California kicks off State Parks Week as new State Park opens in Central Valley

SACRAMENTO – As California's newest State Park, Dos Rios, officially opened to the public June 12, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation declaring June 12-16 as California State Parks Week. Located in the San Joaquin Valley outside of Modesto, Dos Rios is the first new State Park since 2014.

"Our state parks are a point of pride and inspiration for Californians and visitors from around the world. Today, we celebrate the opening of Dos Rios – our first new State Park in a decade – which creates new outdoor recreation opportunities for Central Valley communities, provides habitat for threatened and endangered wildlife, and advances the state's innovative efforts to combat the climate crisis using nature-based solutions," Newsom said.

"The Central Valley – the beating heart of our state's agriculture sector – is now home to California's first new State Park in nearly a decade. Dos Rios is an example of the work we're doing to heal our environment through land restoration and protection of the endangered species who call it home while bringing to the local community the undeniable benefits of time spent in nature," said Siebel Newsom.

The opening of Dos Rios coincided with the third annual State Parks Week, which celebrates the state park system's 280 destinations and highlights the importance of outdoor access to the health and well-being of our communities.

The park is one of several projects that support California's new nature-based solutions targets, which strategically harness the equivalent of more than half of the state's land to fight the climate crisis.

The approximately 1,600-acre Dos Rios property is the largest public-private floodplain restoration project in California to restore habitat for threatened and endangered wildlife at the Tuolumne and San Joaquin rivers. This is one of several projects across the state that will help California achieve its historic nature-based solutions targets announced earlier this year.

More information on visiting Dos Rios can be found at https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=31363.

A complete list of State Parks Week events and how to participate is available at https://CAStateParksWeek.org.