but I had no idea where to go. I was checking out the visitor center and was told I couldn’t drive down to the lake from there (but was not given any further instructions until my second visit).

Here’s how to actually get down to Pyramid Lake CA:

In order to do this, you actually have to go to a place called Pyramid Lake Emigrant Landing. The entrance to it is located further up the road on Interstate 5, to exit 195 (3 miles north of the Vista Visitor Center). 

By the way, I just want to say that if you didn’t already know, Interstate 5 is in my opinion one of the most beautiful scenic drives in Southern California and not just that but all the scenic drives in North America that I’ve done, so be sure to enjoy that too. But anyway, let’s me continue with the instructions:

There will be signs to go to Smokey Bear Mountain which you will take. This will then put you on a parallel road called Pyramid Lake road that will take you to one corner of the lake. 

That road will take you past a few campground signs, but you will continue until you reach a gate where you’ll have to pay an entrance fee ($10). Once you’re in, you will go to the boat ramp and will be able to rent kayaks, canoes, motorboats, jetskis or large boats to explore the lake on.

How much do boat rentals cost at Pyramid Lake CA?

My buddy and I rented a small motor boat for only $35 and that got us 2 hours to explore the area, which was plenty. We literally went around the entire Pryamid Lake lake area and even made a few stops. You’ll also get a map of the area before you go and this will allow you to enter some “hidden” spots around the lake including cool cove areas. Taking a boat will also get you close to the actual Pyramid area of the lake. It’s blocked off because it’s next to a dam, but you will be able to get about 100 feet away from it by boat.

3) Visit Yellow Bar picnic site:

While there’s a few spots to do picnicking in Pyramid Lake (the visitor center and Emigrant Landing are 2 options), the best one is in Yellow Bar picnic site which is only accessible via hiking or boat (the faster option). It has a bathroom, BBQ areas and is pretty scenic overall. The picture you see here was taken from that specific place and we took the boat to get there. From Emigrant Landing, it took about 15 minutes to get there and you can use the map you are provided with to reach it (it isn’t difficult). 

4) Ever wonder if you can swim in Pyramid Lake? The answer is yes (details):

There are 2 areas designated for swimming based on what I saw:

1. One of them is also by the visitor center.
2. And the official one is in Emigrant Landing (where I think it might be easier to reach).

However, there are certain cove spots you can disembark on if you take a boat where it’s shallow and fun to explore. But yes you can swim at Pyramid Lake CA as well!

5) Hike through the Pyramid Lake region:

As my buddy and I were passing by along the lake, we saw some trail areas and later looked on a map to see if there were any worth checking out. Surprisingly, we didn’t see any other than Pinga Point (that’ll get you a pretty close view of the pyramid) which is located by the Visitor Center, but in all honesty, if you take a boat around the region, there will be plenty of stops and areas you can disembark on and hike through.

There are also campgrounds near the region where hiking trails are available, but for specific spots within the Pyramid Lake region, you’ll just want to improvise. We explored the Visitor Center and did the boat ride which took up about 4 hours in total, but if you include a picnic, some hiking and swimming, you can get a fulfilling day in at Pyramid Lake and I highly recommend it. Many people visit the visitor center, but most don’t know about the other areas I listed, so check them out if you have a chance!

Here’s a Pyramid Lake map to help you understand where to go:

Note: For the boating, be sure to get the map of the actual area with where the specific spots are in the lake to see (including the Yellow Bar picnic site).

Most common questions about Pyramid Lake California answered:

Can you swim at Pyramid Lake California?

In very few spots yes, but most of the area is only accessible via boating.

Is Pyramid Lake worth visiting?

Yes, because it is a beautiful area with hikes, boating and other activities that you can spend the day doing.

More things to see near Pyramid Lake CA (related):

1) Fort Tejon State Park:

This is only about 10 minutes north of Pyramid Lake. It’s a highly rated park with many hikes and explorations (I recommend coming here during winter when it’s the most green).

2) Death Valley National Park:

It’s about 2 hours northeast of Pyramid Lake but it’s totally worth seeing if you are headed towards cities like Las Vegas. I have a post on things to do in Death Valley National Park you can see as well.

3) Sequoia National Park:

It’s 2-3 hours northeast of Pyramid Lake. On my first trip here, that was actually my next stop and I highly recommend visiting Sequoia National Park (as well as it’s neighboring Kings Canyon National Park too).

4) Angeles National Forest:

This is actually about 45 minutes south of Pyramid Lake and has many amazing hikes and things to do.

5) Joshua Tree National Park:

I’ve personally been there once but it is an amazing national park (one of many incredible west coast national parks to check out). It has bouldering, caves like the Chasm of Doom Joshua Tree path

If you have any other questions about Pyramid Lake, you’re welcome to ask below! I enjoyed visiting this area and highly recommend it!