Benbow Lake State Recreation Area, State recreation area near Garberville, California, US.

Benbow Lake State Recreation Area is a 1,142-acre protected area along the South Fork Eel River in California. The site features trails, camping facilities, and picnic areas set among native oak and redwood forests.

The area began in the 1950s through conservation efforts by the Benbow family, who purchased 207 acres in 1958. The river was restored to natural conditions after dam removal in 2017.

The Benbow family's name remains on the park and on the surrounding redwood groves, and the river corridor they sought to protect is now fished in winter for salmon and steelhead. The dam site itself is gone, so visitors walk and camp where the reservoir once stood.

The park lies 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Garberville on U.S. Route 101, on the South Fork Eel River. Camping and a large day-use picnic area are available; hiking and picnicking are popular in summer, while salmon and steelhead fishing draw visitors in winter.

Where a dam once generated power, the river now flows freely again for fish migration. This shift shows how a place can transform from producing electricity to restoring natural ecosystems.