S2.6 - Turner Lake

 We headed to Turner Lake to beat the heat today. Turner Lake Park has plenty of parking, with a fee booth for the parking fee. There is a small boat ramp with a dock. When we were there, it was crowded with swimmers, and hard to get in and out of with all the bodies in the way.

There is a rental for kayaks and SUPs, and even a small playground. Also a snack shack. I think there was a bathroom as well. 



Most of the lake is bordered by apartments, and houses, meaning that part of the lake is private. The south side of the lake is public, and there is a trail that takes you from the park around to the East side of the lake, where there are some places to swim or pull up a boat.

 This is good for SUPs. Even with a nice cooling breeze, the lake was pretty calm, and there are no gas motors allowed, and the whole lake is a no wake zone.


Turner Lake is a decent size. We traveled around the edges, including the many coves lined by HOA houses. This used to be a quarry that filled with water. These coves allow more houses to have lake access, and most of the houses have private docks.

We did stop and swim for a bit. The temperature of the water was perfect on a hot day, and there was a slight breeze, so that part was excellent. 




If you are looking for a quiet nature paddle, this is not the place. It was crowded and loud around the public boat ramp (especially the swimmers in the boat ramp area). Some of the far off coves were quiet, but not much in the way of wildlife. It is close to Salem, and a nice place to cool off. 

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