The Narrows Resort on Blue Lakes
Every 4th of July my family and I go camping at a place called The Narrows Resort on Blue Lakes. It is right outside of Clearlake in Upper Lake, California USA.
Family Friendly Campground
The lake is ideal for swimming and it is a no-wake lake, so only fishing boats and pontoon boats, etc. are allowed. The owners of The Narrows Resort on Blue Lakes are Art and Sharon – and they purchased the property from a previous owner. They are the sweetest couple! They always make you feel welcome and do everything that they can to accommodate your needs. The entire campground is also pet friendly so you can even bring your furry family member along too!
They have about 15 RV sites with full hookups, 10 tent sites, a little motel, and some on-site trailers that you can rent out as well.
Lake Activities and Rentals
You can rent paddle boats , pontoon boats, rafts, motor boats, canoes and kayaks at a reasonable rate. This allows everyone to get out and enjoy all fantastic activities the lake has to offer. The lake is an excellent lake for fishing. I see people catching fish all the time, they commonly catch trout, large mouth bass, catfish and bluegill. Which is a great activity for any fisherman/woman and fun and educating activity for kids.
There is a very cool rope swing across on the other side of the Lake that you can swim to being that the lake is so warm and small. There are two other resorts on the Lake as well, but are not within view of the Narrows Resort – they are private resorts.
The Resort Hosts Great Events Year Round
Everyone that goes to The Narrows Resort on Blue Lakes is a regular and it’s hard to book a spot – but I highly recommend calling and booking for the next opening they have available. Everyone is so nice and it is such an enjoyable relaxing experience.
Each 4th of July and Labor Day they have a horseshoe tournament and a free cook out! They supply all the meat, and all the guests bring a side dish or dessert. The Narrows Resort always seems to be hosting fun events all year round so anytime of year you choose to go will have something exciting offered at the resort.
My family loves camping at The Narrows Resort on Blue Lakes and we look forward to it every year. I would recommend this campground to anyone looking to have an enjoyable camping experience with or without family.
The Narrows Lodge Resort on Blue Lakes – Upper Lake California
Author: Rachel Munyon
Edited By: CampTrip.com
You must have visited in an alternate universe!
This used to be a nice place, but the current owners are a nightmare! Sharon has many, many rules that she changes on a whim (and they aren’t consistent from day to day or from visitor to visitor). Some things she prohibits with no more reason than “it’s tacky”. Hello!?! It’s a campground…not a 5-star hotel. My favorite “tacky” rule is that now (despite it being OK in many years past) if you pay for a campsite, you are not allowed to sleep in your vehicle. I’ve never been to any other campground (and I camp quite a bit) that prohibits sleeping in your vehicle.
Want to talk about tacky? Let’s talk bathrooms…The worst thing about this campground is that they open the beach for day use, and it makes the campsite a nightmare on the weekends. Bathrooms/showers are not cleaned at all during the weekend! They’re relatively clean during the week (except for the ever-present cobwebs as the other reviewer noted), but once those day-use people hit them…gross! Even though Mike B’s review was in 2009…believe me…it’s still accurate.
The worst part is how Sharon speaks to people. She is extremely rude and acts as if she doesn’t need your business…like she’s honoring you by letting you stay at her campground. She should realize she’s in the customer service industry. If she is rude to people, they’re not going to come back. Especially when she doesn’t have great campground management skills anyway.
I really love Upper Blue Lake, but I can’t deal with this lady anymore! If you’re in the same boat, try Pine Acres or The Lodge. I haven’t been to either, but they might be my next stop.
Thank you for your honesty. That’s what were all about. Thank you for sharing your experience with others and informing them as to why this resort let you down. I like that you also suggested some other accommodations in the area that you feel might be more enjoyable for campers. I wish you many happy camping occasions to come!
I have been going to The Narrows Lodge for many years and have always appreciated the way we were treated. Art and Sharon have always treated my family and others that I have recommended this place to with respect and friendliness. There was never any trash laying around the resort and the bathrooms were cleaned in a timely manner. Yes, you may see a couple of cobwebs however that happens when you are surrounded with hills & trees it is not from them being dirty. This is a family resort where you can go have fun and relax. The owners, Art & Sharon insure that all guests respect the rules so that your vacation will be quiet and enjoyable. They have a small mini mart to purchase needed or forgotten items. We love the ice cream selection which we take advantage of each night. I highly recommend this resort to anyone reading this and to book your next vacation here as you will book next years reservations before you leave!!!!
Thanks Sandy for your lovely review on the Narrows Lodge!
We have been going to the Narrows for 22years now and even though some might think the place is a little rustic its still very beautiful. I can remember when the resort only had one shower and one toilet, now it has six showers and toilets. Art and Sharon have tried and done their best to provide a nice atmosphere for there campers & RVers. I have had the privilege of fishing off their docks and teaching young kids how to fish, this has been my greatest joy. My sons who no longer live in the area still make the long trip up here every 4th of July and Labor day to spend time with us. I hope too that someday they will bring their children back to the Narrows. It’s a magical place… if you ever get the chance to make it up here and enjoy the experience be sure to leave your fast city attitude behind. Remember, if your flake on the reservations or misuse the facilities then you’re out… otherwise have a great time!
Thank you Dan for your personal experience and recommendations. Much appreciated.
My husband and I were mortified by our tent camping site at the narrows. It was soo tiny, right on a chain link fence and a few feet away from other campers and right on the road, yucky, not a good option for tent campers. We were so disappointed that we left and drove all the way to fort Bragg and went camping at the state park there.
We visited the Narrows Resort at Blue Lakes on 6/12/12 for the first time. My grand kids were excited to go on the peddle boats but it was too windy. The charge for entry to use the facilities is $6.00/ person. We payed t$30 for 5 people and spent 5 minutes looking at the beach and the fishing area and realized it was too small and to windy. It was not a place we could stay at to have a pleasant time. Also the area is very small. The girl at the desk did not suggest we look at the premises first before paying. We went back a few minutes later to get our money (payed in cash) and the girl said the owners would not allow refunds and she would get in trouble.
What type of owners are these people? We visit alot of outdoor areas and we have never encountered a situation like this. I do not intend to go back there again even though we are locals looking for outdoor places to take our grand kids. I also intend to comment on trip advisor to warn others to ask first to look at the premises before paying.
My family and friends have been going to the narrows for over 35 years, we have seen different owners over the years and the new owners Art and Sharon have become a nightmare sharon has cancelled reservation on part of our group so when we have showed up part of our group has no reservations, or you show up and she says you’ll have to stay 1 night on the lawn and then move because the people in our spot decided to stay and extra day and they are regulars and she doesn’t care if you made reservations a year in advance. I think coming over 35 years makes us regulars.Sharon is beyond rude when u confront her she says u cancelled part of your group or didn’t book that spot, I have watched her change people’s reservations right in front of us when a larger group comes in, We feel that if sharon didn’t drink so much every day she would realize what she has done and how rude she has been, 4 family’s will never go back because of her after over 35 years…..
We have gone to The Narrows for a few years now. We kept coming back because the regular people that have been coming there for years are so amazing and sweet. They make it almost worth it. Almost…
Unfortunately, the motel and owners are another story.
The motel is rough to say the least. I wouldn’t let my kid touch the floor without shoes on and dressed them on the bed. The bathroom was so tiny you could wash your hands while sitting on the toilet. There was no heat so I had to ask for a plug in heater. It was so cold we put it in the “extra” room which was the size of the double bed it held and closed the door so when we went to bed we didn’t freeze. The floor look like it hadn’t had a shampooing in years. There was tons dog hair and spiders under the bed; I don’t think they ever clean under it! I grew up on a farm and don’t mind roughing it with a basic room, but it’s got to be clean.
Across from our room there was an old mattress leaning against the wall and another motel room door that was wide open. My kid walked over to see and their were feral cats running in and out. Even worse there were round black spots of mold all over the walls! I guess it flooded so they left it open to air out?!
I’ve also stayed in their “new” cabin hoping it would be better. The photos must have been taken years ago. The blue chair is so stained and dirty I wouldn’t go near it! And the shower backed up and overflowed into the bathroom. All of the mattresses have got to be over 30 years old. I was also told it had a tub, which is doesn’t.
If this wasn’t bad enough the owners are just miserable. I know it’s got to be hard to run a place like this and I want to like them but they don’t seem to realized they are in a service industry and they actually should be nice to people so they come back (simple eh?). I’ve asked a few times if I show up to see friends and there is an empty room on a weekend if I could rent it and they always say “NO!” you have to book two nights. Seems to me if you had an empty room for a night you’d want to rent it out, especially when I was being really nice and already paying for day use!
Day use is a whole other story. Yeah it sucks to have people coming for just the day. But if they were people that came back because they know you and like your place then it wouldn’t be near as bad as treating people like crap and having a lot of turn over. Then they put up a gate and you have to call for day use reservation?! Are they kidding?! No more hopping in the car and buzzing up, now you have to call ahead and get a gate code. And if it’s not a convenient time when you call to make reservations they tell you to call back later. Like when I’ve driven 2 hours and I’m at the gate and it’s says “day use is full”?!
Unfortunately all the other places on the lake are really windy and/or expensive. I’d happily make the drive a few times a month and pay for a room if they were nicer and the rooms a bit cleaner. Not even fancier, just cleaner! Instead they rent the place out to people who trash it because they don’t care or have any vested interest in the owners or the location. Maybe if they invested in a maid and some customer service to their client base this place would be a great place to stay. I have a friend in his 40’s and he says this place use to have a restaurant and was an awesome busy place to hang out. Wish that was still totally true!