San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge — Attraction in Ripon

Well I am a bit confused cause the reviews say the fishing is great. So I came with my pole and a when entering I see a do not fish sign. I drove in parking lot did not see any cars but one so I park in the furthest back in a little hideaway contemplating to fish or not. But I never got down. I was by myself with no doggies and didn't feel safe I heard two men talking but could not see them waited for them to maybe pass my area cause they sounded so close. But they never did. I just had a bad feeling so I turned on my car left but still didn't see anybody and that same one car was there.. kinda creepy. But next time I'll for sure bring my pitbul cause I know I'll feel safer then... for now I'll give it one star , until I...

Very peaceful, wild, and beautiful. I'm not sure if it's empty like this on weekend. There is a park ranger in his car at the entrance. Free parking, free entrance. There are so many different types of birds. Some of them found in June are: Bullock Orioles, common yellow throat, red tail hawks, red shoulder hawks, kingbird, scrub jay, common egret, wren, and swallows. I arrived around 7:30a and was brutally attacked by huge mosquitoes, especially on the shaded trail areas. They bit through my shirt and fabric gloves. The bite marks swollen up 3 cm in diameter, itching and irritating me. Thus, I decided to turn back around 11a. By then, there are less mosquitoes. In addition to birds, rabbits and squirrels...

This is a wonderful location to experience mind boggling numbers of various species of birds in the process of migrating. It's best to witness these incredible moments in late October through all of November at sunset. Flocks of birds arrive in numbers as low as 5 and as high as in the hundreds. They fly and glide and swarm like tornados. They cackle as they land and at times will suddenly and unexpectedly burst as if one into the air filling the sky with a cacophony of noise. And the sound of their wings in flight is like the sound of a mild hurricane. It's a wonderful event to experience. Entry is free. What a great place and event to bring young minds to be...