Modesto’s 7-mile river park never has had many visitors. How about a campground?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Advisors propose a campground and Measure H funds to boost park attendance.
- Measure H could add up to $5M over five years for policing, maintenance.
- Campground study projects $381k-$2.05M annual revenue depending on scale.
Two intriguing ideas have emerged for getting more people into Tuolumne River Regional Park.
One would be its first overnight campground, with entry fees that help with upkeep of the entire seven-mile park. It would be along Legion Park Drive under the pending master plan update, but the park staff has not released details.
The other proposal could more than double the current TRRP budget by tapping the Measure H sales tax in Modesto. It could add up to $5 million over five years for better maintenance, law enforcement and parking.
This suggestion came from the park’s Citizens Advisory Committee. Members voted unanimously Nov. 19 to bring it to the governing board Dec. 10.
The proposals confront a basic fact about TRRP: It does not draw many visitors, despite its scenic setting and proximity to several neighborhoods.
“Going forward,” committee chairman Chris Guptill said, “this kind of thing would push the park toward what most people say is a diamond in the rough and a local gem.”
Residents have cited concerns such as trash dumps, loose dogs and vandalized restrooms. The park already is a de facto campground for some of the area’s unhoused people.
The governing board is made up of county Supervisors Channce Condit and Mani Grewal and city Councilmembers Eric Alvarez and Nick Bavaro. They could adopt the master plan update sometime in 2026, after a final round of public comment. The full City Council would have to approve spending from the sales tax, which raises about $42 million a year.
The park stretches between Mitchell and Carpenter roads. It began to be assembled in the 1960s and operates under a master plan from 2001.
Most of the amenities so far are near the airport neighborhood, with native oaks, picnic shelters and paved and dirt paths. The segment near downtown extends both trails and has a small restored floodplain. Dirt paths run the rest of the way, passing a new boat ramp off Neece Drive and soccer fields near Carpenter.
The park has projected income of $692,133 in the fiscal year that began July 1. Only $5,000 of this is from visitor fees — to rent the picnic areas and soccer fields. The county allotted $340,329 and the city kicked in $297,304. Land leases for cellphone towers and other purposes added $49,500.
The spending side includes $365,826 for outside services, including the master plan update, and $322,790 for maintenance by the city staff. The park also has had capital projects funded by state and federal grants, separate from the operating budget.
Measure H is a 1% sales tax approved by Modesto voters in 2022. It has upgraded numerous city parks, though not TRRP, along with police, fire and other functions.
Guptill sits on the Measure H oversight committee along with the river park panel. He also has led many volunteer cleanups of the Tuolumne stretch near downtown.
The committee said part of the sales tax money could give TRRP a full-time police presence. They could be full-fledged officers or park rangers under police oversight.
Measure H could bolster trash cleanup, trail maintenance, trimming of wildfire fuel and other tasks. The committee suggests it pay for a paved parking lot near Ninth Street because the current dirt area is inadequate for large events. Guptill said the park could again host youth mountain bike races, with riders from around Northern California.
The committee said the sales tax also could pay for a feasibility study on the campground idea. It would be for recreational vehicles or tents on a flat site already served by a road. This spot has a small swimming beach and a new picnic shelter.
The campground could bring as much as $2.05 million a year, said a report from committee member Ron West, a land-use consultant. That assumes 100 spaces renting for $80 a night and a 70% occupancy rate. The low end is $381,000 a year for a project with 60 spaces at $50 a night, booked only 35% of the time.
“As you know,” West said in a letter to Guptill, “I absolutely believe that this is the solution to all of our long-term, perennial problems, from homelessness, to security, to public use opportunities, to financial stability.”
The committee meetings are attended by the Yosemite Rivers Alliance, formerly the Tuolumne River Trust. It needs to see more details on the campground proposal, Central Valley program director Hilary Moak said Nov. 19.
She did endorse using Measure H money to enhance safety, parking and other needs. The group long has brought nearby residents out for nature study, kayaking and other activities.
“We’ve seen positive recreation, getting people to the park,” Moak said. “It has an impact.”
The park stretch near downtown is known as the Gateway area. The 2001 master plan envisioned large public gatherings, easily reached on foot or bike. The committee suggested an idea from Bellingham, Washington: arranging metal shipping containers into dining and performance spaces. It is part of the city’s port along Puget Sound.
The governing board for Tuolumne River Regional Park will meet at noon Dec. 10 in Room 2005 at Tenth Street Place, 1010 Tenth St., Modesto.
