Along the San Joaquine River

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Difficulty: Easy
Length: 2.1 miles / 3.4 km
Duration: 1-3 hours

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Overview: Great Valley Grasslands is one of the less known, out of the way places in the State Park system. It's been barely developed beyond parking, a restroom, boat ramp, and partial trail along the San Joaquin River levy. Trails from the HWY 140 entrance are effectively non-existent, bare tracks through the wildflowers and brush created by local anglers. The seasonal flooding makes permanent trails problematic.

My first visit occurred during the spring runoff season where I found much of the park flooded and the San Joaquin River running fast and deep over it's banks nearly overwhelming the levy separating it from the grasslands. The road to the parking area was waste deep in water, slow moving but cross-able. Any signs of trails beyond the levy road were simply gone.

A return visit was a completely different experience! A lightly used park, the only folks there were local anglers fishing the river. Trails...from the HWY 140 entrance, nearly non-existent! After reaching the end of the levy road, it's a case of following the river along the most used path, using the river bank and sand and gravel bars when possible. Turn around when a machete looks like it will be needed, it gets thick ahead! Along the way are plenty of gorgeous spots for fishing or having some lunch. Keep an eye out for turtles and other critters along the river.

One thing that really struck me was the river kayaking possibilities! This Park could make a great stop or put in on a longer run!

The Park is but a small component of a larger system called the Grasslands Ecological Area, a collection of preserved lands run by several state and federal agencies.

Most of the park is essentially inaccessible, being comprised of fenced off vernal pools and open grasslands that haven't changed since before the Central Valley was settled. In that is its charm!

This park preserves one of the few remaining intact native grasslands on the Central Valley's floor. Grasslands is part of a larger Grasslands Ecological Area (GEA) made up of parcels owned by federal, state and private lands which are managed specifically for wildlife preservation. As such the GEA is the largest remaining block of wetlands in California.

A number of rare plant and animal species inhabit Great Valley Grasslands which include: a native bunch grass called alkali sacaton, the Delta button celery (Eryngium racemosum) listed as an endangered species which is found in the flood plain of the San Joaquin. Both the California Tiger Salamander and the endangered vernal pool fairy shrimp and tadpole shrimp have been found.

Locally, Great Valley Grasslands is well known for it's native flower displays.

Tips: Location:
31426 Gonzaga Road
Gustine, CA 95322-9737

Telephone:
Sector Office
TEL (209) 826-1197
FAX (209) 826-0284

Hours:
8:00am to 5:00pm PT

Supporting Non-Profit:
Four Rivers Association
31426 Gonzaga Road
Gustine, CA 95322-9737

Telephone: (209)826-1197

Note:
The official Park Site suggests a trail using levy's that starts from the other end of the Park. Parking on HWY 165 is highly limited and I saw no indication of the published trail's presence through the HWY 140 end of the Park.

Clothing:
Bring some mud-shoes along, there will be areas where one's crossing bogs and mudflats.

A hat really helps in the brush to keep seeds and cobwebs out of the hair. After a hike, expect to spend some effort removing tough seeds and burrs from clothing.

Bring insect repellant.

Your dog will love the place but won't be welcome. The burrs caught in your pet's fur won't be worth the removal effort.

Points of Interest

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Northwest Entrance

Northeast of the town of Gustine in the Central Valley, the northwest entrance to Great Valley Grasslands is a quick turnoff on HWY 140; it's on a curve just before crossing the San Juaquine River. The surrounding lands on the way in are clearly seasonal wetlands...generally somewhat flooded during the wet seasons.

This trip was actually my second time in. The first being in in the Spring with the park very flooded, the San Juaquine river over it's banks, and the driveway submerged.

Part of the trip's intent was to try tracing the Trailmaster hike on Great Valley Grassland's Web site from the "other end". Beyond the first leg along the levee road, I saw no signs of the walk.

Regardless, it's a fun half day following the San Juaquine and blazing one's own path. If you fish, bring a pole, there's plenty of promising spots and few people using them.

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Parking

The parking area's quite generous, intended to allow for buses and especially boat trailers.

The surrounding wetlands are fenced off but there's well developed river access and a small boat ramp. There is a restroom available.

Note: the Google Earth imagry on this page appears to have been taken in the winter or spring (the GPS path is underwater in quite a few spots). The path taken, when possible, was along spits and bars in an effort to keep away from ticks and avoid damaging wetlands vegitation.

On this visit, the park appeared to be a haven for locals fishing the San Juaquine.

This would not be a good place for the mountain bike. There's plenty of spots where one simply can't ride.

This might actually be best via boat, canoe, or kayak.

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Boat Ramp

The river's edge around the ramp and along the shoreline to the south east has been lined with rip-rap. Northwest along the shore, it's been left alone.

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Trailhead

The gate at the southerly end of the parking area is the trail head. The trail's start is the road along the levee top. Catch the right couple months and the grasslands will be a riot of blooming vegetation!

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End of Road

The road ends, dropping off into the San Juaquine just past some bollards. To the north is acess to sand bars and the inside of a broad bow in the river.

Looking for some sort of trail, follow a path along the river's edge south. The path looks like it's re-blazed by locals each season after the flooding subsides.

It's likely any blazed path is right on the river bank edge which can range from 0'-8' high. The soils are primarily sandy silty loams, NOT capable of supporting a lot of weight. As the river's depth and current along here vary, it's a good idea to hang back from the edge.

Keep an eye open for soft ground also around any vernal pools! Sometimes the surface may only be a crust covering sticky muds.

On my earlier visit, the river was just below the bank top and upstream, much of the lowest lands were flooded out.

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Cross Country Walk

Having just crossed a vernal pool area (hopefully dry), the walk generally goes cross country with trails fading in and out.

From this point on, single track paths where you can find them, spits and bars where possible, and the rest...there are times when a machete would come in handy (which State Parks would NOT appreciate).

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Sand Bar

If available, round the bends via sand bars on the inside of the river bends.

Underbrush along the river can get dense in places.

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Trail

Keep an eye open for game trails. It's likely locals use them to reach favored fishing spots.

Up ahead just beyond a rise will be a vernal pool, within a likely reminant of an old oxbow bend in the river.

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Vernal Pool

Nestled in the willows is a large fairly stagnent pool with plenty of frogs.

Keep an eye on the ground and watch your step, just off the trail there may still be a small sinkhole, just a foot or so deep with a very soft bottom. When I took a look, it appeared to be a small underground creek from the pool to the river.

Walking along the pool...be ready to sink a bit in the muddy soils.

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Found Trail

I picked up another thin single track within the trees and brush. This particular one was more of a tunnel.

It helps to have a ball cap in here to keep the seeds and spider webs out of the hair.

Breaking through one will find a narrow bench-like beach to follow, some bars.

Try heading away from the river toward the edge of the flood plain and along the hill base.

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Lost Trail

The next segment was purely cross country in the flood plain along the San Juaquine. This is an area of old bars, willows, brush, and just feeling ones way along the river. Expect to backtrack, cut through muddy depressions, seek higher ground, and force your way through brush and saplings.

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Along an Old Channel.

Old channel.

Stick to the high spots in this area. The low spots are a soft sticky mud.

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Following a bar

Stick to the sandbar here, both the walking and view are better than in the dense brush.

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Turning Back

With the trail well and truely gone I came to the conclusion that few travel on foot this far along the river. The walk had also been very slow going in a number of spots with further progress really needing brushing gear.

I'd also hoped to encounter a portion of the trail described by Trailmaster on the Park's web site to facilitate continuing on to the Parks south Easterly entrance on Lander Avenue (HWY 165).

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Following a Bar and Beach

Easy traveling!

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Reaquiring the Trail

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Sink Hole

Nearly stepping into it, a small sink hole. The mouth was about 1' wide, the depth about 1'. It has a horizontal channel running just below the surface from vernal pool toward the river.

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Junction, Return to the Levee Road.

Back to the levee road.

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Exploring a bend

A path heads out along the river. This particular bend looked like a great place to explore earlier this year only it was submerged. By late July it was high and dry, a maze of bars, brush, and tree shaded spots.

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Rounding the bend

A path, beaches, and bars.

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Return to Levee Road

For comparison the attached images are of this bar a few months earlier during the spring runoff. The bend is submerged to the lower tree branches.

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End

Return to Parking Lot.

Would I do Great Valley Grasslands again? Yes! This particular walk just scratch the surface.

Next time out it will be via kayak and use this end of the park as either a take-out point. The park has a lot of river to explore.

Another possibility would be to query the Park's staff regarding accessibility to the interior areas beyond the fence lines. Entering the Park, those lands appear to be off limits to protect the vegetation and animals from human interference.

Pictures in this guide taken by: Craig_H

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