...or The Lake that Never Was.
This is Optima Lake. We made a quick trip out there while deer hunting to see the area. We assumed it was an actual lake, not just a misleading name. Apparently the ground sucked down the water faster than the river could fill it. It was finally abandoned in 1966. You can hunt this entire place, which is a very weird feeling walking around a vacant campground with a rifle hoping to jump a deer out of a thicket that used to be a park. One thing that really surprised me was the almost complete lack of graffiti and vandalism.
Boat ramp
Ground where the lake would've been. Those are deer tracks in the road.
Parking lot
Where the lake should be
Bathroom
Picnic area
Entrance to the main campground
The "lake"
This is Optima Lake. We made a quick trip out there while deer hunting to see the area. We assumed it was an actual lake, not just a misleading name. Apparently the ground sucked down the water faster than the river could fill it. It was finally abandoned in 1966. You can hunt this entire place, which is a very weird feeling walking around a vacant campground with a rifle hoping to jump a deer out of a thicket that used to be a park. One thing that really surprised me was the almost complete lack of graffiti and vandalism.
Boat ramp
Ground where the lake would've been. Those are deer tracks in the road.
Parking lot
Where the lake should be
Bathroom
Picnic area
Entrance to the main campground
The "lake"