Gibson Ranch Park is one of my favorite locations for family portraits or children portraits. As a photographer it's very important to know beautiful, spacious and safe locations in different parts of the city, and this park is perfect for any type of photo session! I like coming here in spring, summer or fall, this park is always neat and clean, and we get a nice variety of backdrops for our clients. I would recommend this park to anyone who wants to take family photos here, or just come here on a weekend to spend time out in the nature! read more

Love this historical place. Stunning views. Peaceful. Beautiful. I board my horses at their equestrian center and I absolutely love the people and community read more

I love going to see my goat friends!! I just wish we could go in and hangout with them. read more

I first heard about this park from a friend. Not realizing I have been driving past this amazing park for years. Every time I have visited the park I never had an issue with people, animals or the quietness of the park. Perfect for families and photoshoots. read more

This park is great! Affordable. Great place for hiking and cycling. You can bring dogs on the trails. Views of horses, goats, etc. There is a lot to do here and a place that sends a happy vibe. Only one suggestion I have is the sign they have for the parking payment machine. The payment booth is red. And when no one is there you pay the machine. However, the sign in front of the both that says "pay here" is a brown sign against a dark red building. Due to this color combination, I did not notice when I arrived early. (But I figured it out shortly after and paid.) I personally feel though that it would be best to have a white or yellow sign as it would be more noticeable. read more

I made a reservation for $325 at Gibson Ranch for my daughter's wedding, over 4 months ahead of time. Two months later we found that the location we had been shown, was not correct, and was not suitable for us. We cancelled 2 months and 11 days before the reservation. 3 weeks later I received a refund check for only $200. I called Gibson Ranch, and was told that "somewhere in the contract they mailed out, that the refund policy is stated." It DOES NOT appear anywhere on the website, and I doubt anyone would ever make a reservation there if they knew in advance. In my opinion, to sum up: 1. Bait and switch. 2. Refund scam. They also add endless extra charges, buyer beware! read more

I went to drop off my son for a high school event and didn't have the $5 cash. I had $4 and the man at the gate said no. No problem, I'll just pay with my credit card. "Well, my machine isn't turned on." I just need to drop him off. "He'll have to walk. It's 800 yards." Hmmm....he has to walk 800 yards because your machine isn't turned on and I'm a dollar short. YEP, that's how it works at Gibson Ranch. I've heard this from other people too. read more

My favorite park in Sacramento area. Love all the farm animals. And so much fun to stroll around the lake.

Bring your wild things to Gibson Ranch County Park. Farm animals, fishing, playgrounds, picnic areas, and really cool airplanes flying overhead from McClellan AFB make this a great destination for kids. It is easy to pass away 2-3 hours here. It is open year-round from sunrise to sunset. Here are a few suggestions that may make your visit easier: 1) Bring $4 exact change so you can quickly prepare your envelope and display the tear stub receipt on your dashboard. It's an honor system "iron ranger" box. 2) Bring an extra pair of shoes and a plastic bag to put your dirty shoes in for the ride home. Reasons stated below. 3) Bring whatever you think your kids might want to eat, drink and play with. 4) Bring lots of hand wipes and napkins. 5) If you'd like, bring appropriate food for the farm animals and the birds around the lake. From downtown, we chose to take the more scenic route here via I-5 North to Hwy 99 towards Yuba City/Marysville, then right on Elverta Road, then left onto Gibson Ranch Road. During our seven mile drive on Elverta Road, little eyes were kept busy by looking at herons, fields, horses, lots of tractors and farm equipment. There are a lot of things you can do at Gibson Ranch: - fishing at the stocked lake (you can bring a chair or use the docks); - enjoying the nature preserve; - walking the trail around the perimeter; - swimming in the designated area; - picnicking; - playing at two playgrounds; - using the 1/4 mile track; - visiting the ranch center with farm animals, bunk housing, store, etc. You can make special arrangements for family reunions and equestrian services. Restroom areas looked well-maintained and clean. Our group included three toddlers and an infant. Strollers are easy to operate here and the terrain is easy for toddlers. The playgrounds are on the newer side and well-maintained. The kids really enjoyed the surly geese who honked madly if we got too close but then cozied up to us for some of our lunch. They also liked the horse and pot-bellied pigs, who were receiving Oreos (!) from a well-meaning family. Feeding the goats pieces of hay through the fence was fun too; it was like watching a pencil being ground down in a sharpener. Because of the roaming flocks of geese, there is lots of, um, goose grease to step in, so do bring those extra shoes and be prepared for a big clean up. This park is a nice little get-away and change of pace from the usual urban spots in the city. read more

2 stars for fishing in general. 5 stars for how much kids can potentially like it. 5 stars for dad and kid quality time alone. 5 stars for interaction with others who have also brought kids - great company to spark up a conversation. This is a review about fishing only since there is very little info any where online about the quality of fishing or the lake. First and foremost, do not expect to catch a prized fish from this lake. Second, don't expect a bite everytime you cast, in fact it's best to assume that when you come out, you'll leave with nothing. If you want an exciting day fishing and catching keepers, go some where else. My 7 year old son and I went out on a Saturday morning, and fished from 8am until about 1pm. Online it says the lake is stocked with trout and catfish, so I brought rigs for both. My son can cast and reel on his own, I have a second pole validation so most of the day we had 3 poles in the water. As for bait, this is what we had, and I tested everything through the day: Nightcrawlers, yellow, pink, and rainbow glitter powerbait, and catfish chum/blood, raw chicken, and canned tuna. The raw chicken & canned tuna were for my crawfish traps in case I wanted to set them. I would recommend taking kids who are learning to cast and reel, but if you are a grown man looking to get away and have some fun catching fish, you might want to go somewhere else. My son and I go here because it's very close, and there is a play structure. We play catch, race, and play soccer while our poles are in the water. It's that's kind of park/lake area. As for fishing production, we caught about 12 bluegill (babies, all less than 3 inches), which I had no idea they even had in the lake, but trust me it sounds better than it actually is. We fished from both wooden docks, and the cement slab. My son had a small split shot, bobber and very small hook that I'd set a worm on. The first blue gill he caught was by accident, as he reeled in then let his line dangle over the edge of the cement dock. After a while he would let his line sit close to the dock and after a few seconds he'd catch a small bluegill that managed to get it's mouth around the hook. I'd take it off, he'd throw it back, then do it again. The whole time my two poles were in the water with either nightcrawlers, catfish bait, or powerbait, no bites of any kind all day. I decided to set canned tuna & a little raw chicken in my crawfish trap and set those just over the dock. After a 2 hours, I pulled it up just to see how this lake does with crawfish. I caught no crawfish, but 6 or so bluegill managed to trap themselves. I opened it, and tossed them back. If you are still reading, I saved this bit for you. I am 100% positive there is at least 2 catfish measuring about 2-3 feet long, and what I can assume to be about 20-25 lbs or so, in this lake. The top of the water was breached 4 times that I saw between 9am-11am, moving pretty slow. Catfish are one of those fish that you can look at from any angle, and know it's a catfish; no scales, whiskers, big belly, white or light colored stomach, and just general slowness. Whenever you go fishing out here, bring something for catfish. So far the only fish I'm positive about being in this lake are very tiny bluegill, and at least 2(two) catfish. Fishing teaches kids patience, discipline and appreciation for the outdoors and as a kid, I learned a lot about life while fishing. I'll definitely take my son back here since it's such easy access and close to the house. But it'll be just for the fact that he likes to fish and can catch bluegill all day long. read more

A beautiful, sprawling park located in an area of Sacramento I never, ever would have come had it no existed. They have everything here, from major events to BBQ's to horse back riding to simple places to hike and enjoy a break from the hustle and bustle of suburban/city life. In the middle of it all sits a large park with all the immenities like bathrooms, tables and water fountains and a stunning pond. It may be out of the way for many of us, but believe me, it's worth going out of the way for. read more

The park is gorgeous! We were coming from out of town specifically to go horseback riding here. Entrance into the park is $5 per vehicle and $3 for motorcycles. There is a huge pond with ducks and geese wandering around. For our horseback riding tour, we did the one hour trail with Chelsey as our tour guide. She was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. She talked about the history of Gibson Ranch, the horses, and past events that occurred there. All the staffs were friendly and they even took pictures of us at the end of our tour. I would highly recommend this place! It's a great place to come relax, enjoy nature and just have fun! read more

Gibson ranch has been my families favorite place to picnic for years. Recently though, we have seen drastic improvements. Often you can see the park manager walking adorable mini horses or cute goats. And in the last few weeks horse back riding on the trails at gibson ranch has been revived by Trail brothers, LLC. Trail brothers at gibson ranch has really brought the life back to Gibson Ranch's equestrian facility. They provide trail rides 7 days a week. You need to go online to book your ride though because they do fill up. Www.gibsonhorses.com. The staff are very friendly and knowledgable. Even If you've never been on a horse they make your experience fun. Thank you to zachary, kalea and tyler. You guys are wonderful. read more

I recently rented a spot at this facility that being 1a. The big one they call the corral. At a pretty hefty sum. any way , the county really needs to pay attention to whom they hire out there, the staff is rude and Unwilling to be of assistance. While we were there during our event the sprinklers came on and ruined part of our food. If not for the quick thinking of a couple of patrons we would have lost all our food which was $400 worth. As it is we lost about $100 worth due to wetness. I will never visit this park again. The staff is terrible and unwilling to make amends for the sprinklers ruining our food. Also the staff will not return calls if you leave a message. Very unprofessional young people at this park. read more

This is a great place to go for the day. First we went horseback riding on the trail for an hour. Darla and I think Debbie were our trail guides. They were awesome, and they gave us a tour and story about all the surrounding areas. They also try to best match you up with the right horse. I now want to buy my own horse and keep it in my backyard. After the ride, I wasn't sure if your suppose to tip our guides or not, so I asked this other family that went with us. They said yes. I think if there are two people $15 is a good amount. After horseback riding, they have a private lake where you can go fishing. They replenish fish every so often. Although we only caught a small catfish by default, it was still fun! It's a really peaceful area except for the ducks going crazy when they get fed. Although I want to keep this place a secret, they need the business. It's a great place to spend a day and relax. Everyone is super nice and helpful. read more

Starbelly S. really breaks it down for you on what Gibson Ranch has to offer, so I'll just recap on my personal favorites... Great little out of the way, but still in town place to enjoy the outdoors. Vast amounts of lush grassy stretches for picnics, sport playing, dog fetching, frolicing, etc. Quaint "lake" where you can fish or feed/get chased by the gaggle of geese. Stable type areas where you can watch/feed/try to pet goats, horses, pigs, and I've even seen a llama. A variety of trails wind around the property which are nice for exercise purposes, photography, nature watching, and so on. Come in October for the pumpkin patch! There's a Winco in the area which is a perfect place to stop at to buy cheap, farm animal friendly food like carrots and apples. Overall just a really nice place for a relaxing day. read more

I absolutely adore this place. We've driven past it a few times and when our photographer suggested this location for our family pictures, we immediately got on board. So glad that we did! Entrance per car is $5. As Starbelly S. notes, please bring another pair of shoes or perhaps wear rain boots. It does get quite muddy (we were on the horse trails). My daughter had a great time looking at the horses and just walking around. There's also a playground by the store if your kid(s) still have some energy to burn after exploring. Everyone at the ranch was friendly and they really keep an eye out for the little ones since they can sometimes get a little too close to the horses. We've already made plans to visit soon. It's definitely worth the $5 to get in. read more

Pretty place... That's where it ends. I attended the aftershock concert 2015 (Saturday). Unfortunately for G ranch, the reviews from the concert are going to affect them whether it's justified or not. Parking was horrrribbllle. Took us over two hours to get into the parking lot. Then a 15 min walk in the dirt. The website said it was an 8 min walk... The entire parking situation was a mess. Took about the same amount of time to get out of there... My pet peeve? Whoever set this concert up knew the parking was going to be a problem. On top of that, they had all these food trucks out there that were closed when the concert ended... Um... There were 20k people (at least) stuck there for hours after the concert.. Wouldn't it make sense to have the food trucks open then??? Security was kind of suspect too. A lot in front of the stage. Didn't see much else aside from that. I've been to several other festivals. That was by far the worst experience I've had. I'd never go back there. read more

Great camping spot! $15 a night to camp here and it's very quiet/peacefully. Plus, bathrooms, and FREE showers so no need to bring a roll of quarters and the park is massive.The kids had plenty of hiking/exploring/fishing to do and the park is well kept and very clean. I grew up coming to Gibson ranch and its a treat coming here now that I'm older and live 45 min away. Brings back the memories. read more

Horseback riding was amazing wife had a blast I had a blast Ashley was an a nice tour guide took us all over the ranch talked to us about the horses..If ur a first time rider these horses are perfect!!! It was amazing just going thru the ranch nice quiet n peaceful!!! Will b back again wen we feel like riding!! read more

As I frequent the land, I'm finding enjoyable areas to sit or ride and meditate. All the tributaries in the area have been affected in some manner but there still is a beautiful waterway here where foliage and fauna can spied upon. I saw the cutest kittens, three in a row looking at me as I passed them. Mighty oaks everywhere. Lots to see. read more

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Wonderful time with Trail Brothers! These folks went out of their way to size up the horses, the particular riders and the order in which they should be to these city slickers with unchapped patoots. We had a couple of special needs folks in our group of 5 and they provided exactly the type of assistance each one needed. Zachary was so helpful all around, even dealing with my forgetfulness in dealing with the $$ part of it. Bring a picnic and enjoy the parks as well. read more

Very fun place for fishing. I had so much fun fishing there. very fun place good parks there I like that place.

Zachary was our tour guide. He is very professional, friendly and knowledgeable. The trail was nice and beautiful. I would totally recommend this to anyone. Looking to go back soon for lessons and more cool trails. read more

Just finished with the 2012 running dead zombie run, this place is the spot for something like this. There is plenty of land for a event like this. If you watch The Walking Dead, it looks like Hershel farm, you never know who is around the corner. There are also pony rides for $5, dirt cheap to ride a pony. I can tell that this is a great place to have a picnic as well. Overall, 5 stars because we had a great time at this venue. I look forward to the next event. Enjoy... read more

Where do I start..... upon arrival my kids were so excited about going to the pumpkin patch that we attend every year for the last 5years. But this year the staff was just rude we got there at 5:00 we paid the 5$ for parking then I paid the 20$ for access inside for 4 kids did I mention it was only a hour left!!! So we go In Thinking we would get our money worth just to be told each additional activity was 8 dollars each kid my son wanted to bungee jump along with my daughter so I paid additional 16 dollars for them to only jump for 3mins each, they also had pony rides of course my lil ones wanted to do that so I paid an additional 16 for two kids to enjoy that. So they wanted to do the haystack ride which we were told everything was included with the band for the haystack ride to the pumpkin patch. We go over to the haystack because they say the last ride is 5:45! We wait for about 10mins and they ask the staff does he mind doing one last ride after saying under her breathe he better he's getting paid by the hour!! So finally we get on and head to the pumpkin patch (WHAT PUMPKIN PATCH) we had to literally pick what we seen the pumpkin patch pumpkins literally were baby size pumpkins with worm holes in them so we grabbed some Better ones by the car where we parked!! Kids are SUPER EXCITED NOW So we get back on the haystack and the staff driver says where's ur tickets we say we thought it was including he says no so he allows us to talk to the owner who seems like he's more about the money then actually seeing kids smile!! I explain to him what the staff said that we purchased tickets from he said oh no that's not how it works we need all the pumpkins back I started to hand over all 4 of the pumpkins watching my kids face drop with disappointment because they all had pumpkins to carve once we got home! Only to leave empty handed after paying 57 dollars for one hour at a park with rides that were even worth the money and staff that was just outright rude if I could give -stars it would be a negative 10 I would never bring my kids back to such a place like this!! RIP OFF FOR SURE the pumpkins they were holding were the ones my kids picked out! But just tell me this why is he smiling about the whole ordeal! My kids are all disappointed and that puts a huge smile on his face read more

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The ranch is run by fools, and they are rude. Takes over an hour just to get through the payment line to park. Only 1 line, and several thousand cars. Ever thought of more than 1 line? read more

The place is absolutely beautiful! I go there for a few birthday parties, and I also know that they have a driving range (for the golfers out there) but mainly, I love it for the scenery!! They make for an amazing photography spot!!!! If you follow the road all the way down, it'll lead to to trail and the trail is right next to a creek!!! It's not deep at all, maybe knee deep at most, and the water is extremely clean. You can see right through it. I found that the best time for pictures is after 7pm in the summer. (No awkward shadows, but still light enough to get a great shot). Overall, it's amazing. read more

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Kids love this place , every time we come in we bring a carrot for horses and some snacks for the huge pig and ducks Kids love to feed them read more

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No complaints. The kids love it ! I love it! So peaceful and spacious. Exactly what I need in my life. read more

Gibson Ranch Regional Park - Amazingly Beautiful. - Parks Near Me - Elverta, California

Had a party here and was really great for the kids and families to enjoy. Making reservations is super simple, canopies allowed, dog friendly (on leash only). read more

I've officiated and provided staffing for weddings here as Everyday Events and the weddings were always beautiful and fun. I'd be honored to be invited back to officiate and staff more weddings in the future! read more

I had my wedding there. Beautiful venue, great price. I had the pleasure to work with Delrae. She is super nice and responds to questions fast. I felt like I was in control at my wedding, which is nice. There wasn't someone there telling me what i can or cannot do. The only complaint I have is that you pretty much get kicked out by 11pm. The wedding felt so rushed because we were trying to get everything cleaned out by 11. We had to get our guest out by 10. Which was not fun. Also we stayed in the cabins, and i gotta say they didnt feel clean. The smell of cleaning supplies was strong though. The rug in the room had a huge stain on it, i think it would have been better if they just threw the dam rug away. But other than that its a beautiful location for a wedding. I loved the horses, the chickens, and the peacock!! read more

The best of the best parks in Sacramento, huge open spaces with a lake and horse riding -- sadly the Board of Supervisors voted to give it away to a burned out politician who will make it into a country club venue and lock out the average Sacramentan. Really steams me that taxpayer money built and maintained this park all these years, then our Supervisors with one vote gave it away!!!! read more

Gibson ranch used to be a beautiful, clean park to take your family too! In the last year it has become filthy! There are no trash cans to throw things away anymore. Therefore scum bags are leaving their trash everywhere including the water. You'd think they'd take more pride in their park! So disappointing read more

This place use to be awesome the pond was full of water the store was open and the animals were abundant but now this place needs more funds to utilize it's full potential, but Gibson is still nice to see and maybe catch some fish read more

Giving a 1 but really want to give a negative 5 review. I am planning my wedding. Went and liked what I saw so made an appointment to set date and pay. Appt made for 5:30 today. I rush home from work, eat real quick and get to the ranch house at 5:30. I called office first and they said they hadnt seen wedding coordinator all day but they will call her. So I call her cell phone and left message. Then email her. No response. She called said "tatiana"...I said no this is Eva and she says "bad connection" click (hung up). I waited another 15 minutes (now 6:15) and no call back, text or email. This place us a joke. Going somewhere more reliable with good customer service. I wouldnt waste your time here. So I am almost home at 6:45 the lady calls saying she transposed my number wrong and left a vm on someone elses phone and that she was stuck giving blood for 3 hrs and because I didnt call her back she went to costco. I call this a bs story. I called her 3 times between 5:30 and 6:15. The office also called her and called me back to tell me they left her a vm. So she is a liar. Need new wedfing coordinator. read more

The park itself is the same as I remember as a child. We had our family reunion here a couple of weeks ago in a large fenced off area by the pond. It was near the bathrooms as well. Our experience at the park is not why the rating is two stars, the service is. First, $250 seems extremely expensive for a rental for only five hours and you still have to pay an entrance fee. Second, it took them almost three weeks after the event to get me a check for the cleaning deposit. read more

Oh, the childhood memories Gibson Ranch brings. I spent so many long days here as a child, I can't even begin to tell you how sad I was when they closed and how ecstatic I am that they are now open again! Can't wait to take my kids. read more

This place is incredibly cute! It's a mini vacation that's just a few minutes outside of Roseville. We wanted to walk our dog somewhere new and with just a $5 entrance fee, it was definitely worth it. After paying and driving in, we went past the fenced-in dog park area, a calm lake complete with quacking ducks and docks for fishing, and hit the end of the road and parked. We walked our dog along a winding dirt road, passed by other people walking their dogs and people riding on horseback (watch where you're walking so you don't step in horse ordure!), and walked down a few steep, hidden pathways to a sandy shore and flowing river, shaded by greenery and trees flowing in the wind. It was a great day of a getaway and I can't wait to go back when I need to rejuvenate, refresh, and get away! read more