State Parks and State Recreation Areas in Merced County
Los Banos Creek - Photo by adam blauert
Merced County boasts state parks and state recreation areas. They provide river access, campgrounds, picnic facilities, swimming, boating, fishing, water recreation, OHV recreation, and trails for hikers, bikers and equestrians. These parks include:
George J. Hatfield State Recreation Area
Great Valley Grasslands State Park
McConnell State Recreation Area
PHOTO BY ADAM BLAUERT
George J. Hatfield State Recreation Area: This state park has a mile of river frontage and plenty of shade. It’s proximity to the road and the poor condition of some of its facilities make it less favorable than some of the other parks on the river, but it still provides many excellent fishing opportunities. Near the park is a historic bridge over the Merced River. Built in 1910, it is now open only to pedestrians and bikers. It provides nice views of the river.
Location: 4394 North Kelly Road, Hilmar, CA
Distance from Merced: 30 miles
Distance from Los Banos: 29 miles
Size: 46.5 acres
Facilities and activities:
Flush restrooms
Drinking fountains
Campgrounds/group campgrounds with BBQ grills/fire rings
Picnic areas with tables, shelters, and BBQ grills
Group picnic areas
Swimming area
Dogs allowed? Yes
Horses allowed? No
Hunting allowed? No
Fishing or boating? Fishing can be good at George J. Hatfield Recreation Area. Rainbow trout and bass can be caught in the spring; catfish and perch throughout the year. No boating ramp is provided, but it is possible to swim in the river or to launch a float tube or hand-carried boat.
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=556
and http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/554/files/McConnellHatfield.pdf
Nearby Parks: Undeveloped Great Valley Grasslands State Park has a six mile hiking trail.
Great Valley Grasslands State Park: This park preserves one of the few remaining examples of Central Valley grassland. The primary attraction of this undeveloped park is a six mile loop trail along levee roads. Along this route you can see, the San Joaquin River, native bunchgrass prairie, and vernal pools.
Location: The park’s entrance is on Highway 165 (Lander Ave) just south of Highway 140
Distance from Merced: 21 miles
Distance from Los Banos: 19 miles
Size: 2,700 acres
Facilities and Activities:
Hiking/biking trails
Wildlife viewing
Dogs Allowed? No
Horses Allowed? No
Hunting Allowed? No
Fishing or Boating? No boat ramps are provided, but float tubes could be launched in the San Joaquin River. Bass and catfish are the primary species caught in this area.
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=559
and http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=25155 for trail description
Nearby Parks: Camping and picnic areas are available at George J. Hatfield State Recreation Area, McConnell State Recreation Area, and San Luis State Recreation Area. Picnic areas are also available at Hagaman County Park.
McConnell State Recreation Area: Like the other Merced River Parks, McConnell has a lot of shade. It’s also a bit more developed than Hatfield and further from the highway. If I were to pick a Merced River park in the Valley to camp at, this would be it.
Location: 8800 McConnell Road, Ballico, CA
Distance from Merced: 22 miles
Distance from Los Banos: 35 miles
Size: 74 acres
Facilities and activities:
Flush restrooms
Drinking fountains
Campgrounds/group campground with BBQ grills/fire rings, hot showers
Picnic areas with tables and BBQ grills
Group picnic area
Swimming area
Dogs allowed? Yes
Horses allowed? No
Hunting allowed? No
Fishing or boating? Fishing can be good at McConnell Recreation Area. Rainbow trout and bass can be caught in the spring; catfish and perch throughout the year. No boating ramp is provided, but it is possible to swim in the river or to launch a float tube or hand-carried boat.
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=554 and http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/554/files/McConnellHatfield.pdf
Nearby parks: Undeveloped Great Valley Grasslands State Park has a six mile hiking trail.
Pacheco State Park: This park preserves part of a large Mexican land grant given to the Pacheco family in 1843. 28 miles of trails are available for hiking, biking, and equestrian use. Thousands of acres of gently rolling oak woodland produces spectacular wildflower displays in the spring. The ruins of the Pacheco Adobe and a well-preserved line shack from Henry Miller’s ranching operation stand near the picnic area.
Location: 38787 Dinosaur Point Road, Hollister, CA. Accessed from Highway 152.
Distance from Merced: 59 miles
Distance from Los Banos: 23 miles
Size: 6,890 acres
Facilities and Activities:
Chemical/flush restrooms
An equestrian campground is available for special events; other campgrounds are available at the adjacent San Luis State Recreation Area
Picnic areas with tables
28 miles of hiking/biking/equestrian trails
Wildlife viewing
Wildflower viewing
Dogs Allowed? In picnic area, but not on trails
Horses Allowed? Yes
Hunting Allowed? No
Fishing or Boating? No
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=560 and http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/560/files/Pacheco.pdf. See http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/560/files/PachecoTrailMap2006small.pdf for a trail guide.
Special Events: Ranger-led wildflower hikes in the spring. A kite flying day is also held annually.
Nearby Parks: Camping is available at the adjacent San Luis State Recreation Area
Photo by adam blauert
San Luis State Recreation Area
(San Luis Reservoir, O’Neill Forebay, Los Banos Creek Reservoir):
The San Luis State Recreation Area is made up of three units. San Luis Reservoir is the largest and is used primarily for fishing. Part of both the California Aqueduct and the Central Valley irrigation projects, it is the largest off-stream reservoir in the United States. At full capacity, it measures nine by five miles at its widest points.
The O’Neill Forebay, a smaller lake below the San Luis Dam, is open to all kinds of recreation and offers the best fishing in the area. Although this area can be windy, the O’Neill Forebay is more sheltered than the San Luis Reservoir. O’Neill Forebay is considered to be one of California’s premier fishing areas. The State record striped bass was caught in O’Neill Forebay in 2008. It measured 52.5 inches and weighed 70.6 lbs.
Los Banos Creek Reservoir, located a few miles to the south, receives much less visitation. It is best-known for springtime ranger-led hikes along the creek in the spring. With a 5mph speed limit, Los Banos Creek Reservoir is primarily enjoyed by anglers. A shoreline trail is provided for fishing access.
Location: San Luis Reservoir and the O’Neill Forebay are located on Highway 152, a few miles west of I-5. Additional access is available from State Highway 33. Los Banos Creek Reservoir is located on Canyon Road, southwest of Los Banos and I-5.
Distance from Merced:
San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay: 48 miles
Los Banos Creek Reservoir: 42 miles
Distance from Los Banos:
San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay: 12 miles
Los Banos Creek Reservoir: 6 miles
Operating authority: California State Parks
Surface area of lake: San Luis Reservoir 12,700 acres
O’Neill Forebay 2,250 acres
Los Banos Creek Reservoir 623 acres
Facilities and activities:
Boat ramp
Chemical/flush restrooms
Drinking fountains
Visitor center
Campgrounds/group campgrounds with BBQ grills/fire rings, shelters, hot showers
Picnic areas with tables, shelters, and BBQ grills
Group picnic areas and shelters
Swimming beach/area with showers
Dump station
Hiking trails (additional trails available in the adjacent Pacheco State Park)
Wildlife viewing areas
OHV recreation area (south side of Highway 152 at Jasper-Sears Road. Novice-level trails for both green and red sticker vehicles are provided)
Dogs allowed? Yes
Horses allowed? Yes, and many equestrian trails are available at the adjacent Pacheco State Park.
Hunting allowed? Yes
Fish species:
San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay: bass, bluegill, crappie, perch, shad
Los Banos Creek Reservoir: bass, bluegill, catfish, and crappie. Trout are stocked in the early spring, but don’t last through the summer because of water temperatures.
Boat rentals: No
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=558 and http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/558/files/sanluisSRA.pdf
Special events: O’Neill Forebay hosts a Kids Fishing Day in the spring. The popular Path of the Padres is a Ranger-led hike along Los Banos Creek that is offered from February through April. Hikers enjoy a creekside walk through wildflowers and learn about the history, wildlife, and plant species of the area.
Nearby parks: Pacheco State Park is adjacent to San Luis Recreation Area and offers hiking and equestrian trails. Ranger-led wildflower hikes are offered in the spring.
The California Aqueduct Bikeway begins at San Luis Creek and goes 70 miles north to the Bethany Reservoir State Recreation Area with rest stops ten miles apart and chemical toilets.
Turlock Lake State Recreation Area: Less than an hour from many points in Merced County, Turlock Lake large and easily accessible.
Location: Lake Road (accessed from Highway 132) between Waterford and La Grange
Distance from Merced: 32 miles
Distance from Los Banos: 67 miles
Operating authority: California State Parks
Surface area of lake: 3,500 acres
Facilities and activities:
Boat ramp
Flush restrooms
Drinking fountains
Campgrounds with BBQ grills/fire rings, hot showers
Picnic areas with tables, shelters, and BBQ grills
Swimming beach
Short hiking trails
Dogs allowed? Yes
Horses allowed? No
Hunting allowed? No
Fish species: bass, bluegill, catfish, crappie, trout
Boat rentals: No
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=555 and http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/555/files/TurlockBrochure1.pdf
Other Resources:
Fishing and Boating Resources at http://www.takemefishing.org/
Department of Fish and Game Regulations: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/
Department of Boating and Waterways Regulations: http://www.dbw.ca.gov/
Reservations for State, Federal, and Army Corps of Engineers Campgrounds: http://www.reserveamerica.com
Adam Blauert, a high school teacher and avid outdoors enthusiast, has dedicated the majority of his life to Merced County. His passions include fishing, backpacking, delving into local history, and exploring the wonders of the western states.