| Visitation: 60,000 | ||
| Area: 46,000 Acres | ||
| Lat: 38.265702 | ||
| Lon: 121.439292 | ||
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| Cosumnes River Preserve - Site # 59 | |||
| Road closure January 2023: Update from Sacramento County Department of Transportation on Franklin Boulevard closure near Cosumnes River Preserve. Franklin Blvd between Twin Cities Rd & Desmond Rd will remain closed for the next 2 weeks for emergency bridge repair. Detours: Southbound cars turn east on Twin Cities Rd; south on Bruceville Rd; west on Desmond Rd back to Franklin Blvd. Trucks with trailers heading south will need to take I-5 to the Walnut Grove Road exit. Trucks heading north will be able to exit at Twin Cities Road. Truck should not take the Bruceville Road detour due to the narrow lanes and clearance issue at the railroad crossing on Desmond Road. Check online at Sacramento County Dept of Transportation for updates: https://tinyurl.com/yc3jsq5u The Cosumnes River is the largest free-flowing Sierran river flowing into California's Great Central Valley. Its floodplain is closer to a natural state than any other in the region. | |||
 | Premium - the most significant sites, worth visiting if you have limited time. Premium sites have high wildlife values year-round, staff on site, interpretive programs and/or displays, and well-developed facilities. | ||
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| Background: | California's largest stand of valley oak riparian forest borders the largest undamned river. A trail passes a young, restored riparian forest, then moves to reconstructed marshes that attract wintering tundra swans, sandhill cranes, and scores of ducks. Long-billed curlews and other shorebirds forage in pastures and wetlands. River otters, beavers, and muskrats swim in cattail-lined sloughs, passing green herons and wood ducks. Riverside willows, blackberries, and wild grapes give way to an oak-studded savannah, areas favored by black-tailed deer, Nutthall's woodpeckers, and western bluebirds. The tallest trees bear the spring nests of Swainson's hawks. | ||
| The Habitat: | Oak Riparian Forest (15%) Agricultural Lands (55%) Valley Grasslands (20%) Seasonal Wetlands (5%) Tidal Wetlands (5%) | ||
| Wildlife and Where to Find It: | Car - Driving Tour Trails - 1-mile easy paved Wetlands Walk 3-mile easy dirt River Walk 7-mile moderate dirt Rancho Seco Howard Ranch Trail. 1/2-mile Boardwalk Sandhill Crane Viewing Platform Boating- Canoeing and Kayaking | ||
| Viewing Tips: | More than 250 bird species. Waterfowl, cranes, wading birds, and shorebirds are seen from October to March, birds of prey from November to April. Songbirds are common in fall and spring. Bring mosquito repellent. | ||
| Site Notes: | The Cosumnes River is the largest free-flowing Sierran river flowing into California's Great Central Valley. Its floodplain is closer to a natural state than any other in the region. The Cosumnes River supports a run of Chinook salmon. Mammals include river ottern beaver & muskrat. The rare giant garter snake makes its home in the marshes and adjacent uplands. The riparian forest bordering the river is home to raccoon, black-tailed mule deer, mink and numerous species of songbirds. More than 250 species of birds have been recorded on the Preserve, including several nesting pairs of the threatened Swainson's hawk. Marshes support impressive numbers of greater and lesser sandhill cranes, Ross', white-fronted and Canada geese, tundra swans, and numerous species of ducks. Birds such as great blue herons, black-crowned night herons and white-tailed kites are common. The Cosumnes River Preserve benefits from programs established by the Bureau of Reclamation's Central Valley Project Conservation Program (CVPCP) and the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) Habitat Restoration Program. For more information, visit website and for information on endangered species click here | ||
| Nearby Viewing Sites: | Staten Island (part of CRP) Isenberg Ecological Reserve (DFG) | ||
| Festivals & Events: | Spring Workday Extravaganza, Lodi Crane Festival, Galt Winter Bird Festival Sacramento Zoo Wings of Spring, Sacramento Zoo Ear | ||
| Visitor Information: | Explore Elk Grove - - http://www.ExploreElkGrove.com (coming soon) | ||
| Viewing Site Hours of Operation are: | |||
| Staff On-site: | Yes | ||
| Open: | Everday | ||
| Hours: | Sunrise to Sunset | ||
| Year Round: | Yes | ||
| Road Information: |  Paved.  Gravel. | ||
| Road Hazards: | |||
 Number of Parking Spaces: 75 | |||
| Parking Fee: No | |||
| Proximity to viewing area: | |||
 Pull-Through Parking: Yes | |||
| Parking Danger: Please do not block the pedestrian crosswalks. | |||
| How to Get There: | From Sacramento, take Interstate 5 south to Twin Cities Road exit. Drive east 1 mile to Franklin Blvd. Travel south on Franklin Blvd 1.5 miles to the Cosumnes River Preserve Visitor Center, on left. | ||
| Contact Information | |||
| Managing Agency: | The Nature Conservancy | ||
| Agency Site URL: | http://www.cosumnes.org | ||
| Physical Address: | 13501 Franklin Blvd Galt, CA 95632 |
Agency 2: | 13501 Franklin Blvd Galt, CA 95632 |
| Manager Phone: | (916) 683-1701 | Contact Us: | by Email |
| Site Phone: | (916) 684-2816 | ||
| County: | Sacramento | ||
| Addition Website: | |||