Knights Ferry Recreation Area

149

493

2690

7 years ago

Knights Ferry is a photographers dream! If you're an abstract, landscape, or portrait photographer then you MUST check this place out! From old remains, to brick walls, covered bridge, running water, shrubbery, unique tree's, you name it - this recreation area has a little of everything. I could spend hours and hours here with my camera! Once I process the photo's I took I'll be sure to add them here! Note: you have to buy a parking pass, which is $5. They close at sunset, so make sure you're out before the gates are locked! (sunset was 5:30 for us this trip) read more

See all

Helpful 0

Thanks 0

Love this 0

Oh no 0

Terry T.

435

1577

562

7 years ago

The ruins of an old power plant/mill, a jail and the remains of other buildings from the Gold Rush era are the best part of this recreation area. It is a photographer's paradise. There are water actives and short hiking trails. And like most parks there are picnic tables and grills. I did not notice any playgrounds. The river has flooded many times in the past, so this area is managed by the Army Corp of Engineers. There is a parking fee and the lot does not seem very big to me. I would like to come again to explore the ruins more and walk around this small gold rush town. read more

Helpful 12

Thanks 0

Love this 12

Oh no 0

Dale S.

Elite 26 All-Star

389

1759

8328

5 years ago

This is a lovely little spot to get in some time with nature and is great for families and pets. My last visit was in January 2021 and even with Covid they had multiple restrooms available to use. There were a lot of people walking and cycling even in groups of 10 or more so if you are looking for solitude this is not the place. There were lots of dogs and potty station bags for picking up after your pup. There are also plenty of benches and places to stop and rest. There is a $5 per car parking fee but everything is electronic. Easy walks, lots to see like the covered bridge, old pump house, etc and great for taking photos. We come here when we don't feel like doing a long hike but we want to get out and appreciate some of nature's beauty. read more

See all

Helpful 9

Thanks 0

Love this 3

Oh no 0

Sam R.

172

631

7280

5 years ago

Saturday, 1/16/2021 - took a mile or two hike at Knights Ferry. I like this hike. Easy, up and down walk, beautiful scenery, and you'll get a butt and leg workout. Wear comfy shoe with some grip. There are some stairs. A little rocky, but nice. There is a picnic area. There are bathrooms and garbages. Please pick up after yourself. It was clean here. I'll go hiking here again. read more

See all

Helpful 0

Thanks 0

Love this 0

Oh no 0

Paula T.

1

140

254

4 years ago

Wow! That is how I can describe this place. It is the perfect location to take photos. An old mill and bridge provide incredible backgrounds scenery. There are also trees and grass areas that just are spectacular. We should all take the time to enjoy a place like this. read more

Helpful 0

Thanks 0

Love this 0

Oh no 0

Doug C.

Elite 19

190

219

574

6 years ago

The Knights Ferry Recreation area has so much to. It's a great way to spend the day with your family! Park just past the new bridge in the parking lot. Then I suggest walking over and checking out the river and visitor center. When you finish there follow the dirt trail to the East for a short walk to see the the old flour mill. It's a great place for a picture too! Next stop if you continue to follow the trail is the historic covered bridge, which is the longest of its type in the United States. There are hiking trails to both sides of the bridge. I prefer the longer trail on the north side. It goes down a mile or so along the water, loops up the hillside to the top of a great view, then you can either head back the way you came or follow the trail west until it loops back and connects to your starting point. There are bathrooms about midway along. Poison oak is prevalent in this area so stick to the trail. I here rattlesnakes have also been found here although I have never seen any. read more

Knights Ferry Recreation Area - River view - Parks Near Me - Oakdale, California

Knights Ferry Recreation Area - Canyon view - Parks Near Me - Oakdale, California

Knights Ferry Recreation Area - Trail - Parks Near Me - Oakdale, California

Knights Ferry Recreation Area - From the way up to the top - Parks Near Me - Oakdale, California

Knights Ferry Recreation Area - Dead snake - Parks Near Me - Oakdale, California

See all

Helpful 3

Thanks 1

Love this 3

Oh no 0

Aimee A.

2330

949

5450

7 years ago

This is my second time here. First time I came in winter and it was COLD. Today it was gorgeous and we spotted the elusive superbloom without the crazy crowds to go with. Wide walking paths or smaller quick hiking paths. The bridge is right there too. Paid Parking available but be patient. Dogs allowed. read more

Knights Ferry Recreation Area - Hours April 2019 - Parks Near Me - Oakdale, California

Knights Ferry Recreation Area - Visitors center - Parks Near Me - Oakdale, California

Knights Ferry Recreation Area - At the entry to the area - Parks Near Me - Oakdale, California

Knights Ferry Recreation Area - Superbloom 2019 along walking path - Parks Near Me - Oakdale, California

Knights Ferry Recreation Area - Power station - Parks Near Me - Oakdale, California

Knights Ferry Recreation Area - Superbloom 2019 - Parks Near Me - Oakdale, California

Knights Ferry Recreation Area - Knights Ferry bridge - Parks Near Me - Oakdale, California

Knights Ferry Recreation Area - Pathway - Parks Near Me - Oakdale, California

Knights Ferry Recreation Area - Mill house - Parks Near Me - Oakdale, California

See all

Helpful 3

Thanks 1

Love this 2

Oh no 1

Faith S.

0

33

9

3 years ago

Beautiful area and nice place to host a BBQ. they have grills set up and plenty of benches with shading. Be very careful during the summer though because the water can move faster than expected. read more

Helpful 0

Thanks 0

Love this 0

Oh no 0

Lily Rose P.

Elite 22

153

151

89

4 years ago

A nice place to go hiking. I went last weekend and I enjoyed the hike with family and athe family dog. Peacefand an easy tread. Do wear proper shoes with traction. It doesn't have to be hiking boots. Expect some elevation but nothing to worry about. Come check out the covered bridge and the river bank...enjoy a little relaxation after a hike. I recommend for anyone to check out this gem in the valley. read more

Helpful 0

Thanks 0

Love this 1

Oh no 0

Lauren G.

0

7

5

3 years ago

Beautiful hiking area lots of people go to walk their dogs and just watch the mountains read more

See all

Helpful 0

Thanks 0

Love this 0

Oh no 0

Karen L.

0

2

0

3 years ago

Beautiful walking trails, Bea bridge beautiful picnic area and river, I highly recommend

Helpful 1

Thanks 0

Love this 0

Oh no 0

More info about Knights Ferry Recreation Area

17968 Covered Bridge Rd
Oakdale, CA 95361
Directions
(209) 881-3517
Call Now

Hours

What time does Knights Ferry Recreation Area open?

What time does Knights Ferry Recreation Area close?

Indoor Amenities

Does Knights Ferry Recreation Area allow dogs?

Yes, Knights Ferry Recreation Area allows dogs.

Outdoor Amenities

Does Knights Ferry Recreation Area have parking?

Yes, Knights Ferry Recreation Area has parking options. Private Lot Parking

Review Highlights - Knights Ferry Recreation Area

“Easy walks, lots to see like the covered bridge, old pump house, etc and great for taking photos.”

Mentioned in 3 reviews

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

People searched for Parks 395 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Explore benefits

Valley View Community Park

5.0

9.6 mi

I truly love the lookout area. The trails are nice. There are always very friendly people that you…read moremeet & my dog love's it here , I say that's a win. There is a really nice spot with a bench down next to the river that is great for meditation. I like using the stairs to run up and down for cardio plus you get fresh air while doing it.

A great partner to overlook the river, observe the Blue Jays, have kids run up and down the hills,…read moreand great for dogs to just roam around and play. Lots of areas for activities and barbecuing in a lot of activities for dogs just need to run

See all

Oakdale Childrens Play Park

4.5

(4 reviews)

10.7 mi

Oakdale, Ca-This park is kept very clean. Never see trash. I see funerals and birthday parties held…read morehere. They have little secret passages but some vandalism, which I dislike. Lots of things to do, there's a pool right next door. Has a bathroom and lots of swings. Has a little art wall made by kids, which some of it sadly broke. People whom contributed to the building have their last name/first name in some concrete. 4 stars because its very confusing where the entrance and trash can is. overall experience great!

Beautiful little park in Oakdale, great great play structure, it has multiple swingsets and a…read morebathroom. This is a wonderful little neighborhood park. I will definitely be coming back and letting my children play here

See all

Dorada Park

4.7

(6 reviews)

10.7 mi

This is one of the oldest parks in Oakdale. The city of Oakdale just revamped it about a year ago,…read moreand it looks really nice again. I can't wait for everything to return to normal, so we can do music in the park. They can open the swimming pool again, because this is the park that has a swimming pool. I just have a Lot of memories here with my children, and I hope you make wonderful ones with your family as well.

We had our grandsons 1st birthday party here! Beautiful park, well kept. Clean bathrooms and the…read morekids loved the playground. There were however several homeless people who just walked right up to the party and served themselves food...lol! Hey there was enough food for them to eat! Great park!

See all

Burchell hill

5.0

9.6 mi

I love this park so much! They have beautiful trails to walk, and it is one of the most maintained…read morein our area.

A great little park to play a good game of soccer, practiced golfing, play frisbee, or have your…read moredog run around and not have to worry about them. It also comes with dog supply baggies pick up their poop and a nice trail to walk your dogs. The trail is a half a mile and it is great exercise with beautiful trees in a great neighborhood.

Park floods after a good rain storm

The park itself

See all

Other side

Oakdale Recreation Area

4.0

11.3 mi

Truly a rare and beautiful place to fish or just relax. This is one nice place to go fishing as the…read moreStanislaus River runs along the south side of this park. With plenty of trees and water areas one could hike for hours. It is a good raft or canoe launch site as well. From what many of the locals tell me this place has a history of producing large strippers and black bass. When I went today many of the ponds were full of algae but fortunately the river ran clean. From what I gather if I had a canoe I probably would have landed some good size black bass. Unlike some of the other people fishing I did have a few bites on my line. Of course if I told you what lure I was using I would have to k.... you. Just kidding or am I?

This is a beautiful park just to sit and relax or go for a walk or hike if your so inclined, I love…read morethe Stanislaus River. Very peaceful here, I really enjoyed it although I didn't get to stay long.

See all

Kerr Park

3.5

(4 reviews)

8.8 mi

I truly love this park. It has baseball diamonds, beautiful walking trails volleyball nets,…read more basketball court, shooting range, all kinds of stuff. You have the Stanislaus River you can kayak on. I went there to eat my lunch yesterday. Have a little picnic by myself, and there was not one person in the whole entire park, which was very unusual, but extremely relaxing.

Great hidden well shaded gem! Lots of space, plenty of parking, lots of lush green grass!read more

I was the only person at the park that's so wild

Completely empty

See all

The playground area

Jacob Myers Park

4.3

(60 reviews)

15.9 mi

Amazing place very nice of you. You can sit there for a long hours. It's just a crowded because…read morepeople like that means a lot.

This is a very lovely park, especially during the sunset ! It's also quite big and so if you're…read morewalking leisurely around it, you can spend a good chunk of your day there. There's pretty trees, some groves of trees even, and also a river + a gazebo by the river. It's a good place to walk, run, bike around, and maybe utilize the picnic tables for. My husband and his brother have even done photoshoots here before, showing that this is a pretty place to go and spend time at !

Another view of the train tracks over passs

Stanislaus River looking east from boat ramp

See all

Picnic area

Gilbert Park

3.0

10.1 mi

Decent little park. Lots of grassy space to run and play in for the kids. The playground itself is…read morea bit of antique but it works in a pinch. This park has a few benches to sit at, a tennis court, and a public restroom. Be careful though. Lots of bad things happen here. Especially in and around that bathroom.

Park wasn't bad. It does have all the essentials for kids to have fun. The equipment is on the…read moreolder side and is probably due for some upgrades however it is fairly clean for the age of the park.There are regular swings and baby swings. One slide is closed because it is broken at the moment. There bathrooms are available at this park.

See all

Cottles Woods Park

5.0

9.9 mi

Cottles Woods park is great! there is a HUGE field area, some bleachers used for baseball games…read more(they may have been taken down, not fully sure.) There is a "moat" of rocks surrounding the new and improved play structure. Used for sports when the sports are in season, local and clean, good for kids.

This park is one of the better ones in Oakdale. They have a nice trail that makes for an easy walk…read more They have a baseball diamond & that makes for fun exercise in the evening with the family. There is also a huge field that can help with social distancing.

Community Center Park

3.0

(1 review)

15.5 mi

Located downtown riverbank next to the teen center, public swimming pool and across from both the…read moreadministration offices and cardoza middles school. A nice enough park with plenty of shade and trees. A covered pavilion for rental for parties as well as tons of benches for a picnic.

See all

Freedom Park

4.2

(27 reviews)

17.6 mi

Nice park love it here clean and well maintained my kids love it here great for bringing the kids…read moreto get wet or play

Very nice, clean. You can tell it is a nice place... surrounded by solid. single family well-kept…read morehomes. Restrooms are better than at an average park.

Notice the MISSING Swings on the right that should be hanging and the black POTHOLES on the ground

See all

Freedom park we can around 3 and it was full of kids and mommies

Natural Bridges State Beach

4.3

(531 reviews)

97.2 mi

Such an awesome beach that feels sort of hidden in plain sight…read more We came here while on the search for tide pools, while we did find tide pools they didn't have the marine life we were hoping for, we did explore some cool natural coves and hang with a seal lion pup. This is a state run beach, so to get that premier and close parking you'll need to pay. It was ten-dollars, but that covered you for the whole day and you could leave and come back if needed. The beach area itself is small, but offers amazing views of the "natural bridges" or rock formations that give its name. My son and I crawled through a small hole in the rock wall that opened up to private cove. The cover was awesome, but not a place where you can lounge due to the tides. The tide pools are located high up on the rocks that are only accessible during low tide. You'll mostly only find sea anemones and a few small crabs. There are some picnic tables here near the back of the beach under some shaded trees, so families can enjoy lunch without leaving. This picnic area butts up to a pond that, I assume, when it's high tide is a direct link to the ocean.

Walked through the monarch butterfly preserve area and ended up overlooking the beach. For a…read moreTuesday, it wasn't so busy, so parking was easy. Gorgeous views, small beach area, and cool view of the rock bridge. It was a quick visit for me, but it was pretty.

June 2023

See all

Davenport Beach

4.4

(162 reviews)

100.9 mi

This place offers excellent entertainment and beautiful views from every angle. We spent about an…read morehour hiking to all the interesting spots we could find. It is one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. However, be aware that getting down to the beach is steep and may be difficult for some people. There is a rope to hold onto for help going down.

OMFG...I finally made it to the swing at the Davenport Beach?! :D…read more I did not read any reviews about this spot before coming here. I just bookmarked for a couple of years, and I finally visited it. My boyfriend and I along with his doggie were having a day out in Santa Cruz. I told him that we should visit this place so that we can swing on the beach. He was down for it, but once we found the way to get down to it--he said, "No way, I'm doing that." I *did* not let that stop me from going down there to experience the swing though. My boyfriend and his doggie stayed at the top of the cliff and watched me climbed down to the beach. Yes, it was pretty treacherous. Thank goodness there was a rope with knots to hold onto. Otherwise, I don't think I would be able to do it successfully without that lifesaver rope. Thank you so much to whoever secured that rope there! Also, I do want to point out I did this in a dress and flipflops?! Crazy right.. Then again.. I'm crazy, I do admit it. ;) There were a four gals and guys down there chilling. I asked them if there was another way to get in and out of here, but they confirm that that was the only way in and out. I got to swing on the swing and took some videos. The swing looked cool from the photos that I seen, but it doesn't swing well straight. It does swing sideways. Lol... It took me about 7 minutes to go down and about 4 minutes to climb back up. I know this because my boyfriend recorded me. Lol... I'm very grateful that I was determined to do this despite the company that I had didn't want to do it. Years ago I let someone that I was with who didn't want to do it influence me to also not do it when we visitied Alamere Falls so I won't let that happen anymore. If there is something I want to do, it's okay to do it alone when other people don't want to do it. That's on self-love, baby! There is two parking areas. We initially parked in the one right across the post office, but then we follow this group to the other one right next to it because it was closer. We walked across the railroad tracks and found the opening to the climb to the beach. I was sore for a few days afterwards in my legs from climbing the side of the cliff, but oh gosh... It was so worth it!

Engagement photo | By Luke Cunningham

Engagement Session | 1985Luke Photography

See all

Waterfall flowing out of cave

Aquos Pools

3.9

(130 reviews)

28.1 mi

Family-owned & operated

Eco-friendly

Aquos just finished our pool and we had a great experience with them…read more From the very beginning when the owner came out to check out our yard, we got an immediate sense of relief. Its a family business thats been around for a long time. And it turns out that many different family members were part of out pool building process. The workers were all super fast, professional, and highly skilled. They always cleaned up at the end of the day, and they took care of our property. I highly recommend these guys.

This family company has been serving the valley for many years. They are honest and reputable and I…read morehighly recommend this business. Communication and customer service is a top priority for them

Look at this beautiful pool and spa at night in River Islands ,Lathrop. Stunning fire feature and awesome LED lights!!

River Island, Lathrop

See all

Perfect Staycation!

Empire Pool - Stanislaus County Regional Water Safety

4.3

(24 reviews)

17.8 mi

This is a very nice pool to bring your kids to! My grandsons love playing here in the summer! Very…read moreclean, they have free lifejackets to borrow, lots of lifeguards watching over the kids. Its a very inexpensive way to keep the kids cool, have some fun during summer! The only reason I cant give it 5 starts is because my daughter booked a private party here and they double booked, we ended up having to share the rental with another family and that turned out to be a BIG MESS.

Very clean, can be rented for private parties. So fun. Great location They also supply life guards…read morefor your safety

See all

Woodward Resevoir Campsite

3.1

(37 reviews)

11.7 mi

We had some tree branches hanging that got caught on our 5th wheeler as we were backing up to our…read morecampsite. We called the front office, Liz and the maintenance crew came within 5 mins. They cleared the tree branches within 10 mins so we could park our 5th wheeler safely. Thank you, Stanislaus County maintenance crew!!! You guys rock!!!

Loved that we were able to camp right on the water. Sites were large enough that we weren't stacked…read moreon top of neighbors. Had a nice swim spot and was well shaded. Bathrooms definitely were not maintained. I understand some cultures throw used toilet tissue in the trash, but the signs clearly stated flush the tissue. It seemed the bathrooms were only cleaned once or twice a day, and there was always piles of used tissue on the floor along with feces and urine. Maybe larger trash cans in the stalls can help contain the mess.