If you look at a map of Lake Berryessa, you’ll find Smittle Creek just off the Berryessa Knoxville Road, tucked into the western shore and hiding behind a couple of islands (called Small Island and Big Island). The last time I explored along this trail was back in January 2019; since then, the Spanish Fire scorched vast areas on this side of the lake in August 2020 as part of the huge LNU Lightning Complex blaze. The burned landscape is recovering although the scars remain. A fairly wet winter this past year raised the lake level — along with a wide variety of wild grasses — so my return in mid May finds things looking quite a bit different than on my previous visit.

A view of the islands from the Smittle Creek trail

I found loads of wildflowers not only at Smittle Creek but also a couple of other spots along the road (more on those in a later post); I also found another little reminder that it’s best to watch where you’re stepping. And again — just like during my recent visit to Boggs Lake Preserve in Mendocino County — I discovered this beautiful but venomous reminder almost as soon as I stepped out of the car! The rattler was curled up in a hollow beneath the asphalt of the parking lot, and I made sure to maintain a respectful distance while still trying to get a decent photo (snake picture behind the link).

Burnt trees still cover the hills behind the lake

Berryessa shore fishing