Once you discover the Magic of Clear Lake in beautiful Lake County, California, you'll want to come back. Unmatched for it’s natural scenic beauty, outdoor recreational appeal and peaceful atmosphere, Clear Lake‘s picturesque setting offers something for everyone.
With over 125 miles of incredible shoreline, Clear Lake is hard to beat, attracting newcomers who relocate to this unspoiled environment approximately 110 miles to the north of San Francisco and about the same distance to the west of Sacramento. Covering 1,261 square miles, Lake County, California is bordered by the counties of Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Glenn, Colusa and Yolo. The city of Santa Rosa is within 90 minutes of most Lake County, California towns.
Lake County, California offers a wide variety of choices from the Tahoe-esque Cobb Mountain area with its towering pines and sweeping views to the tournament-class golf course community of Hidden Valley Lake to the historic old west town of Kelseyville to the spectacular panoramic lake views above Konocti Harbor in Clearlake Riviera, Riviera West and Riviera Heights to the county seat of Lakeport to Lake County’s largest city, Clearlake, just to name a few. On the North Shore of Clear Lake, you’ll find the charming village like towns, of Nice, Lucerne and Upper Lake. It’s worth seeing every spot you can because each has its own unique style and characteristic that makes it special in a personal way beyond any map or GPS coordinate could ever describe.
Don’t miss the boat. Come for a visit and see for yourself why people choose Lake County, California; just far enough away from the traffic and crowds and yet close enough and within easy reach of most major travel destinations.
People don’t just live in Lake County. California and their pride and love of their area shows and you'll never run out of things to do. Boating, fishing, golfing, hiking, camping, bird watching and stargazing are a just a few of the activities you can enjoy. Lake County, California has also established itself as a center of viticulture with an abundance of very good wineries and tasting rooms where you can sample excellent local Lake County, California wines. With soft summer nights, you might even want to take the family to a drive-in movie to watch your favorite films under the stars in Lakeport during the summer months.
Lake County’s air is considered to be the among the best and clearest in the state according to the California Stat's Air Resources Board. You’ll can't help but notice how spectacular the big skies and sunsets are and how full of bright stars the night sky is. Amateur astronomers love it and Taylor Observatory in Kelseyville is open to the public with a grand telescope for viewings with science astronomy lectures and planetarium shows.
Clear Lake is the largest natural fresh water lake located entirely within the boundaries of California with a surface area of over 40,000 acres and avid anglers who travel from all over the U.S. to fish in Lake County claim that there are more fish per acre here than any other lake in the country. Known as the Bass Capital of the West, each year dozens of fishing tournaments take place on Clear Lake, also known for its crappie and catfish. ESPN Sports ranked Clear Lake in their Top-Ten Bass Fishing Destinations in the Western Hemisphere.
Another famed activity in Lake County, California is bird watching, ranked first in the state for the highest number of species counted. Nearly 300 different kinds of birds live in Lake County including Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Clark’s and Western Grebes known for their famous “dance” across the water during mating season, Red-tailed Hawks, Double-crested Cormorants and even the Bald Eagle.
Lake County is steeped in rich history and set against the backdrop majestic mountains and beautiful Clear Lake. Considered by the international scientific community as the oldest lake in North America, the Clear Lake Basin is estimated to have been formed some two million years ago and Lake County claims some of the earliest archaeological evidence of human habitation in California going back over 12,000 years.
So what are you waiting for? If you haven’t already discovered Lake County, California, please make plans to visit this California treasure. Relax, breathe some fresh air, and you’ll see why it’s so hard to leave. The friendly faces, the unhurried pace and the warm homey feeling of old town America are just part of what people fall in love with and what makes them move to Lake County, California. Once you’ve arrived, you won’t be the first to wake up and pinch yourself, hardly believing what a wonderful place you’ve found to live.
For additional information and links to Lake County including Accommodations and Restaurants, visit Lake County Tour.
