The 6 best lakes near Los Angeles to swim, boat and hike

Unlike the large mountain reservoirs above, the bodies of water below are less likely to satisfy your lake-focused wanderlust. They’re not quite destination-worthy, but if you’re deep in the Inland Empire or smack dab in the middle of L.A., you still might find them worth a stop.

1hr 15mins from L.A.

Believe it or not, this is the only natural freshwater lake in our list—well, technically it’s a sag pond, an earthquake fault-created depression well south of Riverside that’s filled with water. But this looks like a lake, with boats zipping around the center, kayaks along the edges and swimmers at the sandy Elm Grove Beach. (It’s also right near Walker Canyon, home of gridlock-inducing poppy blooms after wet winters.) Just make sure to keep an eye on the status of the not-uncommon bacterial and algae blooms before you wade in.

1hr 30mins from L.A.

Though it’s one of the southermost reservoirs in California’s gargantuan water distribution network, Lake Perris still allows swimming (stick to the sandy beaches near the parking lots and campgrounds). Whether on foot, boat, bike or horseback, the arid peaks to the southeast provide for a surprisingly scenic backdrop in an otherwise sort-of-flat, arid area southeast of Riverside.

45 mins from L.A.

If you’re looking to splash around in San Dimas, you very well might end up at water park Raging Waters. But just next door,  Puddingstone Lake (part of the larger Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park) welcomes both boaters and, on its southern end, swimmers.

45 mins from L.A.

Part of the larger Santa Fe Dam Recreational Area (the park near the 210 and 605 that hosts the yearly Renaissance Pleasure Faire), you can swim and splash around on the southeast shore of this small reservoir. Look out for pedal boat and kayak rentals next to the beach. Though the surrounding area is pretty industrial, the lake does sport some pleasant mountain views to the north.

10 mins from Downtown L.A.

It’s a highly recognizable city landmark for its skyline views, lotus blooms (sometimes) and towering fountain, but Echo Park Lake is also a rarity among L.A.’s small bodies of water: You can actually get out and about on the water here thanks to its swan boat rentals (which are particularly dreamy after dark).

30 mins from Downtown L.A.

The other man-made L.A. lake that lets visitors rent swan boats, this water reclamation pool is best known for its springtime cherry blossoms as well as the neighboring Japanese Garden.

We think the dozen picks above come closest to fitting the conventional idea of a lake, but they’re certainly not the only inland bodies of water in L.A.

Within L.A. proper, we love the Silver Lake Reservoir and Hollywood Reservoir, but both are fenced off around the perimeter (though they’re perfect for hikes). MacArthur Park Lake and Lincoln Park Lake aren’t fenced in at all, but water activities there are limited to fishing.

The Franklin Canyon Reservoir looks like a rustic escape hidden behind Beverly Hills and Debs Lake is a charming tree-lined spot, but both are basically just small ponds. It’s a similar story for the Lake Shrine, which you can stroll around with a reservation. Some splashy spots, like the Malibu Creek Rock Pool, are accessible but fall within the category of a swimming hole and not a lake. On the other hand, some Santa Monica Mountains oases like Lake Sherwood and Malibou Lake are completely private.

There are few larger lakes (including Cachuma Lake, Lake Casitas, Lake Skinner and Diamond Valley Lake) that we left off that don’t allow any body contact, as they’re still functioning parts of the water supply. They do accommodate some fishing and boating activities, but we felt you’re better served by the more well-rounded (and frankly more beautiful) spots toward the top of our list. And then there’s Lake Piru, which—while pretty—has a whole Wikipedia section dedicated to drownings.