A New State Park Was Just Approved To Open In California

State park hoppers are going to have to add a new location to their to-visit lists. California Governor Gavin Newsom just set aside $5 million for a brand new 2,500-acre park located about 10 miles southwest of Modesto. It’s called Dos Rios Ranch and it’s slated to open within a year.

Dos Rios Ranch, which will be the newest state park established in California in over a decade, is located at the junction of the Tuolumne and San Joaquin rivers and the Pacific Flyway, which is basically a superhighway for migratory birds. The area is home to animals like brush rabbits, Aleutian cackling geese, riparian woodrats, sandhill cranes, and a handful of migratory songbirds.

Before any infrastructure work begins on the plot of land, archeologists will do a survey to ensure that Native American sites are left undisturbed.

“We are really excited to be evaluating this preserve as the next state park,” State Parks Director Armando Quintero said, per the LA Times. “We strongly believe that everyone deserves to have close-to-home access to vibrant parks. In a way, it is a walk back in time to a gentle valley. It is one of those places where people will visit and say, ‘Oh, my goodness, this is where I live.’ That’s my hope.”

The Dos Rios location just underwent a massive $40 million floodplain restoration process that restored habitat for endangered and threatened species. Volunteers have been planting trees, collecting seeds, removing invasive plant species, and maintaining trails.

The hope is that the land can also be used to improve groundwater health during heavy rainfall.

The park is slated to open to visitors by 2023 and will become a new place California natives and tourists can visit and learn more about the natural habitats that make the state so great.