California marks biggest state park expansion in decades with 3 new parks
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The Central Valley could soon be home to three new state parks in what officials say is the largest expansion of California’s state park system in decades.The proposed parks — Feather River Park in Yuba County, San Joaquin River Parkway near Fresno, and Dust Bowl Camp in Bakersfield — would serve historically park-poor communities with recreation and historic preservation.Gov.
Gavin Newsom announced the plan Wednesday, Earth Day, on the banks of the San Joaquin River.If approved, the new parks would bring California’s total to 283, far more than any other state.
California has also expanded three existing parks, in Mendocino, Nevada and San Mateo counties, state officials said.Travel & Experiences From Will Rogers State Beach to Tule Elk State Natural Reserve, these state parks are all less than three hours from Los Angeles.Unlike national parks such as Yosemite, which are managed by the federal government, state parks are overseen by the California Department of Parks and Recreation, also known as California State Parks.
They include beloved sites such as Malibu Creek State Park, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and the Humboldt Redwoods State Park.The largest of the proposed parks, Feather River in Olivehurst, Yuba County, sits on nearly 2,000 acres along the Feather River.
It would be the first state park in Yuba County, complete with a boat launch and riverside beach, as well as a floodplain designed to take on water in high-flow years.The San Joaquin River Parkway in Fresno and Madera counties would join various properties into an 874-acre state park directly upriver from the city of Fresno, with parkland on both sides of the river.
Officials said it would complement the nearby Millerton Lake State Recreation Area, making a “water recreation hub” in the fast-growing region.In Bakersfield, Kern County, the proposed Dust Bowl Camp would mark California histo...