“It’s super awesome,” said Mac Au. “They’re just floating in these little coves.”

The giant 20’x20’ double-story platforms float peacefully on California’s Lake Oroville, serving as floating campgrounds for boaters like the Au family. During the summer, these floating campsites are rented out, and the Au family enjoyed camping out on the water so much that they went for eight years in a row.

The floating campground’s bottom story includes a barbeque, a picnic table, a food closet, and a bathroom. Then on the upper level, it’s just an open deck where you could pitch your tent or just roll out your sleeping bags and sleep under the stars.

“It’s camping without the dirt,” said Au. “It’s camping without all the tents and that extra stuff you don’t want to bring. You literally just bring your boat, your food, and your sleeping bags.”

Lake Oroville is also a popular spot for houseboaters. Au mentioned that oftentimes houseboat owners invite their friends, and when they have a particularly large party, they rent one of the floating campgrounds and dock their houseboat on the side. That way everyone fits and no one has to stay home.

In addition, the Feather River feeds into Lake Oroville and Au enjoys riding his boat up the river fingers and finding good boulders from which to jump. There’s also the option of hiking along the river. It’s tons of fun for the whole family.

The Au family enjoys pretty much all water sports, and they find themselves going to the lake at least once a week in the summer. During the hottest months, they don’t forget to rent their floating campground on Lake Oroville.

“It’s a really cool and unique idea,” said Au. “I’ve never heard of another lake having floating campgrounds.”