Caswell Memorial State Park: shaded trails through an ancient forest

Wild grapevine drapings in Caswell Memorial State Park

Caswell Memorial State Park is a preserve of riparian woodland six miles southwest of the city of Ripon in San Joaquin County in California's Central Valley. The east- and south-side boundary of the park is the meandering Stanislaus River with its bends and sand beaches.

Grapevine branches hanging over Gray Fox Trail

The riverside park stands as an example for a mature oak riparian forests; now rare, but once much more prominent in the valley landscape. The most striking feature of the park is the ancient forest —actually, most of the preserve consists of dense forest. Tall oak and cottonwood trees grow here, many of which have been conquered by wild grapevines with hanging and swinging branches. Numerous shaded trails loop around interesting forest sites and some provide access to vista points alongside the Stanislaus River.

River Bend Trail vista: Stanislaus River at river bend

The riparian ecosystem is teeming with wildlife. Racoons, foxes, skunks, weasels and squirrels live here. The smaller riparian brush rabbits and riparian wood rats have their burrows or nests in the thick understory—hidden, but still not completely safe from predators. Jordan Summers writes about these small mammals [1]:

Sitting at the bottom of the food chain, they are meals for raptors such as great horned owls, osprey, and Swainson's hawks; they are also on the menu of all the mammals listed above; and they are even taken by snakes. No wonder they live in seclusion.

Park history

The plaque at the park entrance says that Caswell Memorial State Park was donated in memory of Thomas Caswell (1843-1921), early day rancher and humanitarian, and his sons Wallace Caswell and Henry Caswell. The park brochure shows a picture of Thomas Caswell on his Modesto ranch and provides further details:

Seven hundred acres [2.833 km²] of riparian forest along the river were purchased by Thomas Caswell, a farm equipment manufacturer and rancher, in 1915. In 1950 the Caswell family created a legacy for the people of California by donating 134 acres [0.542 km²] of forest to be preserved as a state park, so future generations might experience the valley in its original natural state.

Getting to Caswell MSP

The park address is: Caswell Memorial State Park, 28000 South Austin Road, Ripon, CA 95366. Phone: (209) 599-3810.
From downtown Ripon head west on West Ripon Road. Turn left on Austin Road and drive south. The road leads into the state park. An entry fee has to be paid at the kiosk. After continuing for less than half a mile on the shaded road to its dead-end, the parking lot, rest rooms and picnic tables are found on the left side.

References and more to explore

[1] Jordan Summers: 60 Hikes within 60 Miles, Sacramento. Menasha Ridge Press, Birmingham, AL, 2008.
[2] Caswell Memorial State Park. Links: Website and Park Brochure.
[3] Campground map of Caswell Memorial State Park. Link: https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/557/files/CaswellMemorialSP_CampMap021015.pdf.