Parks around Los Banos

The Los Banos Dam and Reservoir are on Los Banos Creek above the San Luis Canal, near Los Banos, California. The dam and reservoir are features on the Central Valley Project - San Luis Unit. The reservoir has 620 water surface acres and 12 miles of shoreline. The recreation area offers trails following the Path of the Padres, a boat and hiking trail. The Path leads to the baths used by the padre...

O'Neill Dam and Forebay are joint Federal-State facilities located on San Luis Creek 2.5 miles downstream from San Luis Dam. O'Neill Forebay Dam is a feature of the Central Valley Project - San Joaquin Division - San Luis Unit. The reservoir has a surface area of 2,250 acres and 14 miles of shoreline. The Park includes boating, camping, picnic facilities, fishing, hiking, and serves as a major f...

Recreation area lakes include O'Neill Forebay, San Luis Reservoir, and Los Banos Creek Reservoir. All are part of the California Water Project and operated jointly by the California Department of Parks and Recreation, the California Department of Water Resources, and the Bureau of Reclamation. Office hours; 8:00a.m. - 4:30p.m., Monday through Friday. Closed holidays. Facilities open 7 days a w...

Recreation facilities at San Luis Lake were constructed under a cost-share agreement between the Bureau of Reclamation and the State of Colorado during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Recreation is managed by the Colorado State Parks under agreement with the Colorado Division of Wildlife. The park can be reached at 719-378-2020; email sanluis.park@state.co.us . Available fish species include rain...

The San Luis Refuge in the San Joaquin Valley of central California is one of the last remnants of the historically bountiful wintering grounds for migratory waterfowl of the Pacific Flyway. Located in the Bear Creek, Salt Slough, and San Joaquin River floodplain, it hosts a myriad of tree-lined channels and oxbows, wetlands and native grasslands. Thousands of acres of wetlands, fed by an int...

Little Panoche Dam is a feature of the Central Valley Project - San Luis Unit. The area is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Access by foot only. Parking lot provided. Nearest main highway, I-5. Nearest community, Los Banos (18 miles north of Dam). Birdwatching, sightseeing, picnicking, and nature study allowed. Hunting of all game species in season. Fishing allowed in the pool. Predomi...

Grasslands Wildlife Management Area lies within the San Joaquin River basin and supports the largest remaining block of wetlands in the Central Valley, containing 70,000 acres of private wetlands and associated, and surrounding 53,000 acres of state and federal lands. Perpetual conservation easements on private lands have been purchased by the Service. Land management activities are the respon...

The Panoche/Tumey/Griswold Hills, rising out of the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, provide a wealth of recreation opportunities, are rich in upland game, provide significant habitat for endangered species of plants and animals, and contain significant paleontological resources. Visitor service improvements are now complete at the new day use facilities, including a parking area, a shade ...

The Merced National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 10,258 acres of wetlands, native grasslands, vernal pools, and riparian areas. It was established in 1951 under the Lea Act to attract wintering waterfowl away from adjacent farmland where foraging ducks and geese were causing extensive damage to crops. The refuge hosts the largest wintering populations of lesser sandhill cranes and Ross' ge...

San Justo Dam and Reservoir are features of the San Felipe Project. The reservoir is approximately 3 miles southwest of Hollister, California . Facilities open for use Wednesday through Sunday. Operation hours: sunrise to sunset. Good access roads. The park offers recreation to anglers, boaters, windsurfers, picnickers, and mountain bikers. Boat size restricted to 16 feet. Gas engines prohi...

Rising out of the chaparral-covered Gabilan Mountains, east of central California's Salinas Valley, are the spectacular remains of an ancient volcanic field. Massive monoliths, spires, sheer-walled canyons and talus passages define millions of years of erosion, faulting and tectonic plate movement.

At America's Newest National Park, the possibilities for discovery are limitless! Climbing and hiking among the breathtaking spires and rock formations that gave Pinnacles its name is only the beginning of what the park has to offer. Come seek out the California condor in the High Peaks, explore the rare chaparral vegetation and carpets of wildflowers, or just picnic at the visitor center.

The Pinnacles Wilderness now contains a total of 15,985 acres and is managed by the National Park Service. All of the Wilderness is in the state of California. In 1976 the Pinnacles Wilderness became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and extraordinary opportunities for solitude. In an age ...

Elkhorn Slough is one of the relatively few undisturbed coastal wetlands remaining in California. The main channel of the slough, which winds inland nearly seven miles, is flanked by a broad salt marsh second in size only to San Francisco Bay. More than 400 species of invertebrates, 80 species of fish and 200 species of birds have been identified in Elkhorn Slough. The channels and tidal creeks...

This 10-mile trail for the hardy four-wheel-drive enthusiast traverses the BLM Clear Creek Management Area. Named for the abandoned Molina Mercury Mine, which began operation in the 1850's along with the New Idria Mine, this trail is technically difficult and ruggedly spectacular. The Molina Trail offers scenic vistas, and an unusual and bizarre landscape resulting from a large serpentine rock for...

The Bureau of Land Management Hollister Field Office issued a Temporary Closure effective May 1, 2008, to all forms of entry and public use for approximately 31,000 acres of public lands in the Clear Creek Management Area (CCMA) to protect public health and safety. The Record of Decision (ROD) for the CCMA Proposed Resource Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement will replace the c...

The San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge encompasses more than 6,500 acres of riparian woodlands, wetlands, and grasslands that host a diversity of wildlife native to California's Central Valley. Established in 1987 under the authority of the Endangered Species and Migratory Bird Conservation Acts, the refuge has also played a major role in the recovery of Aleutian cackling geese. Within...

Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge is located in Santa Cruz County within the Monterey Bay area. The refuge, established in 1975 to protect the endangered Santa Cruz long-toed salamander, supports two of the eight known breeding populations of the salamander. The threatened California red legged frog and the California tiger salamander, a candidate for listing under the Endangered Sp...

Salinas River Refuge is located approximately 11 miles north of Monterey at the point where Salinas River empties into Monterey Bay. The refuge encompasses several habitat types including sand dunes, pickleweed salt marsh, river lagoon, riverine, and a saline pond. The area provides habitat for several threatened and endangered species, including the California brown pelican, Smith's blue ...

This 7,200-acre portion of the former Army base at Fort Ord is now public land managed by BLM. BLM managed roads and trails are well-suited for hiking, biking and equestrian use. An additional 7,500 acres is expected to be transferred by the year 2020. Fort Ord contains one of the largest maritime chaparral areas in all of California, as well as oak woodlands, rolling grassy hills, wetlands and p...

Just a few minutes NE of Modesto in the Central Valley. Here, a serene series of small parks are located along the Stanislaus River, providing exciting fishing, rafting, and canoeing opportunities. N of Modesto 10 mi via CA 99.

Just one hour north of Fresno in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Rolling oak-covered hills provide a scenic and restful setting for fishing, boating, and hiking.

Located off the 1,100 miles of California coastline, the California Coastal National Monument comprises more than 20,000 small islands, rocks, exposed reefs, and pinnacles between Mexico and Oregon. The scenic qualities and critical habitat of this public resource are protected as part of the National Landscape Conservation System, administered by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of ...

The waters of Monterey Bay and the adjacent Pacific Ocean off the central California coast were designated and protected in 1992 as the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This vast area stretches almost 300 miles (260 nautical miles) north to south, extends an average of 35 miles (30 nautical miles) offshore, and covers over 6,090 square miles (4,603 square nautical miles). The sanctuary is m...

Less than an hour drive northeast of Fresno in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada enroute to Yosemite National Park. Lake activities include water skiing, fishing, swimming, horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking, and camping.