Junior Ranger Program

Winter is alive! This program will highlight the awakening of new life as the winter rains and cool temperatures refresh the plant and animal life of China Camp. Junior Rangers will look for new life as wildflowers, grasses, ferns, and trees begin to bud. Discover birds, insects, frogs, newts, and... Read more »

ADVISORY: FOOTRACE

There will be a footrace beginning at Miwok Meadows on February 13th from 8am-2pm. Please expect increased foot traffic on Shoreline Trail, Bayview Trail, and Oak Ridge Trail during that time. Go to the Sasquatch Racing website for more details.

Darwin Day Celebration

New ideas & research Naturalist Harold Hirsch will lead a program celebrating international Darwin Day by discussing the evolution of—well—the theory of evolution! We will cover Charles Darwin’s contribution to science and also explore the ideas of the late E.O. Wilson and Richard Leakey, two scientists who greatly influenced modern... Read more »

Full Moon Hike

This moon is deemed the “snow moon” because February is usually the coldest, snowiest month in the U.S. Though Bay Area residents might have to head to Tahoe to actually see some snow this month, you can join us on a journey to watch the snow-white moon ascend into the... Read more »

Birding Hike

By the first two weeks of February, we can expect to see many species of swallows returning to the Bay Area from their winter home in Mexico. On this month's birding hike, we will look for barn swallows swooping and diving above Miwok Meadows in pursuit of flying insects. Barn... Read more »

Naturalist Book Club

ENTANGLED LIFE BY MERLIN SHELDRAKE Join us for this month’s Naturalist Book Club as we discuss the New York Times bestseller Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake via Zoom.  To most humans, fungi are seemingly limited to the dichotomy of being either beneficial as food and medicine or as a poisonous... Read more »

Trail Closures in Effect

Beginning March 3, a portion of Shoreline Trail will be closed for restoration until further notice. The Friends of China Camp volunteer trail team will be restoring the handicap-accessible portion of Shoreline Trail, to ensure equitable access for people with mobility disabilities. Please stay off closed areas, trespassing could risk... Read more »

Junior Ranger Program: Turtle Back Trail Exploration

Join us this month as we take a journey around Turtle Back Nature Trail, considered the “heart” of China Camp State Park. This month we will discover the vernal plant and animal communities that live at this unique intersection of grassland, oak woodlands, and salt marsh. This program will be... Read more »

Trail Closures in Effect

Beginning March 16, a portion of Shoreline Trail will be closed for restoration until further notice. The Friends of China Camp volunteer trail team will be restoring the handicap-accessible portion of Shoreline Trail, to ensure equitable access for people with mobility disabilities. Please stay off closed areas, trespassing could risk... Read more »

Full Moon Hike

Lace up your hiking boots, pack a hot beverage, grab your flashlight, and bring your bestie to this month’s full moon hike.  March’s full moon, rising two days before the spring equinox, is known as the “worm moon,” for the earthworms that are often seen wriggling to the surface during... Read more »

Migratory Birdwatching Hike

As the largest estuary along the Pacific Flyway, the San Francisco Bay offers an abundance of habitats for migrating birds as they make their springtime journey north. On this month’s birding hike, we will be on the lookout for the first spring migrants, like the Caspian tern. This impressive tern,... Read more »

Spring Equinox Wildflower Hike 

Celebrate the first day of spring with us as we hit the trail to seek out the prismatic colors of the wild. Yellow buttercups, orange poppies, red larkspur, purple shooting stars, indigo irises—together they make an unforgettable rainbow that you won’t want to miss.  Join naturalist Harold Hirsch on a... Read more »