The Abridged version:
- California is adding three new state parks in the largest expansion of the California State Parks system in decades, as well as growing the footprint of existing state parks.
- One of the new state parks will be located in Yuba County near the town of Olivehurst, about 40 minutes from downtown Sacramento. The two other new state parks will be near Fresno and Bakersfield.
- In Nevada County, South Yuba River State Park will expand by more than 200 acres.
Before it was part of a statewide announcement, it was a pristine place people knew and loved. The Feather River in Yuba County — home to majestic California sycamores and valley oaks, riverbank willows and a rich riparian forest habitat.
Now, it sits at the center of one of California’s most significant park expansions in years.
On Earth Day, Gov. Gavin Newsom and first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom announced a plan to create three new state parks across the Central Valley as part of a new initiative called State Parks Forward, calling it the largest expansion of the state park system in decades.
The plan will add three new parks, expand existing parks by 30,000 acres by the end of the decade and bring the statewide system to 283 parks — the most of any state.
While the rollout stretches roughly 330 miles across the Central Valley, Feather River Park near Olivehurst stands as the largest and most significant addition for Northern California and the Sacramento Valley. It brings Yuba County into the state park system for the first time.
“We’re expanding our park system, creating new recreation opportunities and preserving our lands for generations,” Gov. Newsom said.
A system built for access
The expansion is part of a broader push to increase access to parks in underserved communities — particularly in the Central Valley — where residents have historically had fewer outdoor recreation options.
“This is one of the most meaningful expansions we’ve undertaken in years,” said Armando Quintero, director of the California Department of Parks and Recreation. “We’re adding parks where they can make the biggest difference, bringing opportunity, equity and connection to communities that have waited a long time.”
“Earth Day reminds us that our planet is a shared home,” Siebel Newsom said. “With three new state parks, we are expanding access so more families can connect with California’s natural beauty.”
Gov. Newsom said all three new sites are already publicly owned and can be incorporated into the state park system at little to no cost, with planning and acquisition now underway.
The initiative also calls for adding thousands of acres to existing parks — including 218 acres added to South Yuba River State Park in Nevada County, including the iconic Independence Trail.
Three parks, one strategy
The three new parks each serve a distinct purpose. Feather River Park in Yuba County will span nearly 2,000 acres along the Feather River, combining recreation with habitat restoration, including a flood plain designed to absorb high water during peak flow years, along with a boat launch and riverside beach.
Farther south, the San Joaquin River Parkway in Fresno and Madera counties will bring together existing riverfront lands into an 874-acre state park, creating a larger recreation corridor with expanded access to trails and water activities near a growing urban center.
In Kern County, a new park near Bakersfield will preserve a Dust Bowl-era migrant labor camp from the 1930s, offering a rare opportunity to experience and learn from a defining chapter in Californian and American history.
Quintero says the additional parks bring new access to rivers, recreation and history — areas not currently represented in the same way across the existing state park system.
A first for Yuba County
For Yuba County, the announcement is historic.
Feather River Park will become the first California state park in the county, transforming a long-accessed but underdeveloped stretch of river into a fully supported public space.
The park is designed for both recreation and resilience, with a flood plain that can absorb water during high-flow years while restoring natural habitat in key areas.
“I’m super stoked and thankful for the investment that California will be making in recreation and natural resources in Yuba County,” said Yuba County Supervisor Gary Bradford. “The Feather River setback area around Star Bend and Grays Beach is an amazing recreational asset, and the state has the resources to develop and maintain it to its fullest potential.”
“The public has had access to the area for a while, but we didn’t have the resources to bring it to its full potential,” Bradford said.
That is now changing.
“One of our priorities as a board is to enhance recreational opportunities along the Yuba and Feather rivers, and this is a huge step in that direction,” Bradford said.
The park also arrives as the region continues to grow rapidly.
“Plumas Lake is the fastest-growing community in the county,” Bradford said. “This will provide quality recreational opportunities close to home and introduce more people to the Feather River.”
Where the story shifts
Five miles south of the proposed park footprint sits the Bobelaine Audubon Sanctuary.
“Wow! This is pretty exciting,” said sanctuary President Paul Miller upon hearing the news from Abridged. “This is the first we’ve heard of this.”
Bobelaine is — in every sense of the word — a sanctuary.
In 1975, Bob and Elaine Crandall donated 450 acres of land for the Bobelaine Audubon Sanctuary along the Feather River. The land has never been farmed and remains largely untouched, with some of the oldest California sycamores in the state.
“It’s almost like you are in a pristine riparian area that was envisioned as California for eons,” Miller said.
Now, that space sits across the river and within five miles of the footprint of a major new state project.
Miller said the announcement carries deep personal meaning.
“It’s a very sacred location,” he said. “Sacred ground.”
The hope, Miller said, is that access and preservation provided by the new state park can bring more attention and visitors to Bobelaine, which he describes as a “little jewel of a place.”
Looking ahead
The expansion comes as California pushes toward its goal of conserving 30% of its land and coastal waters by 2030, while also investing more than $1 billion in expanding access to parks and outdoor spaces.
For those who have cared for this land quietly, it is still settling in.
“You never know how you impact the world,” Miller said, reflecting on Bob and Elaine Crandall’s conservation efforts and what he would say to them if they were alive today. “Know that your actions have impacted, and will keep impacting, lives and souls for the perpetuity of this property.”
A property that Miller hopes will gain new attention thanks to a new California state park.
Rob Stewart is a senior correspondent and host with PBS KVIE and reports for Abridged.