In late summer or early fall we often drive through Barnhartvale to the Robbins – Campbell Range Road, then onto the Scuitto Lake Forest Service Road to launch a kayak in each lake.   In August and September we expect to encounter birds on the lake – pelicans, sandhill cranes, herons, eagles, loons, kingfishers, ducks, yellowlegs, killdeer, and more.   In this most recent  paddle on Scuitto Lake we also spotted wildflowers in bloom at the edge of the lake and nearby.   A paddle around the lake is 6 km,  a combination of good exercise and floating quietly to observe and photograph the birds, the insects and fish, the plant life, interesting views, and any animals around the lake (a bear came to the lakeshore).  There is a good boat launch at the Rec Site on the north shore.

Scuitto Lake was dammed to create a larger lake so the flooded stumps and snags along the shoreline are numerous.

The lake may be drawn down for irrigation in the Campbell Creek Valley in a dry summer so water levels can vary, but in 2019 water levels seemed high.   While paddling around the  lake a number of birds were spotted, with photos displayed here in a gallery.   Click and image for a larger view and a caption.

I walked along the shoreline and made some short stops at ponds on the drive back.   More photos are shared here in another gallery.

Scuitto Lake is one of our best destination paddle spots, so we will be back to Campbell Lake this year,  and we will continue to return whenever we can.