Howe River Access — Attraction in Sacramento

Pretty cool place, i guess. I discovered it randomly when i took a wrong turn. lol. I was going to turn around at the entrance when i realized that i was at the entrance of some kind of park, so i figured i might as well check it out. Its river access , which, IMO, is kind of hidden in plain sight. There is a large parking area when you drive in. There is a "check-in" booth when you enter which looks to have been long since abandoned. When you pass it, there is an automated pay station where you can pay for your visit. IDK how often the park is patrolled or checked up on by police or rangers, but obviously, if they do pass thru and you haven't paid, you will most likely be ticketed. There's a little hill behind the parking area with restrooms located on top. Right behind those restrooms is a bike trail. So lots of access. Across the other side of the parking area is the river with some kind of beachy area. There is also an area that had a lot of trees and stuff. Looked like you could walk/hike around to get to the river there as well. There were tons of people there on sunday around 7:30. The park closes and locks the gate at sundown, so a lot of them were leaving at that time. I imagine that earlier in the day it would've been pretty tough to even find a spot to park there. The crowd was very diverse. Groups of what appeared to be friends and families of all races and ages from toddlers to elderly were enjoying themselves there. It was a really cool thing to see! I didnt get to spend much time there myself, but definitely plan on going back sometime for the...

This is a great spot for paddle boarding. Pay to park at the box at the stop sign when you come in. You can also park on the street before you come in the gate but it is a good walk if you carry your board. There is an easy entry, a boat ramp and shoreline. If you stay to the right you will be in a gentle current. You can easily paddle most of the way to Watt ave. It gets a little harder when you get to the last turn. You can cross the river and stay to the left to go around the island to pass that current. It's a nice float back to Howe Ave. If it's early in the season you have to paddle hard to stay to the left of the island back to the beach but...

This is a great spot for kids. There is a big swim hole right at parking lot level, so no walking. It gets crowded at the dock if you are trying to launch a boat so don't be shy, go ahead and tell the kids to please move. There is a fee or you can buy the yearly pass for $70 which is a great deal if you love going swimming all summer. I recently started paddle boarding there after watching all the other people do it and it is so fun. Come out and enjoy the river, bring a picnic and the kids and have some fun...