Was a pretty nice lake to visit once, but I never felt like I was out in the wilderness with the large freeways so close. Still, there were pretty coves to explore on the HUGE lake, and the campsites were very green and scenic - if a bit too close together. I liked hiking the trails, some of which had interesting historical markers. Renting a kayak took a lot longer than I'd expected, just because the rental office seemed understaffed to me. Would have loved this park if it were just a bit more off the beaten path, so to speak.

Bear Creek Lake is a bit off the beaten path which was one of the things I really loved about it. My kids and I camped in a tent on the Chestnut Loop, which was well shaded by trees and the bathrooms were incredibly clean. The sites are a little close to each other for my taste, but everything else was so nice I didn't let it bother me.

The lake itself is smallish, but the scenery is beautiful. We rented kayaks and the staff were all very nice and helpful. There is a small beach area for swimming, but I'm not a fan of swimming in lakes myself so I skipped visiting that area. Instead we hiked the very scenic trails around the lake, which are well marked for the most part.

In all, this was a very nice park to visit for camping, hiking and kayaking. I imagine I'll be returning again in the future.