The Cosumnes River Preserve

Lush nature walks for little scouts

Words and photos by Lisa Thibodeau

Sometimes you just need to get out of town, but with little ones on board, going too far by car can be challenging–I won’t even mention the price of gas! A short day trip to the Cosumnes River Preserve, just 19 miles south of Sacramento in Galt, is a perfect autumn excursion to get kids outdoors while teaching them to appreciate a cherished part of Sacramento’s natural landscape.

I recommend going early. You can give the kids breakfast in the car as you fill them in on what they are about to see and encounter. The Cosumnes River is a small, meandering body of water that is wreathed in thick vegetation with over 230 different plant species. The area is also home to more than 250 types of birds!

Remind the kids to listen for the individual bird calls (jays and warblers for starters) as they watch flocks form elaborate dances in the sky. Tell them to keep a sharp eye out for a great blue heron, a turkey vulture or a sandhill crane. You can search online beforehand to give kids a preview of what they’ll encounter, or just let the day surprise you.

Upon arrival, have everyone take a deep breath of the crisp, floral air. Start your “hike”—actually a flat, easy walk—at the Visitor Center (where they have flush toilets) then head down the wooden pedestrian bridge. The wide, paved Lost Slough Wetlands Walk (a 1+ mile walk), is great for walking with very small children. It’s double-stroller-friendly too. Bring water, bug repellent and maybe a pair of binoculars for viewing the spectacular birds who reign over the marshes.

Remind the kids that it is important to stay on the trail as there are many nests, dens and wildlife that don’t want to be disturbed. This time they cannot collect any rocks, feathers, eggs or other “found” items. A sensitive ecosystem needs to remain unaltered in order to thrive. Older kids can bring their own camera or sketchbook and return home to make a nature album or scrapbook.

The one-mile Wetlands Walk treats hikers to plush cattail fields, swampy marshes, wood footbridges, bird houses, insect-viewing and an eerie petrified forest-looking area that is blanketed in snowy cobwebs. The peacefulness of the preserve encourages everyone to slow down and drink in the natural splendor. Even toddlers tend to be (briefly) calm.

Cross over Franklin Boulevard to the long boardwalk to view vast expanses of the preserve with all its native grasses, wildflowers, fall foliage and soaring hawks. Sharp-eyed scouts might even spy a large rabbit, mule deer or a California mole. This is the perfect spot to snap photos while the little ones ramble around the sturdy planks.

On the drive home congratulate everybody on their listening skills, and ask them to imitate some of the birds they heard! You can be back home by lunch time, but you will feel like you returned from some place exotic and serene. And you just might have inspired future bird-watchers or nature guides!

Lisa Thibodeau is a local freelance writer. You can read about her adventures in motherhood (and more) at her blog: Paper Cup Poet.