Park · Lake Berryessa, Napa Valley

Smittle Creek Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa) picnic guide

Picnics welcomeWine allowed$

Still cove of Lake Berryessa reflecting oak-covered hills at Smittle Creek, seen from a kayak — Photo: Her93 · CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Can you picnic at Smittle Creek Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa)?

Yes — Smittle Creek Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa) has picnic areas open to the public. No reservation is needed for the picnic area. Fee: Unclear. Wine and other alcohol are allowed (see the rules below).

Checked September 2026 from usbr.govStated on the venue's own website

Picnic rules at a glance

Picnicking: Picnics welcome
Bring your own food: Allowed
Alcohol: Allowed
Purchase required: No
Reservation: Not required
Fee: Unclear. Reclamation's 2026 page lists the $5 parking ticket only for Oak Shores, and older Recreation.gov text calls Smittle Creek day use free; bring $5 or the Recreation.gov app in case a fee is posted.
Groups: No reservable shelters are listed here (Lake Berryessa's six reservable shelters are at Oak Shores); sites are first-come, first-served. Events need a Reclamation special event permit.
Dogs: Leashed dogs allowed (Napa County Code §12.08.030(A)(6)); not in restrooms or buildings.
Hours: Daylight hours
Season: Open during daylight hours year-round; busiest on summer weekends and holidays.
House rules: Alcohol: allowed, but no glass. 43 CFR §423.43 bans alcohol only where it breaks Federal, State or local law or a special-use-area rule; Napa County Code §12.08.030(A)(23) bans glass containers at the Smittle Creek and Oak Shores day-use areas but does not ban alcohol. Fires only in the grills or fireplaces provided (gas grills OK in picnic areas); no charcoal or wood fires during Red Flag Warnings. Pets on leash. Don't tie hammocks or ropes to trees or tables. Bikes not recommended and horses not permitted on the Smittle Creek trails.

What the picnic area is like

Reclamation's second large day-use area, just north of Oak Shores, is the smaller and lower-key of the two, with restrooms, parking, and short access trails and stairs leading down to small coves for a lakeside spread. A half-mile loop trail starts at the north end of the lot, and the 2.6-mile Smittle Creek Trail follows the shoreline south to Oak Shores.

Picnic tables
BBQ grills
Pond or lake
Restrooms
Parking
Hiking trails

Good for: Quiet · Views · Families · Dogs · Budget-friendly

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About Smittle Creek Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa)

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.

Smaller, lower-key neighbor to Oak Shores, a short drive north
Half-mile loop trail plus the 2.6-mile Smittle Creek Trail to Oak Shores
Stairs and access trails down to quiet coves
No glass containers allowed
Fee status unclear; may be free

More dog-friendly spots in Napa Valley More family-friendly spots in Napa Valley More free spots in Napa Valley More best views spots in Napa Valley More parks that allow wine spots in Napa Valley

Make a day of it

Pair it with a picnic spot close by.

Smittle Creek Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa) (this park)
Park · Lake Berryessa
Oak Shores Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa)
Park · Lake Berryessa · about 1.5 mi away

More picnic spots nearby

Calm blue water of Lake Berryessa and oak-dotted grassy points seen from the Oak Shores day use area

Park

Oak Shores Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa)

Lake Berryessa· 1 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationWine allowedDogs OK

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.

Oak Shores Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa)

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026

Own food: yes
Wine allowed: yes
Reservation: Not needed
Dogs: Outside
Fee: $5 parking

Nearest picnic food: La Luna Market · 12 mi

Details

Park

Putah Canyon Recreation Area (Lake Berryessa)

Lake Berryessa· 4 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationDogs OK

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.

Putah Canyon Recreation Area (Lake Berryessa)

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026

Own food: yes
Wine allowed: not confirmed
Reservation: Not needed
Dogs: Yes
Fee: $20/vehicle

Nearest picnic food: Napa Valley Olive Oil Manufacturing Co. · 13 mi

Details

Winery

RustRidge Ranch & Winery

Pope Valley· 5 mi

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.

RustRidge Ranch & Winery

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026

Own food: yes
Wine purchase: Required
Reservation: Required
Dogs: not confirmed
Fee: No fee listed

Nearest picnic food: La Luna Market · 7.2 mi

Details

Winery

Nichelini Family Winery

Pope Valley· 6 mi

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.

Nichelini Family Winery

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026

Own food: yes
Wine purchase: Required
Reservation: Not needed
Dogs: Outside
Fee: No picnic fee

Nearest picnic food: Oakville Grocery · 7.3 mi

Details

All picnic spots in Pope Valley & Lake Berryessa →

Frequently asked questions

Can you picnic at Smittle Creek Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa)?

Can you bring your own food to Smittle Creek Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa)?

Yes. Outside food is allowed at Smittle Creek Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa).

Can you drink wine at Smittle Creek Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa)?

Yes, alcohol is allowed at Smittle Creek Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa). Alcohol: allowed, but no glass. 43 CFR §423.43 bans alcohol only where it breaks Federal, State or local law or a special-use-area rule; Napa County Code §12.08.030(A)(23) bans glass containers at the Smittle Creek and Oak Shores day-use areas but does not ban alcohol. Fires only in the grills or fireplaces provided (gas grills OK in picnic areas); no charcoal or wood fires during Red Flag Warnings. Pets on leash. Don't tie hammocks or ropes to trees or tables. Bikes not recommended and horses not permitted on the Smittle Creek trails.

Do you need a reservation to picnic at Smittle Creek Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa)?

No reservation is needed to use the picnic area. No reservable shelters are listed here (Lake Berryessa's six reservable shelters are at Oak Shores); sites are first-come, first-served. Events need a Reclamation special event permit.

Is there a fee to picnic at Smittle Creek Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa)?

Unclear. Reclamation's 2026 page lists the $5 parking ticket only for Oak Shores, and older Recreation.gov text calls Smittle Creek day use free; bring $5 or the Recreation.gov app in case a fee is posted.

Are dogs allowed at Smittle Creek Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa)?

Leashed dogs allowed (Napa County Code §12.08.030(A)(6)); not in restrooms or buildings.

Sources & accuracy

We last checked this listing in September 2026 (freshest source: Reclamation day-use page updated 3/30/2026; trails page map updated 4/9/2026). Policies change — especially for groups and holidays — so confirm with Smittle Creek Day Use Area (Lake Berryessa) before you go. How we verify.

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