Swimming and Beach Time at Medicine Lake in Northern California

Looking for more great places to explore around Medicine Lake?
Go camping at A.H. Hogue Campground and marvel at the obsidian fields of Glass Mountain.

SWIM

The water at Medicine Lake is pleasantly cool and blue, with reasonably good visibility and very few weeds. At the swimming beach, the water deepens gradually, creating a large shallow section. That, together with the sandy lake bottom, make it an ideal place for youngsters to swim and play in the water (with supervision, of course). The sizeable swimming area is roped off to prevent boats from entering, and you are not allowed to launch watercraft from here. As the water deepens, the temperature drops, but it’s lovely on a hot day.

PADDLE

Medicine Lake is a beautiful spot to paddle. Sadly, we didn’t have the chance to take the kayaks out in our visit. If I get the chance to return, I would love to explore more on the water. Please note that there are no boat rental services, so you’ll need to bring your own.

Medicine Lake is large, and popular with fisherman. During our visit, most of the boats on the water were motorized, but were more interested in finding a good, quiet fishing spot than in zooming around the lake. It was mid-week, when the campgrounds weren’t full, but I expect the weekends are much busier. Fortunately, before 10am and after 5pm each day, boat speeds are limited to ten miles per hour, making mornings and evenings the best time to kayak or canoe. The lake’s size also makes it easy to find some peace and quiet.

GOOD TO KNOW

• Parking is free at the Medicine Lake swimming beach and day use area.
• Vault toilets are available.
• Picnic tables are located in the shady forested space between the beach and parking lot.
• If you’re bringing a boat, drive past the swimming beach to the boat launch, which includes a concrete launch for motorboats.
• There are no other facilities anywhere near Medicine Lake — no gas stations, stores, cafes, or restaurants. Plan to bring everything you need with you, and fill up your tank before you leave civilization behind.

HIGHLIGHTS

Medicine Lake is a beautiful place that feels far removed from the busyness of everyday life. For families, the sandy, peaceful lakeshore is a big draw.

THE KIDS’ TAKE

This beach is a winner! J could dig in the sand to his heart’s content, and T could play in the water without turning blue from cold. The sand is a little rough, but still soft enough for bare toes. It’s the perfect place to relax together as a family.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE

Medicine Lake is pretty remote, so I wasn’t surprised that this gorgeous beach was uncrowded on a pleasant Thursday evening. If you live in this sparsely populated region of Northern California, it could be a nice day trip. For others, I suggest camping at one of Medicine Lake’s Campgrounds. If you have time, check out nearby Glass Mountain, an incredible geological wonder created from volcanic glass and obsidian.

We arrived at the Medicine Lake beach in the late afternoon, having spent the earlier part of the day hanging out at the campground and exploring Glass Mountain. My plan was for Michael and the boys to spend time on the beach while I enjoyed some personal paddle time in the kayak. But it was so lovely on the lakeshore that I wound up staying with the family, enjoying the sunshine and wading in the water.

We staked out a spot for the picnic blanket near a pit that previous visitors had dug in the sand. Water filled the bottom, creating a small pool, and Michael issued the boys a challenge: could they dig a trench connecting the pool to the lake? J was more than ready to tackle this task, and got out the shovel. Michael headed out for a swim, while I kept an eye T as he played in the shallows, and helped out with the digging from time to time.

There weren’t many others at the beach, but we noticed a group busily sifting through the water in a shallow pool near the picnic area. One after another they scooped up a handful of water, then hurried to the lake to release what they had found.

“What are you looking for?” J and I asked.

“Baby fish,” came the reply. Apparently, earlier in the year, the lake water was higher. Fish eggs laid in the shallows had since hatched, but now their hatching grounds were completely cut off from the lake, and likely to soon disappear completely. Their human rescuers tried to save as many young fish as they could. They invited us to join them, but J was more interested in seeing his engineering project to completion. Still, he was impressed with their care for the tiny fish.

After much labor, the channel from the sand pit to the lake was completed. J and T were triumphant. We packed up as the sun cast a golden hue over the sand, and drove back to our campsite for a dinner of hotdogs and marshmallows roasted over an open fire. It was a beautiful end to the day.