Finally, after two months of no real hiking to speak of (too many botanical surveys!), a Sunday opened up and we headed out! We thought we’d give the not-too-strenuous McClure Trail, in Tehama Wildlife Area, a whirl. But before turning in to the trailhead, we wanted to check out what we thought we recalled as a little spot of water just about a mile farther, which we called Finley Pond.
Weren’t we surprised when we crested a little rise and, lo and behold, there stretched in front of us was an actual lake! And a glorious one, at that. Needless to say, plans for the day changed, right then and there.
Luckily, we had our irrigation boots with us, because taking a walk around the perimeter was the obvious thing to do, and much of the shoreline was wet and marshy.
Photo taken June 7, 2026, by Laurie Burk.
There was no trail to speak of, but there were four fences to navigate—some easier than others—and a plethora of botanical finds to ooh and ahh over. Not surprisingly, it took us over 2 hours to circumnavigate the lake, a total distance of only 0.75 miles.
Sixteen-acre Finley Lake was an unexpected jewel to come across—its brilliant greens and blues contrasted sharply with the already-drying blue oak woodland, some of which had burned in the 2024 Park Fire. There were several small islands, noisy with bird activity, and the bullfrog choir seldom took a break. We saw all sorts of butterflies, dragonflies and their kin, snakes, and even a couple of turtles.
Photo taken June 7, 2026, by Laurie Burk.
In addition to all of the exciting fauna, we noted 60 flora species, most of which were in bloom. But most exciting for us was finding two rare plant species: watershield (Brasenia schreberi; ranked 2B.3) and Sanford’s arrowhead (Sagittaria sanfordii; ranked 1B.2).
If you want to visit Finley Lake, simply follow the directions to McClure Trailhead, but don’t stop there—drive another ~1 mile on Hogsback Road (which has been greatly improved since last time we were there!). You can’t miss the lake; it is right on the road. Here’s a short slideshow of some of the cool things you might see if you go now. (All photos by the Burks.) Enjoy! -Laurie & Don Burk
A closer look at watershield, Brasenia schreberi, revealed that it was actually in flower! You can just make out about a dozen reddish protrusions above the peltate leaves.
