Dos Rios State Park officially opens in Modesto. Here’s what happened on the first day

After nearly 20 years of anticipation, Dos Rios Ranch State Park officially opened its gates to the public Wednesday.

The opening makes it the second state park in Stanislaus County. The only other, Turlock Lake State Recreation Area, has been closed since 2021 as California State Parks and Turlock Irrigation District work to find a new operator for it.

Opening day at Dos Rios saw a large community turnout with lots of eager guests. There were guided tours, refreshments, food trucks and information booths with games for the kids.

Currently, the park offers guided walks, picnic tables, bird-watching and park interpreters who will teach visitors all about the park.

Some first-day visitors said they are optimistic about what the park’s opening will mean for the future of education.

“It’s such an amazing opportunity for the local community,” said Daniel Strait, who attended the opening ceremony with his wife. “They can get these kids out here in nature for maybe their first time ever.”

Alison McNally and Peggy Hauselt, both professors in the geography and environmental resources department at CSU Stanislaus, attended the opening and said they hope to utilize it with their students.

“I’m really excited that we have a local park next to Stan State. It’ll be a great opportunity to get the students involved hands-on,” McNally said.

Parks director offers look at what’s to come

The opening kicked off California State Parks Week, celebrating the park system and those who help protect the parks. Events will take place throughout all of California’s state parks for the third year in a row.

“This is where you live,” is the motto of this year’s State Parks Week, and it was echoed throughout the Dos Rios opening ceremony remarks.

State Parks Director Armando Quintero outlined what’s to come at Dos Rios. Plans include greater river access for swimming, boating and other various water sports, as well as trails for bicycling.

Valentin Lopez, chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, spoke about acknowledging those who once occupied the land and respecting the territory.

“The place we are at today is because of many people we will never meet,” Lopez said. “It’s important that the ancestors are seen as humans, they were not just hunters and gatherers but artists and teachers.”

Lopez reminded visitors that they are not responsible for history’s mistakes but should recognize how they may have benefited from them.

Ali Manzo, a state park interpreter, led the audience and eight students in taking the Junior Rangers Pledge to protect and learn about parks and share their experiences with others.

“Dos Rios will serve as an outdoor classroom,” Manzo said. “It will give students experiences to be outdoors.”

Years of restoration led to park’s creation

The park is a product of restoration work by nonprofits River Partners and the Tuolumne River Trust, which are both committed to the restoration and protection of California rivers and habitats.

“This is a park of the future,” said Julie Retner, president of River Partners. “The Central Valley doesn’t have nearly as many parks and access to nature as other parts of California.”

The nonprofits handed off a giant key to California State Parks during the opening ceremony.

Years of restoration work made the park what it is and Dos Rios embraces that throughout the park, including ramadas made using materials from other California state parks that were impacted by the 2020 wildfires.

Sheri Brown, a landscape architect who attended the opening with her father, was excited to hear about the restoration process. “The park looks at restoring a habitat rather than building it, it invites people in to explore nature and what it has to offer,” Brown said.

The work put into the park is a reflection of the Central Valley, Diana Avalos said in a speech titled “A Love Letter to Modesto.” “Modesto, I want the best for you, and Dos Rios is the best,” she said.

Avalos is the senior program manager for California’s first partner, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and grew up in Modesto. She reminded attendees that the park is not just a place to explore, but a place to heal.

“This is a product of the hope that lives and breathes in the Central Valley,” Avalos told the audience. “You are our power and our hope, Modesto, this park is ours.”

Park Information

At this time, Dos Rios is open Fridays through Sundays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

There is currently no entrance fee.

The park is at 3559 Shiloh Road, about 10 miles west of downtown Modesto.

The park can be contacted at DosRios@parks.ca.gov or 209-596-9032.

This story was originally published June 13, 2024 at 10:56 AM.