California Governor Gavin Newsom last month announced the opening date for California’s 280th state park and first new state park in nearly a decade; Dos Rios, former farmland in the San Joaquin Valley, will open to the public on June 12.
Situated at the confluence of the San Joaquin and Tuolumne rivers eight miles outside of Modesto (which is about 90 minutes east of San Francisco), the 1,600 acres of floodplains have been restored to a flourishing green space dotted by willow trees and oaks, a project that has been spearheaded by the nonprofit conservation group River Partners—part of a larger effort to protect and preserve the area’s wildlife.
According to River Partners, Dos Rios is one of the largest floodplain restoration projects in California and a prime example of “green infrastructure that lowers flood risk and brings life back to the San Joaquin Valley to protect endangered species.”
After more than a decade of investment and work, the site is now a thriving ecosystem for species that include brush rabbits, woodrats, hawks, Central Valley Chinook salmon, steelhead trout, yellow warblers, sandhill cranes, and neotropical migratory songbirds, River Partners reports.
The restoration of Dos Rios was a $40 million effort; funding came from both the the public and private sectors. This is the first new California state park created since Eastern Kern County Onyx Ranch State Vehicular Recreation Area just south of Sequoia National Park opened in November 2014.
The park “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,” River Partners president Julie Rentner stated in a press release.
Once it is officially opens on June 12, visitors to Dos Rios will have access to newly implemented hiking trails and picnic areas. Plans are in the works to provide access to the river for swimming, boating, and water sports, as well as additional biking trails.
It is not yet known what the official name and park classification of Dos Rios will be, but the California State Park and Recreation Commission said it will provide further updates in the coming weeks.
This story was initially published in May 2022, and was updated on May 2, 2024, to include current information.
