Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge - Docent Tour

Let's check out a cool wildlife refuge!

Before Europeans changed the terrain of California's Central Valley forever, the Valley was one giant wetland. The Valley would be seasonally saturated by melted snow arriving from the surrounding mountains. The wetland waters would ultimately drain into the San Francisco Bay. Much of the Valley has been ditched and drained for agriculture and development over the last two centuries, but some refuges remain that conserve the remaining wetland areas in the Valley.

Stone Lakes is a wetland and wildlife life refuge south of Sacramento that protects habitat for sandhill cranes, ducks, and other wetland animals and plants. The Refuge offers docent-led tours each month in the winter. The tours are roughly 2 miles in length and are slow-paced so that visitors may take their time to check out the birds and other associated animals of the refuge.

We'll meet for carpooling at 8:00 AM in the Arden Fair mall parking lot, specifically the part of the parking lot closest to the Cheesecake Factory. We will carpool to the Refuge and park in the Blue Heron Trails parking lot. The docent tour will last roughly three hours, until noon. We'll return to Roseville and can either grab lunch or go our separate ways.

Please note:

• No pets are allowed at the Refuge. Leave your dogs home!
• There are no bathrooms during this tour at Stone Lake. Please use the restroom before we go!
• Bring water, sunscreen, insect repellent, and your phone cameras.

Your feedback on the success of this event is welcomed!

The information below is copied from the website of Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge:

What to Bring:
To enhance your visit, we recommend: water, sunscreen, hat, snacks, insect repellent, camera, field guides, binoculars, sturdy walking shoes, wear layers, and any other personal comfort items you may need. This walk is on a gravel and dirt road, so strollers are not advised. Wheelchairs equipped with off-road tires should work well.

What NOT to Bring:
Sorry, but dogs/pets must stay at home. Remember, this is a relaxed walk to learn about the refuge and we want to minimize disturbance to wildlife.

About the Walk:
This is a slower paced, relaxed walk learning about the refuge and viewing wildlife from a distance, so please intend to stay with the guide. Trail consists of a 2 mile (roundtrip) flat gravel and dirt road in a normally restricted area. The walk goes near managed wetlands hosting various winter migrants such as hawks, shorebirds, Sandhill cranes, and waterfowl. The path may be muddy if it's been raining or foggy. There will be little shade as you walk, so please be prepared for being exposed to the sun. A non-flush restroom is available in the parking lot before your walk; there is NO restroom available during the walk. Children welcome, but dogs/pets must stay at home. This is a great opportunity for viewing wildlife from a distance; you are welcome to bring binoculars and a camera. Remember, the wildlife is sharing the refuge with us, so please respect their home and minimize disturbance. Please visit the Blue Heron Trails page for more information about the trails.

Photo taken from the Friends of Stone Lakes NWR