California’s newest state park in the San Joaquin Valley opens on Wednesday, June 12. The opening day coincides with the launch of the Third Annual State Parks Week June 12-16. This year’s theme is “This is Where You Live”, which is befitting for the opening of Dos Rios.
1,600 acres makes up California’s newest state park
The park is about eight miles west of Modesto in the Central Valley. The nearly 1,600-acre Dos Rios property is the largest public-private floodplain restoration project in California. In addition to recreation, the park’s purpose is to restore habitat for threatened and endangered wildlife at the Tuolumne and San Joaquin Rivers.
As a state park, Dos Rios will offer Californians opportunities to improve their mental, physical, and social well-being. Thanks to a partnership between California State Parks and the California Conservation Corps, visitors will be able to hike some areas of the property. After that, newly built picnic tables and ramadas will be available for a cool-off.
All this will be on-line for the June opening. Future uses will need public input. Those include greater river access for swimming, angling, boating, and other water sports. Also in future planning are trails for bicycling and other outdoor recreation activities.
“The vision for Dos Rios is a journey into the past, revealing a lush Central Valley and a local escape – adjacent to two rivers and a wildlife refuge,” said California State Parks Director Armando Quintero. “State Parks is committed to ensuring access for all Californians as we collaboratively craft this park alongside the public, tribal partners, and stakeholders for a healthier natural environment close to home.”
$40 million project
In partnership with the nonprofit River Partners, the restoration of Dos Rios was a 10-year, $40 million project. Eleven different funding sources from the public and private sectors were involved. It’s the first state park created since Eastern Kern County Onyx Ranch State Vehicular Recreation Area in November 2014.
“Dos Rios Ranch becoming a State Park is a leap forward in California’s and Governor Newsom’s bold vision for a vibrant, resilient future,” said River Partners President, Julie Rentner. “This ‘park of the future’ connects underserved Central Valley communities with an actionable model of scalable multi-benefit water solutions, where restored floodplains support water resilience for a hotter, drier future and flood safety for the nation’s most imperiled communities—all while bringing back wildlife from the brink of extinction.”
“Opening Dos Rios is a game changer,” said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “It provides a beautiful riverfront destination for San Joaquin Valley residents to get outside and recreate, in a part of the state with few such places. It also provides a new model of a multi-benefit park that also reduces flood risk for local communities, provides a refuge for local residents during worsening heat waves, and restores the natural environment of the Central Valley to benefit local wildlife.”
California’s newest state park will have its official name and park classification determined and approved by the California State Park and Recreation Commission soon. State Parks will be providing more updates about the opening of Dos Rios in the weeks to come.
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What, no camping areas ?