San Joaquin River Wildlife Refuge

Brought the kids today for a hike. Only a few cars there and trails open. Hiked down to the otters and enjoyed the sunset. Highly recommend!

Okay, so this place is cooler than I expected. The recommended trail is just under 4 miles, but you can avoid the loop if you aren't up for that or you can easily extend your distance. We kept walking what we THOUGHT was the main trail and walked along the river for awhile, until it started getting rougher and less maintained, and ended up veering off trail to get back to our truck. We did about 4.5 miles, and it was mostly flat. So what's so cool about the place? 1. It's quiet. We never seen any other vehicles or people while we were there. Great for social distancing, 2. Parking and entry is free (unlike the busy park we had visited earlier today which was $10/car) 3. The wildlife! We seen a handful of large jack rabbits, some smaller rabbits, 4 river otters, tons of quail, and some larger birds.We'll definitely be back here again. Especially once the air quality clears up. Glad we discovered this gem!

If you are looking for a place to enjoy nature, especially the sound of birds and sight of small animals, you would enjoy it here. It's about this 3 miles of very flat gravel walk, good for children, seniors and dog owners. Tip: This isn't much shade, so come early on a hot day

There were birds (egrets, ibises, Northern Harrier) on the one mile loop walk. Unfortunately it was 88 out and the mosquitos were swarming and hungry. We saw lots of birds on the side of the road - Sand hill cranes, ibises, egrets, etc. better views from the road. No auto tour.

Great place for a walk! They have benches, tables, and restrooms that are relatively clean. I loved bringing my dogs, on leash, just watch out for those ticks. And loved the many rabbits we got to see. Good place for a run too.