Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge

Established in 1992 by the U.S. federal government as a flood detention basin. It also serves as a habitat for local and migratory wildlife with a natural lake and riparian wetland. The entire National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is close to 6000 acres. But the area open to the public is a much smaller with ADA walking trails (some concrete paved and others are packed gravel). Roughly 2 miles of trails. The paths have information boards along the way. I do luv an information board. Pretty neat to learn more about the history, land, vegetation, and wildlife. My favorite time of year to visit is in the late Autumn through early Spring. I don't go alone and advise you don't as well. Also I don't go around dusk or dawn due to the bugs. A few days ago I was walking about out there and a skunk crossed my path. I lucked out and he/she scurried away. Danger averted! Plus taking about lucky... I was fortunate enough to see a variety of birds, a rabbit, plus an outrageous large flock of loudly chatty migratory geese flying above. Well I think they were geese. That was unexpected. It was a secular sight. Luckily I was near a sign shelter and took cover. I thought to myself, a hat and slicker to be wearing about now wouldn't be such a bad idea. However these are rare sightings, but a hat and change of clothes to have handy may not be a bad idea. There is no shade out there. So I don't go there in hot weather months. The NWR is open daily, year round. No fee. Free! It has a paved parking lot and it's free access. It has a non flush toilet. However there is no running water, so it's advised to bring your own hand sanitizer. 1624 Hood Franklin Road.

This seems like it would be a great place to introduce small children to nature. The paths are short, flat, and wide, it's easy to navigate, and there's not too much to see (or miss if you get distracted).This is one of those rare instances where I feel like my photos might be over-selling the experience. It was neat, but very small. The total combined length of all of the boardwalks is probably less than half a mile. For whatever reason, I didn't see very many birds. Out of the three bird refuges I've recently been to in this area (this one, Elk Grove, and Yolo), I saw the least birds here. I don't recall seeing any wildlife that I couldn't have seen anywhere else in the Sacramento area, but it was pretty.To me, the coolest thing about this place were the directional signs with their mileage calculated as the crow flies. Neat Instagram opportunity.At the end of the parking lot, a children's play area with natural elements called the "Little Green Heron Playscape" was under construction. It was unclear how long the playground had been under construction for, or when the project would be completed. As of right now, it's literally just a couple of rocks and a log. It honestly doesn't look very promising. For most grown adults, it's probably not worth driving out of the way to see this refuge, but it's cool for birds and for little kids.

Finally they are open again after being closed for couple months. This is my to go place for a stroll and birding or photography. It's usually never busy and you get to relax in the nature. Definitely stop by if you want time away from the city.

Super cute and easy place to walk around on a paved walkway. Kid friendly but not pet friendly. It's a great place to see the sunset and to listen to the birds, as well as learn about different birds and other nature things. Photos are taken from two different visits.

Kinda disappointed with this place. I thought there'd be more to see and explore. The trail is very short. Not bad but not great either. I guess if you need to go on a short walk this place would suffice.

Stone Lakes has much to offer for a small refuge. We go there throughout the year to get out of the city to walk, watch birds and generally be in a natural setting. The trails are concrete and very accessible as well as ample parking and bathrooms. The biggest downside to this site is a neighboring farm that uses a very loud air cannon to keep birds from landing on its land which unfortunately keeps some of them out of the refuge as well. Fortunately, there are other refuges nearby that support wildlife for viewing and are equally accessible . Lastly, I recommend checking out Stone Lake's website to get a complete understanding of the refuge and its offerings.

After seeing the pictures I brought my mom here to look around. I thought it was going to be beautiful...however it was just the opposite.The weeds are over grown...the water....you cannot even see it..because there is a plant of some kind that has taken over...Clearly no one is taking care of the place...too bad...it once was beautiful...by the looks of the pictures. There were many birds singing...it was wonderful...and the walk was to walk was great.If you like to walk and listen to birds this would be a good place to go.

This is a cute little find locally in the Elk Grove and Sacramento area. Heading into old Franklin allows one to get out of the city and out into the open spaces do enjoy the peace in California. The trails here are paved and well manicured to allow little ones to join for a visit. There's bathrooms available me and ample parking. Even though we visited during times of social distancing, we were able to enjoy open air without crowds despite no guided assistance.

Stopped by on our way home from the Delta. This is a nice nature area to take kids so they can learn about nature. It is not too big so it is perfect for kids since their attention span is short. I give it 5 stars because all the trails are level concrete paths. Easily accessible for wheelchairs, walkers or chariots. Lots of informative signs describing birds and plants. All the volunteers do a great job maintaining the wetland. Lots of parking. Yes, the bathroom is to only be used on an "emergency only basis". But, at least there is a bathroom since there is nothing else close by. I used it and I lived! Bring hand sanitizer, binoculars, sunscreen, mosquito repellent and an open mind to soak in nature. Enjoy!!

I know it's summer and there aren't a lot of birds around right now, but I was astonished by how unkempt the whole place was... Everything is overgrown and the "pollinator garden" was dried up and disheveled. It as very disappointing. The whole place looked completely neglected. If this is how they care for wildlife, they all need to get other jobs. They suck at this one.