The opening coincides with the launch of the Third Annual California State Parks Week June 12-16
For Immediate Release June 5, 2024
Contacts:
Adeline Yee, Information Officer II
California State Parks
Newsroom@parks.ca.gov
Robin Carr
Landis Communications Inc.
Redwoods@landispr.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Californians will soon be able to “restore, recreate, reconnect, and take refuge” at California’s newest state park, Dos Rios. California State Parks and its partners are inviting the media and public to the park’s official opening on Wednesday, June 12. The Dos Rios opening coincides with the launch of the Third Annual California State Parks Week June 12-16. This year’s theme is “This is Where You Live.”
California State Parks Invites Public and Media to Official Opening of Newest State Park, Dos Rios, on June 12
WHAT:
Dos Rios Opening and Third Annual California State Parks Week Kickoff
The media is invited to the opening ceremony of California’s newest state park, Dos Rios, located about 8 miles west of Modesto in the Central Valley. Media will also be able to experience California State Parks Week activities and tours of the park, still in development, as a showcase of what visitors love about California State Parks.
Across the state, more than 200 events will be happening for California State Parks Week. Learn more by visiting: CAStateParksWeek.org.
WHO:
State and local leaders along with partner organizations will be available for interviews about Dos Rios and this year’s California State Parks Week theme: “This is Where You Live.” Partners include the California State Parks Foundation, Parks California, River Partners, Save the Redwoods League, Tuolumne River Trust, among others.
WHEN:
Wednesday, June 12, 2024
- 7:30-8:30 a.m. – Media availability
Activities include bicycling, mural painting, yoga, virtual learning demos, and natural and cultural treasures at the newly built ramadas. - 9 a.m. – Opening Ceremony of Dos Rios
- 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Walking and Bike Tours of Dos Rios
WHERE:
Dos Rios, 3599 Shiloh Rd, Modesto, CA 95358
Navigation may take drivers to an area around the corner. Look for a white fence and a black ranch gate. There will be signs at the entrance on opening day.
WHY:
The approximately 1,600-acre Dos Rios property is the largest public-private floodplain restoration project in California to restore habitat for threatened and endangered wildlife at the Tuolumne and San Joaquin Rivers. As a state park, Dos Rios will offer Californians opportunities to improve their mental, physical, and social well-being.
Visitors will be able to hike some areas of the property and enjoy the newly built picnic tables and ramadas. Planning is ongoing for greater river access for swimming, angling, boating, and other water sports, along with trails for bicycling and other outdoor recreation activities.
MEDIA:
Please visit the California State Parks Newsroom for hi-res images and b-roll video. Updates on Dos Rios can be found at parks.ca.gov/DosRios.
The public and media are advised to plan for hot temperatures, wear appropriate clothing, hats, and sunscreen, and bring ample water.
Image of Dos Rios, the newest state park in the San Joaquin Valley. Photo from California State Parks.
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Subscribe to California State Parks News online at parks.ca.gov/newsroom or click here.
The California Department of Parks and Recreation, popularly known as State Parks, and the programs supported by its Office of Historic Preservation and divisions of Boating and Waterways and Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation provides for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. Learn more at parks.ca.gov.
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California State Parks Foundation: California State Parks Foundation, an independent, member-supported nonprofit with over 50 years of history, is dedicated to protecting and preserving the California state park system for the benefit of all. We work in parks and in Sacramento with partners, park staff, and policymakers to address the challenges parks face. To make real and lasting change we are working to build a movement of people who enjoy and advocate for their parks now, and for future generations. Learn more at calparks.org.
Parks California: Parks California is a statewide nonprofit working to ensure state, regional, and local parks thrive. As the statutory partner to California State Parks, Parks California has a simple mission—to help strengthen parks and inspire all to experience these extraordinary places. From redwood groves and desert springs to urban parks and lighthouses, the organization works with partners to steward these natural wonders and make California’s parks more welcoming, accessible and relevant to all visitors. For more information, please visit parkscalifornia.org.
River Partners: River Partners led the restoration of Dos Rios Ranch for more than a decade prior to it becoming a state park. Founded in 1998, the nonprofit brings life back to California rivers to create a thriving future for the state’s environment and communities. By reforesting and reconnecting entire river landscapes, critical wildlife corridors, and vast ecological regions, the organization’s efforts result in lasting, tangible wins for wildlife, flood safety, climate resiliency, water conservation, healthy communities, and more. River Partners has the largest on-the-ground river restoration footprint in the West, having led hundreds of large-scale projects across nearly 20,000 acres statewide. Learn more at riverpartners.org.
Save the Redwoods League: One of the nation’s longest-running conservation organizations, Save the Redwoods League has been protecting and restoring redwood forests since 1918. The League has connected generations of visitors with the beauty and serenity of the redwood forests. Our 400,000 supporters have enabled the League to protect more than 220,000 acres of irreplaceable forests in 66 state, national, and local parks and reserves. For information, please visit SaveTheRedwoods.org.
Tuolumne River Trust: Tuolumne River Trust (TRT) catalyzed the transformation of Dos Rios Ranch from private farmland into a thriving floodplain and public park over twenty years ago. Founded in 1981, TRT protects and restores the Tuolumne River watershed and Greater Yosemite Region for present and future generations through restoration, advocacy and education. Learn more at tuolumne.org.
