Can you picnic at Oak Shores Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa)?
Yes — Oak Shores Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa) has picnic areas open to the public. No reservation is needed for the picnic area. Fee: $5 per day parking ticket, sold at kiosks in the southern parking areas (Recreation.gov…. Wine and other alcohol are allowed (see the rules below).
Checked September 2026 from usbr.govStated on the venue's own website
$5 per day parking ticket, sold at kiosks in the southern parking areas (Recreation.gov app scan-and-pay also offered on site); group shade shelters $33 per shelter per day
Groups
Six covered group shade shelters (at Acorn Beach, Foxtail Flat and Coyote Beach) can be reserved on Recreation.gov for up to 50 people at $33 per shelter per day, or used first-come when not booked. A reservation holder must be there by noon or the shelter is released; parking is not guaranteed even with a booking; shelters are not reservable on summer holiday weekends. Bigger events (weddings etc.) need a Reclamation special event permit ($90 up to 50 people, $155 up to 100, $420 up to 300; apply 14+ days ahead).
Dogs
Leashed dogs allowed (Napa County Code §12.08.030(A)(6)); pets are not allowed in restrooms or other buildings (43 CFR §423.35).
Hours
Winter 7:30am-5pm; summer 7:30am-8pm
Season
Open year-round: 7:30am-5pm in winter, 7:30am-8pm in summer. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day the area fills on weekends and holidays, so arrive before noon.
House rules
Alcohol: allowed, but no glass. Reclamation's rule (43 CFR §423.43) bans alcohol only where it breaks Federal, State or local law or a special-use-area rule, and none of those applies here: the posted Oak Shores rules and Napa County Code ch. 12.08 prohibit glass containers (§12.08.030(A)(23)) but not alcohol. So bring wine in cans, boxes or plastic. Fireworks, trailers and unleashed pets are prohibited. Fires only in the grills and fire rings provided (gas grills allowed in picnic areas); during Red Flag Warnings charcoal and wood fires are banned even in grills. Don't tie hammocks or ropes to trees or picnic tables (§12.08.030(A)(24)). Swim at your own risk (43 CFR §423.36).
What the picnic area is like
Reclamation's main day-use area strings picnic sites with tables and grills along a series of coves on the lake's west shore, grouped around beaches such as Acorn Beach, Foxtail Flat and Coyote Beach. Each of those beaches has covered group shade shelters and restrooms nearby, and the water is warm enough for summer swimming.
Picnic tables
BBQ grills
Covered pavilion
Pond or lake
Restrooms
Parking
Hiking trails
Wheelchair accessible
Good for: Groups · Large parties · Families · Dogs · Budget-friendly · Views
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About Oak Shores Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa)
The main public day-use area on Lake Berryessa's west shore, run by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation about 8 miles up Knoxville Road from Highway 128. It combines lakeside picnic sites with grills, drinking water and restrooms, reservable group shade shelters and swimming beaches.
Reclamation-run: picnic tables, grills, drinking water, flush and vault toilets
Six reservable group shade shelters for up to 50 people ($33/day)
$5 day parking
Beach swimming in summer; 2.6-mile Smittle Creek Trail to the north
Bring your own foodNo reservationWine allowedDogs OK
One of the two large day-use areas the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation runs on Lake Berryessa's west shore, a short drive north of Oak Shores on Knoxville Road. It is a smaller, lower-key alternative for a lakeside picnic, with restrooms, trailheads and easy paths down to quiet coves.
Bring your own foodPurchase requiredReserve aheadShade
A family horse ranch with a B&B and winery in the quiet Chiles Valley, well east of the main valley. After a sit-down vertical tasting of Zinfandel or Cabernet, guests are invited to walk the vineyards, meet the horses and picnic under the oaks. It pairs well with a Nichelini visit on the same scenic drive.
Bring your own foodPurchase requiredNo reservationDogs OK
A family winery founded in the 1890s in rustic Chiles Valley/Sage Canyon east of the main valley, reached by scenic Highway 128. Tastings are held outdoors in the homestead backyard, and you're encouraged to bring a picnic and stay. It's one of the most old-school, unpretentious picnic stops in Napa County.
A campground and marina on Lake Berryessa's northwest shore, about half a mile north of Pope Canyon Road, run by Royal Elk Park Management under contract with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. A day pass covers lake access, a first-come picnic area by the launch ramp, swimming and rentals, at a higher price than Reclamation's own Oak Shores.
Can you picnic at Oak Shores Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa)?▾
Yes — Oak Shores Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa) has picnic areas open to the public. No reservation is needed for the picnic area. Fee: $5 per day parking ticket, sold at kiosks in the southern parking areas (Recreation.gov…. Wine and other alcohol are allowed (see the rules below).
Can you bring your own food to Oak Shores Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa)?▾
Yes. Outside food is allowed at Oak Shores Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa).
Can you drink wine at Oak Shores Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa)?▾
Yes, alcohol is allowed at Oak Shores Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa). Alcohol: allowed, but no glass. Reclamation's rule (43 CFR §423.43) bans alcohol only where it breaks Federal, State or local law or a special-use-area rule, and none of those applies here: the posted Oak Shores rules and Napa County Code ch. 12.08 prohibit glass containers (§12.08.030(A)(23)) but not alcohol. So bring wine in cans, boxes or plastic. Fireworks, trailers and unleashed pets are prohibited. Fires only in the grills and fire rings provided (gas grills allowed in picnic areas); during Red Flag Warnings charcoal and wood fires are banned even in grills. Don't tie hammocks or ropes to trees or picnic tables (§12.08.030(A)(24)). Swim at your own risk (43 CFR §423.36).
Do you need a reservation to picnic at Oak Shores Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa)?▾
No reservation is needed to use the picnic area. Six covered group shade shelters (at Acorn Beach, Foxtail Flat and Coyote Beach) can be reserved on Recreation.gov for up to 50 people at $33 per shelter per day, or used first-come when not booked. A reservation holder must be there by noon or the shelter is released; parking is not guaranteed even with a booking; shelters are not reservable on summer holiday weekends. Bigger events (weddings etc.) need a Reclamation special event permit ($90 up to 50 people, $155 up to 100, $420 up to 300; apply 14+ days ahead).
Is there a fee to picnic at Oak Shores Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa)?▾
$5 per day parking ticket, sold at kiosks in the southern parking areas (Recreation.gov app scan-and-pay also offered on site); group shade shelters $33 per shelter per day.
Are dogs allowed at Oak Shores Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa)?▾
Leashed dogs allowed (Napa County Code §12.08.030(A)(6)); pets are not allowed in restrooms or other buildings (43 CFR §423.35).
Sources & accuracy
We last checked this listing in September 2026 (freshest source: Reclamation day-use page updated 3/30/2026; Lake Berryessa home page updated 9/1/2026). Policies change — especially for groups and holidays — so confirm with Oak Shores Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa) before you go. How we verify.
Picnic rules at a glance
What the picnic area is like
About Oak Shores Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa)
Make a day of it
More picnic spots nearby
Frequently asked questions
Sources & accuracy