Spring Wildflower Walk & Photo Tips – Walk 2

Back Ranch Meadows Campground

Tall grasses may be turning golden as spring winds down, but there are still plenty of wildflowers blooming in the park. We’ll search for late bloomers such as tall and elegant Ithuriel’s spear and the showy pink blossoms of checkerbloom and farewell-to-spring. Bring a plant guide if you’d like, as... Read more »

Full Moon Hike

Witness the celestial spectacle of the ”pink moon.” This month’s full moon gets its name from springtime’s bounty of rosy blooms. Even if we don’t spy any pink bloomers on this hike, we’ll still enjoy the moon’s spectacular ascent over San Pablo Bay.  This hike follows a winding trail to... Read more »

Give-Back Morning at China Camp

China Camp Ranger Station 101 Peacock Gap Trail, San Rafael, CA, United States

Enjoy a morning making a difference in the park. Our weekly maintenance days tackle a host of jobs large and small, so there’s something for everyone. You don’t need to be a weightlifter or a construction worker to help out, in fact we’ve got men and women of all shapes,... Read more »

Free

Community Volunteer Day: Wildfire Resiliency

Don your work gloves and join the weed-yanking brigade with Friends of China Camp and the San Pedro Road Coalition. We’ll help clear China Camp’s east entrance by removing invasive broom and other flammable weeds and plant debris. Backed by the San Rafael Fire Department, our goal is to protect... Read more »

Junior Ranger Program

Bring your young nature-lover to join a journey of discovery, delving deep into the vibrant world of plants and animals awakening with the season. We’ll follow a winding trail beneath a canopy of oaks to learn about budding blooms, chirping baby birds, and other signs of spring. Through hands-on exploration... Read more »

Online Naturalist Book Club

This month we discuss Purified: How Recycled Sewage Is Transforming Our Water. In his 2023 book, author Peter Annin dives into the promising future of wastewater reclamation.    Summary from author’s website “In Orange County, California, decades of cutting-edge technology and ambitious community outreach efforts have made the county the... Read more »

Give-Back Morning at China Camp—CANCELED DUE TO FORECAST OF RAIN

China Camp Ranger Station 101 Peacock Gap Trail, San Rafael, CA, United States

Enjoy a morning making a difference in the park. Our weekly maintenance days tackle a host of jobs large and small, so there’s something for everyone. You don’t need to be a weightlifter or a construction worker to help out, in fact we’ve got men and women of all shapes,... Read more »

Free

Late-spring Wildflower Hike

As warmer weather approaches, the final months of spring offer a last chance to enjoy the season's wildflowers. On this hike, we will follow a meandering trail through an oak woodland forest in search of beautiful bloomers such as blue brodiaea, violet ground iris, white toyon blossoms, delicate rein orchids,... Read more »

Give-Back Morning at China Camp

China Camp Ranger Station 101 Peacock Gap Trail, San Rafael, CA, United States

Enjoy a morning making a difference in the park. Our weekly maintenance days tackle a host of jobs large and small, so there’s something for everyone. You don’t need to be a weightlifter or a construction worker to help out, in fact we’ve got men and women of all shapes,... Read more »

Free

Give-Back Morning at China Camp

China Camp Ranger Station 101 Peacock Gap Trail, San Rafael, CA, United States

Join us for a morning of making the park look beautiful. There’s always plenty to do—trail grooming, fence mending, log splitting, litter pickup, and so much more. Join us and make a difference! No previous experience needed. Difficulty ranges from easy to a good work out. No long-term commitment required—but... Read more »

Guided Bird Walk: Magnificent Migrants

Spring heralds a flurry of feathers at China Camp, drawing birding enthusiasts to the park from far and wide. During our May birding walk, we’ll be on the lookout for new arrivals such as Pacific-slope flycatchers, Western tanagers, Wilson's warblers, and black-headed grosbeaks. We’ll keep watch for resident species too,... Read more »

Junior Ranger Program: Wild Moms

In honor of Mother’s Day this month, May’s Junior Ranger program will focus on some of the hardest workers among China Camp’s wildland creatures: wildlife moms! Your little ones will learn about the maternal caretaking habits of creatures like dusky-footed woodrats, raccoons, and woodpeckers. These woodland moms demonstrate resilience and... Read more »