Things To Do In Lake County including Cobb, Middletown, Kelseyville! 

THE COBB MOUNTAIN AREA 

Harbin Hot Springs 

Today Harbin Hot Springs in Middletown is the only of the old large area resort with hot springs open to the public. Famous for it's unique character all over the world, with its "clothing optional" bathing, common in Europe, but unusual in the US, there is a large live-in community and many workshops and gatherings of an "alternative" nature. Harbin has brought both residents and new businesses to the Cobb and Middletown area. 

Hoberg's Resort 

During the World War II era, Hoberg's Resort was world famous. Activities such as nightly dances to big name bands attracted hundreds of celebrities and families. In 1950 Hoberg's was Northern California's largest privately owned resort and could seat up to 1,000 people for dinner. In 1949 gambling was outlawed in California and by the late 1960s, with Hwy 80 open to the Tahoe area, and air travel becoming affordable, time was moving on. Now, it is called the Forest Retreat and is owned by the Transcendental Meditation organization since 1970. Meditation retreats are hosted regularly for their members. 

This retreat is now available to the public for workshops, seminars, conferences, weddings, receptions, meetings, family reunions, and more. There are large and small meeting rooms with audio/video teleconferencing equipment, stage, dining room, classic hardwood dance floor, plus a variety of accommodations including period lodges and cottages. 

Seigler Springs 

Seigler Springs is now "The Mountain Of Attention" Hermitage Sanctuary, the worldwide headquarters of Adidam, a meditative spiritual practice founded by Adi Da Samraj. Retreats are hosted for their members year round. The property includes a private zoo, called "Fear No More". On occasion public theatrical presentations of writings by Adi Da are offered by the "First Room Theatre Guild". Adi Da is also renowned worldwide for his digital photographic art. 

Loch Lomond Italian Resorts 

Years ago the small resort community of Loch Lomond, elevation 2,800 feet, was known as "Little Italy." Private resorts such as Italian Village and Biggi's Family Club still jump with summer activities. Visitors will find lodging, plus a grocery store with deli offering a natural foods focus, mailing services, restaurant and bar, a coffee shop called Giovanni's and a community swimming pool, which is the oldest continually operating Olympic sized pool in California. 

A few of the older resorts, however, remain as family resorts and offer a leisurely vacation with lots of peace and quiet, some amenities and a few diversions to help pass the time. The emphasis though, is on quality time spent as a family. 

Loch Lomond Vernal Pond 

Loch Lomond Road and Highway 175. In the summer this area looks like a grassy meadow, but in the winter the area fills with water and turns into a beautiful lake. Rare and endangered amphibians and plant species, including Loch Lomond Button Celery, only appear in this and two other locations. Owned by the California Department of Fish & Game. 

Pine Grove Resort, cabins, a general store, a swimming pool, and a recreation hall, right next to Kelsey Creek. 

There are two 9-hole course golf courses. 

Adams Springs Golf Course 

Highway 175 and Gold Road (adjacent to my CPS/Country Air office). Breathtaking, spectacular setting with views of Cobb Mountain, complete with a wandering, year-round creek. Nine-hole course is relatively level with several adjoining fairways so golfers can adjust their booming tee shots. On the driving holes, golfers can let out the shaft to reach the greens. There is a PGA pro on-site for lessons. This course features a full pro shop, clubhouse and restaurant.707-928-5267 

The Rob Roy Golf Course 

Highway 175 and Gold Road. Breathtaking, spectacular setting with views of Cobb Mountain, complete with a wandering, year-round creek. Nine-hole course is relatively level with several adjoining fairways so golfers can adjust their booming tee shots. On the driving holes, golfers can let out the shaft to reach the greens. There is a PGA pro on-site for lessons. This course features a full pro shop, clubhouse and restaurant. 707-928-5267 

The Cobb Mountain Music Festival 

Started in 2004 by one of our agents, Brenda Phillips, and every Summer since there is an annual Festival of talented Jazz and Blues artists first held on the beautiful grounds of the golf course, and more recently at the Jellystone Park campground on Bottlerock Rd. A great way to spend an afternoon and to appreciate the quality of our local musicians. 

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS 

Bicycle Pathways 

Maps for Cobb area loops are available at most lodging and local stores. Lake County Visitor Information Center, 707-263-9544 or 800-525-3743. 

Bicycle Loop (1)
Bicycle Loop (2) 

Boggs Lake Preserve 

Harrington Flat Road at Bottle Rock Road. A vernal pool of 101 acres at an elevation of 2,787 feet. Marked paths around lake and through woods. Several rare and endangered species can be seen in the area. Sample collecting is strictly prohibited. Guided tours available occasionally. Owned and operated by the Nature Conservancy, 785 Market St., San Francisco 94103. 415-435-6465. 

Boogs Mountain Demonstration State Forest 

Highway 175 and Forestry Road; look for "State Fire Station" sign. Operated by the California Department of Forestry, Boggs is a 3,453-acre recreation area. Bird watching, mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, picnicking. Unimproved campground. Special use permits available. Vehicles restricted to existing roads. Heliport for CDF firewatch. Ranger Station, P.O. Box 839, Cobb 95426. 707-928-4378 

Bottle Rock 

Local name for volcanic obsidian, which was used by Native Americans for arrowheads and tools. This shiny black rock is very visible throughout the Cobb Mt area, and especially along Bottle Rock Rd, the main thoroughfare from central Cobb to Kelseyville and Lakeport. 

Lake County Diamonds 

Thousands of Lake County diamonds or "moon tears" can be found in the Cobb area. Although the stones are not as hard as diamonds (7.5 - 8 compared to a diamonds 10), they possess a beauty and character all their own. The semiprecious stones are of volcanic origin and have not been found anywhere else in the world. They have been used commercially and industrially, are capable of cutting glass, and are now in great demand. They are highly prized for collectors and can be faceted and polished to make beautiful jewelery, which are almost as brilliant as real diamonds. According to one Indian legend a Pomo Indian Chieftain and the Moon fell in love. The Moon could not stay with the Chieftain because she was needed by the people to light the night sky and mark the seasons. She was so sad to leave the Chieftain that she wept "Moon Tears" which became Lake County diamonds. The best time to hunt for Lake County diamonds is during or after a rain, which releases these pieces of silica from the basalt deposits where they have been resting since the volcanic era. 

Geothermal 

The first pioneer settler in Cobb Valley that was significant was John Cobb. He built a small water-powered saw and gristmill for lumber and flour in 1859. The valley and mountain now bear his name.  

Cobb Mountain is honeycombed with steam vents and hot water springs. Development of the springs started a hot mineral bath resort industry in the late 1890's.  

In the 1950's and 60's, Unocal's interest in the steam geysers brought a new industry into the area. They tapped the geysers and piped the steam to generating steam turbines. Since the completion in 1960 of Pacific Gas & Electric's first operating plant, there has been an enormous increase in geothermal power production. The Geysers, named after an old hot springs resort in the Mayacama Mountains on the Sonoma County border, consists of 21 operating geothermal power plants in Lake and Sonoma counties. Calpine owns 19, with the other 2 owned by the Northern California Power Authority (NCPA). Evaporated water vapor from the plants cooling towers can be seen on the ridge tops of Cobb. The electricity developed here by steam is completely natural and accounts for 6% of California's energy needs.  

The Geysers, about 100 miles north of San Francisco in the Mayacamas Mountains, is the world's largest geothermal operation. Each power plant is producing renewable "green" power. Geothermal power is natural. It occurs when water deep below the earth's surface is heated by exposure to hot porous rock, and the resulting dry steam moves to the surface through geologic faults. The steam bursts forth in the form of fumaroles, which are not true geysers despite the common reference. As the heated steam moves close to the surface, it can be run directly into a conventional steam turbine generator to create electricity. Wells, some greater than two miles deep, have been drilled to tap this natural steam.  

At The Geysers, the captured steam is piped to generating units. The steam spins a turbine that drives a generator to produce much-needed electricity for the California power market.  

Geothermal power at The Geysers has environmental advantages, such as helping to stretch fossil fuel supplies. Presently, this electric-generating system is practical in only a few parts of the world, but innovative technologies are striving to expand and extend the value of geothermal power.  

More recently, as natural steam levels have dropped in the deep bores, because of its extraction, wastewater from cities in Lake and Sonoma Counties is being pumped down into the earth onto the hot rocks to increase steam levels.  

Learn more about geothermal technology and take an actual tour of the Geysers. Information about Calpine's Geysers Visitor Center can be found at: 

For more information about additional recreational activities and special events, call the Lake County Visitor Information Center, 707-263-9544 or 800-525-3743.
 

THE MIDDLETOWN AREA 

Backyard Garden Oasis - A Bed and Breakfast Inn 

Nestled in the Collayomi Valley, on St. Helena Creek just 4 miles from Middletown. Relax in a hot tub under the stars or enjoy the Manzanita grove, which is home to hundreds of California Quail. 707-987-0505 

Big Canyon Inn 

A secluded and peaceful home on a hilly 12 acres of pines and oaks beneath Cobb Mountain.13 miles from Middletown at 11750 Big Canyon Road. 707-928-5631 

Crazy Creek Gliders & Skydivers 

For the wildly adventurous, Crazy creek is located at the Middletown Gliderport nestled in the eastern foothills of the Mayacamus Mountains about 3 miles north of Middletown on highway 29. Activities include Skydiving, Tandem Skydiving, Accelerated FreeFall, Glider Rides, and a Glider Flight School. 707-987-9112  

Hidden Valley Lake Golf Course 

Just 5 miles north of Middletown on Highway 29 is the Hidden Valley Lake Golf Course. It has 18 holes of Championship Golf, superbly manicured putting green, full service driving range, practice bunker and chipping area and a full-service Golf Shop. The highlight of this 6,667-yard course, designed by William F. Bell and opened in 1970, is the 389-yard 15th hole, where the tee sits 200 feet above the fairway and offers views of Mt. Saint Helena and the Sutter Home Vineyards. Lessons are also available from PGA Pro Andy Gonzalez. Call (707) 987-3035 to arrange a tee time.  

Old Stone House Museum 

At the southern end of Hidden Valley is the Old Stone House Museum originally built in 1854. It is a California Historical Landmark and the Stone House Historical Society welcomes visitors. Call for an appointment. 707-987-3138
 

Robert Louis Stevenson State Park 

On Highway 29 south of Middletown, just near the top of the St. Helena Grade is Robert Louis Stevenson State Park. Enjoy picnicking, or for the more adventurous there are many hiking trails available to climb St. Helena Mountain or the Palisades overlooking Calistoga and the Napa Valley. 707-942-4575  

Twin Pine Casino 

Open 24 hrs, 7 days a week, Lake County's newest casino is located off Highway 29 just a few miles south of Middletown. The casino also offers Game Room for children.
707-987-0197 

Twin Pines Casino 

Website Links
Cobb/Middletown Accommodations
Cobb/Middletown Restaurants
Lake County Activities
Lake County Events Calendar 

THE KELSEYVILLE AREA 

Konocti Harbor Resort And Inn
 

Renowned as the greatest small concert venue in the country, people come from all over Northern California to enjoy this lakeside resort set on 120 acres. There are both indoor and outdoor concerts ranging from rock to country.  

The resort offers many hotel rooms and suites with Jacuzzis or fireplaces and lake views, plus a boat marina, outdoor pool and a huge full-service spa and gym (that has an Olympic-sized indoor pool). There is even putt-putt golf! Guests can enjoy both a formal diningroom with dance floor and live music overlooking Clear Lake, as well as a fun casual restaurant called the "Classic Rock Café". The walls are lined with video screens that run a constant stream of concert videos. One last fun feature at Konocti is an outdoor Tiki bar with seats that overlook the water. It is one fabulous hot spot! 

Clear Lake 

The largest natural freshwater lake in California it is also known as the Bass Capital of the West. Clear Lake has more than 43,000 surface acres, more than enough space for fishing, swimming, sailing, waterskiing, jet skiing, parasailing, kayaking, kneeboarding, and other water sports. local retailers offer rental of everything you will need to enjoy a day on the lake: Fishing boats and equipment, water ski boats and equipment, jet skis, wave runners, pontoons, kayaks, pedal boats, and paddle and row boats.
You can find many beaches and campgrounds around the lake to enjoy a vacation or relaxing day by this magnificent lake. 

Clear Lake State Park 

Offers several miles of trails, including Dorn Trail and Indian Nature Trail. Many types of animals and birds can be seen on these trails. Great camping sites, besides either the lake or Kelsey Creek and Cole Creek as they enter the lake. Plenty of great locations to catch some of the best and biggest fish Clear Lake has to offer, with or without a boat. Great safe swimming, a relaxing beach to sun bathe or just hang out, or hire a kayak, canoe or paddle boat. Or visit the visitors center to get a sense of how the original inhabitants, the Pomos lived. 5300 Soda Bay Rd, Kelseyville. (707) 279 4293 

Anderson Marsh State Historic Park 

Just a few miles south of Kelseyville, the Anderson Marsh State Historic Park has something for history buffs (Some sites are over 10,000 years old), bird watchers, hikers and fishermen. The park also has a popular blackberry festival in August. 

Grebe and Cormorants 

Taylor Planetarium 

The Taylor Planetarium and Observatory is situated in Kelseyville, just minutes east of Highway 29, between Lakeport and Lower Lake. Visitors are welcome to gaze upon the stars and learn of the wonders of the universe. 5725 Oak Hill Rd. (707) 279 8372 

Buckingham Golf & Country Club  

This beautiful course is located in the shadow of majestic Mt. Konocti and encircles a small lake on the beautiful Buckingham Peninsula. It is rated among the top three nine-hole courses in California. Enjoy the Tee Room Restaurant & Lounge. The private dock accommodates golfers and diners that arrive by boat. 2855 Eastlake Drive Kelseyville, CA 95451 

Konocti Hills Golf Club