River Bend Park — Attraction in Rancho Cordova

When you start to get back into the park, fair warning: the roads do have an impressive collection of potholes. Once you get around those, you will be back into one of the four parking areas they currently have accessible. 2 of the parking areas have actual bathrooms the smaller 3rd one has porta potties and the 4th area is a nice smaller barbque picnic area but with no facilities. This park does have some access to the river. No matter where you end up back there, you will be close by to a picnic area. Bathrooms are kept in fantastic shape, especially with the amount of use they get. The Park Rangers do patrol the parking areas intermittently. You'll also find that there are a multitude of bicycle paths, both paved and unpaved, and there is also no shortage of walking trails to further explore this sprawling park! Wildlife will be easy to spot, and you would have to try very hard not to see many wild turkey while exploring. A small group of deer seen to be permanent fixtures with other deer coming thru quite often as well. I've seen a couple of coyotes and many different bird species. Squirrels are busily working their way up and down trees, and occasionally, you'll see some little creatures pop up out of the numerous holes in the ground... CAUTION: these holes can be plentiful in the picnic areas near the largest parking lot. This is especially true in the grass area between the parking lot and the bathrooms, so watch your step! There have also been numerous sightings of mountain lions recently, all the way down here in this park, which is on the edge of Rancho Cordova. You will want to keep yourself alert at those dawn and dusk hours, especially. This park is kept very clean with the grounds all maintained nicely. To help do your part, there are plenty of trash cans available no matter where you are located in the park to dispose of your trash. They have recently opened the overflow Parking Lot, which is located near the spot where the bike trail crosses over the road used by vehicles venturing...

BBQ Pits & Picnic Areas: The park offers several picnic areas equipped with BBQ pits, making it an ideal spot for family gatherings and casual cookouts.

Swimming Area for Kids: There's a designated swimming area suitable for children, providing a safe and enjoyable environment for young swimmers.

Plenty of Parking: Ample parking is available, including overflow lots, ensuring convenience for visitors.

Scenic Views: The park features a bridge with scenic views of the river, offering picturesque spots for relaxation and photography.

Wildlife Viewing: Visitors can spot local wildlife such as deer, turkeys, and various bird species, adding to the park's...

Pretty large area. The American River bike trail runs through it. There several places to park. I believe it's $8.00. I was there on the 4th of July and that was the price posted to park. Depending on the time you go there you can see deer, coyotes, and the rare fox. If you go off the paved area and walk on the dirt foot trails, becareful since there rattlesnakes out there. Be mindful that they don't always rattle. You have heard it before, but if you give the snakes space, they won't bother you. You can always walk over the bike bridge and see a variety of birds and if the water is clear enough several...