There are a dozen state parks in or near Stanislaus. Here are 3 ways to get in free
California’s state parks offer three ways to get free admission for day use. A dozen of the sites are in or near Stanislaus County.
Details were in a Jan. 30 news release reminding residents about the Outdoors for All Initiative:
- Residents can visit public libraries to check out parking passes valid at more than 200 parks. Branches have an average of 24 passes, which require a library card.
- All fourth-graders can obtain free passes to 19 of the parks. The closest to Modesto is Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Up to three other people in the vehicle get in free, too. The offer runs through August, when fifth grade starts.
- The annual Golden Bear pass provides free entry for low-income residents to 200-plus parks. They include families in the CalWORKs assistance program, individuals getting Supplemental Security Income, and qualifying people 62 or older.
Details on obtaining the passes, and on which parks accept them, are at www.reservecalifornia.com.
Stanislaus has just one state park within its boundaries, Turlock Lake State Recreation Area. It is closed until a contract with a new operator is signed.
The county could get its second park late this year at Dos Rios Ranch, a restored floodplain at the confluence of the Tuolumne and San Joaquin rivers. The current state budget would provide basics such as a parking lot and restrooms to start.
But there are several other parks close to the county:
- Caswell: Along the Stanislaus River west of Ripon
- Hatfield: Along the Merced River east of Newman
- McConnell: Along the Merced near Livingston
- Columbia: A Gold Rush town in Tuolumne County
- Railtown: Steam train history in Jamestown
Calaveras Big Trees: Sequoia groves off Highway 4
Coe: In the hills that straddle Stanislaus and Santa Clara counties
- San Luis Reservoir: On Highway 152 west of Los Banos
- Pacheco: Farther west on 152 after San Luis
- Great Valley Grasslands: On Highway 165 south of Hilmar.
This story was originally published February 1, 2023 at 10:36 AM.
