Dive Sugar Pine

At the south end of the Sugar Pine State Park parking area, you’ll find a path that leads down the hill to the lake and a nice beach. From here, you can see the marine railway tracks running right into the water. Enter just south of that and head south for good rocks in the shallows. If you’re looking to get a bit deeper, go southeast until you hit the lip of the drop off and head down the slope.

At around 100 feet, there are a collection of small clay cliffs, and if you look closely when temperatures start to drop, you’ll find fish burrowed into them. I think these are cat fish, as they are known to burrow, but it’s difficult to see the fish when they’re back a few feet in these burrows and don’t exactly stay calm when you shine a flashlight in their holes.

Somewhere in the limitless shallows close to shore here, I found an old Dacor weight belt with a good amount of lead on it. I didn’t have a lift bag with me, so I hefted it up onto a rock, so it would easy to find later. I have not been able to find it since, so unless someone else found it, there’s some scuba booty here, too.

Parking is $10 for the day except in winter, when it drops to $5. Park is open all year.