Discovering the Beauty and Serenity of Lake Hemet, California

Since I was a young boy, my family and I would routinely take camping trips to the local mountains. Being an avid naturalist as well as a certified, bleeding heart "tree hugger," I have always valued and treasured my time spent in the outdoors. I was raised in a Los Angeles suburb, surrounded by freeways, concrete, and housing tracts; as a result, any time spent in the "great outdoors" was a monumental treat. Shortly after my parents bought a camping trailer, camping and fishing became my favorite activities. Virtually every weekend camping trip was spent at one of our favorite locations: Lake Hemet. To this day, Lake Hemet holds a special place in my heart as a place where I spent large portions of my childhood doing so many of the things that I loved to do: camping, fishing, boating, hiking, e.t.c. My family, as well as countless others, have enjoyed and do enjoy the special serenity and beauty that this lake has to offer.

Located roughly one-hundred-miles southeast of Los Angeles, Lake Hemet is located in the San Jacinto Mountains of Riverside County. Resting at an elevation of 4,334 feet, the lake sits in a pine-studded meadow surrounded by rolling hills and crystal blue skies. Lake Hemet is part of the San Bernardino National Forest, which encompasses both the San Jacinto and San Bernardino Mountains. Owned and operated by the Lake Hemet Municipal Water District, Lake Hemet is a small lake with a surface area of roughly 420 acres. The lake was created in 1895 when a dam was constructed along a portion of the San Jacinto River to create a reservoir for farming and irrigation in the nearby San Jacinto Valley. As a popular location for year-round camping, Lake Hemet offers a full-service campground complete with electrical hookups, fire pits, bathroom/shower stalls, and picnic tables. For those who either own their own boats or wish to rent them, there is a boat dock complete with boat ramp and both paddle and motor boats. Boat rentals can be rented for either a full or half day.