California State Parks in the state’s “heartland,” the great Central Valley, not only provide year-round recreational activities, but also house the state’s historical treasures, such as the Governor’s Mansion, the State Capitol Museum and the Leland Stanford Mansion. The parks showcase the discovery of gold, the growth of agriculture, the contribution of immigrants - and are home to the region’s unique animal and plant life.

California State Parks Director Ruth Coleman said, “California’s Great Central Valley is changing in dramatic ways – in its unprecedented growth, in its evolving economies, and in the diversity, needs and interests of its residents.”

California State Parks are preserving and protecting this region’s natural and cultural heritage.

Here’s a sample of what more State Parks in California’s great Central Valley have to offer.

Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park is located at 525 The Esplanade in Chico. The park contains a beautiful three story, 26-room Victorian House Museum, a memorial to John and Annie Bidwell. John Bidwell was known throughout California and the U.S. as an important pioneer, farmer, soldier, statesman, politician and philanthropist. Annie Ellicott Kennedy Bidwell, the daughter of a socially prominent, high ranking Washington official, was deeply religious, and committed to a number of moral and social causes, including the suffrage and prohibition movements.

The Bidwells used the mansion extensively for entertainment of friends and guests, including President Rutherford B. Hayes, General William T. Sherman, Susan B. Anthony, Frances Willard, Governor Stanford, John Muir, and Asa Gray.

When constructed, the mansion featured the most modern plumbing, gas lighting and water systems of the day. The overall style of the three-story brick structure is that of an Italian Villa, an informal, warmly romantic style. The buildings exterior is finished with a pink tinted plaster.

The park visitor center is open Wednesday through Friday from 12 Noon to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tours are conducted on the hour. The last tour begins at 4 p.m.

For more information, call the park at (530) 895-6144.

Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park, five miles west of Chico on River Road, features bank or boat fishing for salmon, steelhead and shad. The next popular activity is "cruising down the river" on inner tubes, canoes, or kayaks.

This park preserves a disappearing natural resource - the riverine habitat. The riparian plant and animal communities in the park depend on each other to survive. Massive oaks and cottonwoods give the dense shade needed for the survival of cool-water creatures and thick elderberries, wild grapes, blackberries, wild roses and perennials provide shelter to the park’s diverse wildlife population.

For more information, call the Bidwell Mansion at (530) 895-6144, otherwise, call the park at (530) 342-5185.

Brannan Island State Recreation Area, on Highway 160 a few miles southwest of the city of Rio Vista, is an island in a maze of waterways through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Northeast of San Francisco Bay, the park has countless islands and marshes with many wildlife habitats and many opportunities for recreation, including boating, windsurfing, waterskiing and swimming.

The area offers great fishing, including striped bass, black bass, sturgeon, catfish, bluegill, perch and bullhead. Frank’s Tract State Recreation Area, a protected wetland marsh, is home to beaver, muskrat, river otter, mink and 76 species of birds.

With about 336 acres, Brannan Island State Recreation Area has a six lane launch ramp, over 140 campsites and areas for picnicking, fishing and swimming.

The Visitor Center is open most days during the summer and Saturday and Sunday all year and features displays on the cultural and natural history of the Delta. A large interactive map of the bay area and Delta is the most fascinating attraction. The center also has brochures, maps and gift items for sale.

Brannan Island hosts the Delta Wind Festival every year in May. The Delta Wind Festival is a special event for the family with activities for all age groups. Wind surfing and kite boarding demonstrations are always highlights.

Day use areas include picnic areas, a fishing pier, swim beach, barbecues and drinking water.

For more information, call the park at (916) 777-6671.

California State Capitol Museum, in downtown Sacramento at 10th and L Streets, has been home of the California Legislature since 1869. The building underwent a major renovation that restored much of the Capitol’s original look. Visitors can tour the restored historic offices of Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, and Governor of the State of California. The building features exhibits and tours - and sometimes an opportunity to watch the legislators debate a bill or cast a vote.

There are 40 acres of gardens in the surrounding Capitol Park, including trees from around the world. Capitol Park features memorials, including a Civil War Memorial Grove planted in 1897; a life-sized statue of Father Junípero Serra, a Roman Catholic missionary sent by Spain to help colonize California; the California Vietnam Veterans Memorial, with life-size bronze figures of service men and women depicting military life in Vietnam; and the California Veterans Memorial, a granite obelisk honoring California Veterans from the Mexican-American War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf War.

For more information, call the park at (916) 324-0333 or (916) 324-0312.

The California State Railroad Museum, in Old Sacramento at 125 "I" Street, is a world-class tribute to the role of the "iron horse" that connected California to the rest of the nation.

The museum features 21 lavishly restored locomotives and cars, some dating back to 1862. There is a full-scale diorama of an 1860s construction site high in the Sierra Nevada as well as a bridge elevated 24 feet above the museum floor.

A block from the museum is a reconstructed passenger station and freight depot circa 1867. During the summer, a steam train takes visitors from the depot to Miller Park and back along the Sacramento River.

For more information, call the park at (916) 445-7387.

Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area, located on Tesla-Corral Hollow Road between Tracy and Livermore, has 1, 500 acres for challenging hill-type trail riding, hill-climbs as well as a professionally designed motocross track. Elevations are up to 1,800 feet. The park is a motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle, and (limited) four-wheel drive area. The park also has a four wheel drive obstacle course and an Observed Trials area.

For more information, call the park at (925) 447-9027.

Clay Pit State Vehicular Recreation Area, 2.5 miles from Oroville, provides good beginner terrain for off-road enthusiasts. The clay used to build Lake Oroville was taken from the Feather River Valley, three miles west of Oroville. The resulting depression, a large shallow pit ringed with low hills, is the site of this 220-acres park for motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, and dune buggies.

For more information, call the park at (530) 538-2200.

Colusa-Sacramento River State Recreation Area, near downtown Colusa, covers 67 acres and features campsites, picnic areas, and a launch ramp for small boats.

The river is on a major migratory route for birds of the Pacific flyway and provides home to an amazing number of species.

The River Patwin Indian tribe once lived nearby the area and in 1872 John Muir camped near what is now the park.

The park offers one of the finest fishing stretches in California with king salmon, steelhead, rainbow trout and striped bass. Anglers can also find catfish, shad, carp and sturgeon. The fall run of salmon comes in September and October. The spring run is April through June. The steelhead run is from late August to end of October; striped bass from April through June; and shad from mid-May to mid-June. Bank fishing is easiest from the river's northwest bank, outside the park, or via the park trail to the gravel bar-beach area.

For more information, please call the park (530) 458-4927.

Delta Meadows River Park, located behind the historic town of Locke, is an unimproved state park with numerous opportunities for river recreation. The park offers a chance to see how the Sacramento River Delta used to be prior to the levees and sloughs that are seen today.

The state parks offer guided canoe trips at Delta Meadows in the spring and fall for a nominal fee.

Please call (916) 777-6671 for more information.

Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, located at the base of the Sierra foothills about 25 miles east of Sacramento, includes a 18,000-acre lake and recreation area popular for hiking, biking, running, camping, picnicking, horseback riding, water-skiing and boating.
The park also has Lake Natoma, downstream from Folsom Lake, which is popular for crew races, sailing, kayaking and other aquatic sports.

For anglers, the lake contains trout, catfish, big and small mouth bass, and perch.
For cyclists, there is a 32-mile long bicycle path that connects Folsom Lake with many Sacramento County parks before reaching Old Sacramento.

For more information, call the park at 916-988-0205.

Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park, within the Folsom City limits, produced 11,000 volts of electricity for Sacramento residents from 1885 to 1952. Currently closed, the park is scheduled to reopen to the public by June 2005.

The powerhouse was once called "the greatest operative electrical plant on the American continent” and an example of the tremendous advance in the commercial application of electricity. H.P. Livermore realized that the water of the American River could turn generators for electricity in Sacramento, 22 miles downstream. With his partners, Livermore built the powerhouse, which still looks much as it did in 1896. Vintage generators are still in place at the powerhouse, as is the control switchboard, faced with Tennessee marble.

Visitors touring the powerhouse can see the massive General Electric transformers, each capable of conducting from 800 to 11,000 volts of electricity, in addition to the forebays and canal system that brought the water from the dam.

Group Tours will be available throughout the week by special arrangement.

Call (916) 985-4843 or (916) 989-7275 for more information.

Franks Tract State Recreation Area is accessible only by water and is located southeast of Brannan Island between False River and Bethel Island, eight miles south east of Rio Vista.

During the fall and winter, a large variety of waterfowl can be found in Franks Tract. The Delta holds a key position in the Pacific flyway. Year round residents include gulls, great blue herons, terns, swallows, crows, blackbirds, cormorants and kingfishers.

Due to the limited access, exposure to strong winds and shallow fluctuating water levels, recreational use is by anglers and waterfowl hunters.

The tract is becoming a popular fly-fishing destination for anglers wishing to catch Striped Bass on a fly rod.

Waterfowl hunting is allowed on part of the open water, subject to Department of Fish and Game regulations. All arrangements are made in advance through Brannan Island State Recreation Area.

For more information, call (916) 777-6671.

Governors Mansion State Historic Park, at the corner of 16th and H Streets in downtown Sacramento, was home to thirteen of the state’s governors until 1967 when Governor Ronald Reagan became the last governor to live there. The mansion has over 30-rooms and 9-bathrooms. 14-foot ceilings, Persian carpets, Italian marble fireplaces, chandeliers and French mirrors grace the mansion. Originally built by a hardware merchant in 1877, the mansion became California’s Executive Mansion in 1903. Governor George Cooper Pardee was the first California Governor to live there. A video tour of the mansion with California First Lady Maria Shriver is available for viewing for the hearing impaired or for those with limited mobility.

A small gift shop is located in the carriage house, where the entry fees are collected and the tour orientation begins. Guides conduct tours on the hour, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The park is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. The park is open daily for tours. Special events are scheduled throughout the year.

For more information, call (916) 323-3047.

Lake Oroville State Recreation Area, near the City of Oroville, covers about 28,450 acres. The man-made lake was formed by the tallest earth-filled dam (770 feet above the stream bed of the Feather River) in the country.

The lake offers a variety of outdoor activities including camping, picnicking, horseback riding, hiking, sail and power boating, water-skiing, fishing, swimming, boat-in camping, floating campsites and horse camping.

The park visitor center features a museum, exhibits, videos and a store. Displays on the State Water Project and the area’s natural and cultural history are featured in the museum.

The view from the park’s 47-foot tower, with two high-powered telescopes, offers a spectacular panoramic view of the lake, Sierra Nevada, valley, foothills, and the Sutter Buttes mountain range.

For information about the park, call (530) 538-2219.
For information about floating campsites, call (800) 444-7275.

The Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park, at the corner of 8th and N Streets in downtown Sacramento, is being restored and is scheduled to reopen in the summer of 2005. Once a busy hub of politics and society, the house is being restored to both the form and function of its glory days.

The mansion was once the home of Leland Stanford, one of the Big Four of the Central Pacific Railroad and governor of California from 1862 to 1864.

The mansion will serve California as both the State’s diplomatic and business reception center and as an elegant house museum, open for public tours. Rehabilitation of the 19,000 square foot home is the result of a successful partnership between California State Parks and the Leland Stanford Mansion Foundation.

For more information, call the park at (916) 324-0575.

Old Sacramento State Historic Park, in downtown Sacramento, has shops, restaurants, offices and museums housed in buildings restored or reconstructed in their 1849 -1870 style.

The park includes the Old Eagle Theater, the B.F. Hastings Building (built in 1952) and the State Railroad Museum.

For more information, call the park at (916) 445-6645.

Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area is at the base of the Sierra Nevada foothills, 20 miles east of downtown Sacramento and three miles south of U.S. 50.

The area offers off-highway vehicle enthusiasts a variety of interesting terrain and trails for motorcycles, all-terrain vehicle and four wheel drive vehicles. There are flat, open grasslands, rolling hills with native blue oak trees, and acres of cobbled mine tailings left after gold dredges combed ancient river beds in search of gold during the late 1800s. Beginners as well as experts find the variety of terrain both challenging and enjoyable.

The area has motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle and four-wheel drive open areas. The Hangtown MX track is a professionally designed and maintained when the weather permits. There is also a ¼ Midget track; Go-Kart Track; Clay Oval Track, Mud Drags and a four-wheel drive obstacle course.

There are also shaded picnic sites with barbecues and water.

For special event information, call (916) 985-7378.
The District Office phone number is (916) 985-8521.

The State Indian Museum, adjacent to Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park in downtown Sacramento at 26th and K Streets, has exhibits and artifacts illustrating the culture of the state’s earliest inhabitants. As many as 300,000 to 1,000,000 Native Americans lived in California before the arrival of the first Europeans. There were more than 150 distinct tribal groups.

Artifacts in the museum include basketry, beadwork, clothing and exhibits about the ongoing traditions of various California Native American groups. The museum also has a display about Ishi, the last of the Yahi Indians. Ishi managed to remain hidden from western civilization until 1911 when he was discovered in northern California. Native American structures have been built in an outdoor demonstration area. The museum has a number of special events throughout the year.

For more information, call the park at (916) 324-0971.

Stone Lake, in Sacramento County, preserves and protects two rare natural Central Valley lakes and their surrounding riparian habitat and grassland areas. The property lies within the Pacific Flyway and provides wintering grounds for a variety of waterfowl and other migratory birds. The property also contains a number of Native American sites. Located on the southern edge of the Sacramento metropolitan area, the property serves as valuable urban open space. It is operated by Sacramento County.

Sutter Buttes State Park is a new property and not currently available for public use, pending necessary planning, facility development and staffing.

Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park, in midtown Sacramento between K and L Streets, is the city’s earliest settlement. John Sutter, a Swiss immigrant, established the fort in 1839 and created a flourishing agricultural empire. He named the area New Helvetia (New Switzerland.) In 1847 Sutter sent aid to the Donner Party, a group of immigrants trapped in a winter storm in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Word spread and Sutter became known for his hospitality and for providing temporary refuge to travelers. This reputation made New Helvetia the destination for early immigrants to California.

The fort has been restored to its former state based on an 1847 map published in Darmstadt, Germany.

The park is open daily for tours. And a self-guided audio tour is available.

Special events are scheduled throughout the year. DVDs and videotapes are available for the hearing impaired or for those with limited mobility.

For more information, call the park at (916) 445-4422.

William B. Ide Adobe State Park, south of Redding and two miles northeast of Red Bluff on Adobe Road, is named after William B. Ide, president of the short-lived California Bear Republic which lasted for 22 days. The adobe memorial to him is located in a picnic area overlooking the Sacramento River. The park features the old adobe home, carriage shed, blacksmith shop and a small visitor center.

For more information about the park, call (530) 529-8599.

Woodland Opera House State Historic Park, in downtown Woodland, was originally built in 1885 and rebuilt in 1896 after being destroyed by fire. The Woodland Opera House is still used for plays, musicals and other presentation.

The interior of the Opera House was painstakingly restored to the grandeur it enjoyed at the turn of the century. Seven years and more than $2,000,000 later, the Woodland Opera House reopened and for the first time in nearly eight decades, began to offer live entertainment on a year-round basis.

For more information, call the park at (916) 666-9617.

Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area, between Chico and Red Bluff on South Avenue, is a beautiful 142 acre oak woodland park nestled along the Sacramento River. Mount Shasta, Mount Lassen, and the Trinity Alps loom in the distance.

Another special feature of Woodson Bridge is the 328 acre preserve. This dense native riparian forest is a winter home to the Bald Eagle and a summer nest site for the Yellow Billed Cuckoo. This jungle like grove displays some of the last remaining riparian habitat to be found in California.

Over a hundred plant species have been identified throughout the park; the most prominent is the large valley oak. The California black walnut, Oregon ash, black cottonwood, sycamore, and willow are also plentiful. Beneath the oaks and cottonwoods along the river is a profusion of elderberry, wild grape, and wildflowers in season.

Information provided by:

California Department of Parks and Recreation

For more information about the park, call (530) 839-2112.

For California State Parks camping information, call ReserveAmerica at
(800) 444-7275 or go online to www.parks.ca.gov to visit California State Parks.

 

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