Cosumnes River Preserve had me at the first minute we
arrived. The view from its north parking lot was open wetlands, a boardwalk and
a trail. I sensed an adventure ahead.
Lacking the sense to bring cameras to this bird sanctuary,
we scrambled to get out our phones, reassuring ourselves that they took photos
that were “just as good.” Note: they don’t.
But that didn’t ruin the journey. Maybe we stayed more often
“in the moment.”
The Preserve is about 10 minutes south of Elk Grove, just
off of I-5, accessed by Franklin Road. Its 50,000 acres and 11 miles of trails
are sandwiched between the wild roaming Cosumnes River and the interstate,
sliced through by a rail line. These are
wetlands – marshy, reedy, filled with tangles of underbrush and scrubby oaks.
Old oaks dot the landscape and rise to the sky.
There are two distinct areas here. The first, which beckons
us from this north parking lot, is not to be missed. It’s a short boardwalk
trail that lets us traipse dryly through the marsh area that is filled with
ponds. This is where we see red chested ducks, wintering geese and a type of
sandpiper. Other smaller birds flit through the thick reeds. When we stop and
listen, there are constant rustles in the brush. There are more than 250 bird
species that pass through this area and I’ll make sure I have a bird book with
me next time.
Pond turtles sun themselves on logs and rocks until we get
to close and they dive for cover. We see their noses poke up from the pond,
waiting for us to get clear so they can claim their spot again.
The second area took us down a series of well-maintained
dirt trails. Over here, we were led across dry land, through small groves and
grassy meadows, toward the river.
The lists of mammals, amphibians, fish and birds that make
this area their home are enormous. Lizards, mountain lions, otters, bats, deer,
squirrel. We were charmed to see several cottontails grazing lazily, letting us
approach within feet before darting away. What does poison oak look like again?
We have a discussion about our ignorance and stay on the trail.
We reach the river and watch the slow-moving dark waters
that hint at its depth. I know this is a dangerous river that is one of the few
undammed left in California. The danger comes because it is thus uncontrolled
and a Sierra rainstorm can drive the water quickly downstream to this delta
location, swelling the river over its tidy banks. The river can become a
massive moving lake that threatens houses miles to the north.
The trail circles back along a river slough and we pass by a
large Visitor’s Center. We hesitate but will go inside on another day. It’s too
beautiful outside and we can’t bring ourselves to stop even for a few minutes.
It’s my favorite type of place, one that you can’t
experience all in one visit. I have a list of things to bring next time:
camera, binoculars, picnic, bird and butterfly book.
We’ll find the other
trails and check out the visitor center. With the sun and rains bringing out
the wildflowers and so then the butterflies, there’s something new on the horizon.
Meanwhile, I'll educate myself on poison oak.
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