THE UNDISCOVERED PARK OF YOLO COUNTY
By Dave Rosenberg
Yolo County Supervisor, District Four
Traveling south from Davis on Mace Boulevard, just a few minutes drive is a unique and undiscovered rustic park called "Grasslands Regional Park."
Set in an original marshland area of Yolo County which later became farmland after construction of levees along the Sacramento River, Grasslands Regional Park is a 320-acre natural preserve which combines open space habitat and other outdoor opportunities for county residents.
The park is especially convenient for residents of South Davis, El Macero and Willowbank and can be easily reached by bicycle. Located in the heart of my Fourth Supervisorial District, Grasslands Regional Park is home to a large variety of wildlife including the red-tailed and swainson’s hawk, the burrowing owl and other raptors. Enclosed at the park site is a natural savanna where more than 100 acres of valley oak trees have been replanted – primarily by community volunteers – and where vernal pools have been identified and are being protected.
It’s not your average park. City folk have a mental picture of a park with manicured lawns, swing sets, and landscaped plantings. Grasslands Regional Park has none of that. It’s a true rural park, re-creating the natural landscape. It’s a great place to escape and be surrounded by nature, with no cars or buildings in sight!
Sharing the 320-acre park site is a large archery range, a world-class championship horseshoe complex, and a site for radio-controlled glider airplanes. Dog clubs also use this park site for field trials and shows. The park is also a great site for area residents to just enjoy the peace, quiet and beauty of a rural park.
The non-profit organizations which established the archery ranges and the horseshoe pitching courts (the Yolo County Bowmen Archery Club and the Yolo County Horseshoe Pitching Club) have over the years created restrooms, parking, and picnic areas, and landscaping, all of which is open and available to the public. Each club also conducts a specific youth program in archery and horseshoe pitching.
Plans are underway for a potential doubling of the size of Grasslands Regional Park. Yolo County has been in communication with the Federal Government regarding the possibility of obtaining an adjacent abandoned Air Force Communications site. If this site is obtained by the County, one possible scenario would result in a major expansion of Grasslands Regional Park.
I urge residents of Yolo County to discover Grasslands Regional Park. No appointment is necessary. Just come by and visit your local, neighborhood raptor and valley oak.