Cosumnes River Preserve

Took my son here today and did the boardwalk and wetlands trails. Enjoyed watching the birds, feeling the wind, spotting rabbits, and having weird conversations.I frequently imagine zombies or gulpers (from watching too much of The Walking Dead and Fallout) coming out of the marsh or behind the trees. Don't think about zombies, focus on the wildlife, and it's all good.

Cosumnes River Preserve is tucked way out in Galt, but not a bad drive you're out in the delta area. Came here twice-once in November when some fall colors welcomed me and then again in late December when the preserve was cold and foggy. Parking is free and you can opt for a short stroll on paved trails through the wetlands or try some of the wooded trails near the river. During certain months, it's also known for a viewing area of Sandhill Cranes.Trails are flat and it's more of a walk, than a hike but still a fun outdoor adventure.Check out their website, as they do offer docent led walks for birders. Bring binoculars if you're going to explore the wetland trails-lots of migrating birds to see during the colder months!

A lot of areas to walk! The bridges to walk across were nice. Just a note that it is not dog friendly. Lots of parking spots available. Great view of nature with birds and ducks, a very peaceful walk for anyone. I'm glad to have found this place

This is California's largest remaining valley oak riparian forest and one of the few protected wetland habitat areas in the state.It was lovely here in April (once everything was no longer muddy from the torrential 2023 rains) and we saw a lot of local and migratory birds. There are a few different trails, and it was busy but not crowded in the late morning.

If you're looking to take an afternoon stroll surrounded by peaceful, serene nature, the "Cosumnes River Preserve" just might be the place for you. Having lived in the Sacramento area since the early-2000's, it took me just over 20 years to pay a visit to this place. Located in an unincorporated area of southern Sacramento County, the easiest way to find this place is by taking I-5 to Twin Cities Road and then Franklin Blvd south. The area itself is east of Walnut Grove, west of Galt, and south of Elk Grove.I came here during the afternoon of Saturday June 4, 2022 at around 3:00pm. Since it was an overcast day, I felt it would be ideal conditions to go on a 2-hour hike to get my daily steps and calories in. What is really great about this place is that the main parking lot is absolutely FREE while offering an abundance of available spots that make this one of the easiest places to enjoy a scenic walk. Additionally, there are two public restrooms, a visitor center, and plenty of maps at the entrance exactly showing you where to go. They also include detailed signs directing you to various destinations including the Wetlands Walk, River Walk, and Visitor Center. Keep in mind that since this is a preserve, pets are not allowed so make sure to leave your four-legged pooch at home.I particularly liked this trail area since there wasn't a whole lot of people, even on a Saturday afternoon. There are paved roads to walk on as well as many dirt trails that can go in different directions. The entire roundabout of the trail area covers about 4 miles of walking distance. During this outdoor adventure, I was able to see several bird species (including a white egret, sparrow, and a goose), rabbits, squirrels, lizards, butterflies, and even a snake. The area that covers the actual Cosumnes River as well as the marshland swamp area usually has lots of ducks in a row.This is also a very popular destination to go kayaking and canoeing. Much of the water is very murky so it may not be the cleanest. I would also recommend coming here during the earlier spring months as many of us know how little amount of rain California receives to fill up its rivers and creeks. All in all, the "Cosumnes River Preserve" is a relaxing, tranquil, and peaceful way to bring out the nature in anyone. And if you're looking to capture that perfect sunset, make sure to come during the right time in the evening. My rating, an above average four stars.

Nice flat, little walk around here and plenty of parking if you go around 8 am on the weekend. When we went, there were lots of people out at the viewing decks around 10/11 am. As for the trails, the one on the visitor center side doesn't have too many views and has a few areas where it's kind of roundabout. Personally, I liked the side with the water and viewing deck, but there's not much walking to do on that side. Overall it was nice and peaceful to watch the ducks and other birds here.

Nice small getaway from the urban Sac area. The place has two main "Walks": the Wetlands Walk and the River Walk. The views from the Wetlands Walk make up pretty much the majority of the photos posted here. Birds chilling on large bodies of water (I visited back in October last year a few days after that one infamous storm and the birds were having a field day with all of the accumulated water!). Very easy to reach this particular vista spot as it's right across the street from the parking lot that's off of Franklin Blvd.The River Walk is a way to get a close-up, base-level look at Cosumnes River. It also makes a good little outdoor stroll/beginner-friendly hike as it's of decent length (took me about 40 min to reach the river but I was reeeally taking my time), has multiple pathways (it's hard to get lost though as there are guide points throughout the area), and doesn't have much elevation changes at all. Most of the trail is spacious, but there are spots that are narrow and that do have some poison ivy (should be fine as long as you stick closely to the trail, but wear long pants/sleeves if you want to be extra careful).Overall nice place if you want to take pretty nature photos and get some fresh air.

Incredible nature preserve!! One of my favorites now for sure - loved it so much I made a second stop here on my way back home!! It's a birder's paradise for sure - with lots of peaceful trails just bursting with wildlife - and the river too! I saw several lifers here - the highlight for me being a flock of Golden Crowned Sparrows!! I was so excited!! Oh and the Black-necked Stilts!! So elegant and animated! An absolute joy to watch! I came up to this area for the great fall migration of birds from the Arctic tundra and was not disappointed!! Hundreds of Greater White-Fronted Geese were here! Not to mention all the Northern Shovelers! And apparently there are lots of salmon here during certain times of the year and at high tides! The signs around say they get more water and fishes during high tides! Would be fun to see it! I walked the Wetlands Walk trail, River Walk Loop, and Boardwalk Loop - all these trails are wonderfully maintained! I was so impressed! And the Wetlands Walk trail and Boardwalk Loop are handicap accessible and very well kept - parts of them paved, and part boardwalk - but the boardwalk is so well maintained I don't think there'd be any issues with wheelchairs or other accessible equipment. Plenty of wildlife viewing from these trails easily! There's plenty of parking in two lots close to each other and both had clean vault toilets. There's a visitor center but it looked closed. There are numerous benches along the Boardwalk Loop trail and some really nice lookout points - there's even a boat launch and I saw several people launching their kayaks - a great idea here! I highly recommend this preserve and will definitely be making my way back here come spring!

I came around 8:30 am for a peaceful walk. It was bright and slightly windy out. I honestly felt like I was in South Carolina and not in Galt although it was much cooler in temperature and less humid. They keep the grounds pretty neat and I was lucky to see many different species of birds. The path seemed short to me. I was able to walk a full circle while also having to cross the road in no time. There were also a lot more bugs than I expected. I think this would be a great place to get some nice family photos.

What a nice experience and in my own backyard. Normally I travel up to the Sierra to get a nice bike but I've had a couple of recommendations to check this place out and it was great. As others of noted it's pretty flat hike and on the longer loop it isn't more than 4 miles but there is quite a bit to see and quite a few areas to explore.Located just south of Elk Grove, it's a short drive out here and a nice hike to take the young kids out. From what I understand it's a really great place to check out in early spring or fall but it was still a good trip even at the end of may and still quite a bit of wild life out. We happen to catch a few deer and quite a few birds. Also it wasn't very busy at all even on a Memorial Day weekend.The visitor center was closed on our visit but all the information is available just outside the visitor center and there is ample parking there as well as the lot just north at the observation deck parking. Great short hike for the family!