Outdoors
Trails and recreation areas near Stockton open to horseback riding, including horse camps.
Good to know: Check trailer parking and stock water at the trailhead, and whether certified weed-free hay is required.
Contra Loma Dam and reservoir are part of the Central Valley Project - Delta Division and offers recreational opportunities for the East Bay area near San Francisco.
Less than an hour east of Stockton near the historic gold rush towns of the California Mother Lode. This scenic setting in the Sierra Nevada foothills boasts exciting fishing, waterskiing, and hiking.
Remember your OUTDOOR ETHICS when enjoying your public lands. Please RECREATE RESPONSIBLY. NOTICE: Red Hills ACEC is Day Use Only. No camping on public lands within the Red Hills ACEC.
The 69 mile long Folsom South Canal originates at Nimbus Dam on the American River in Sacramento County and extends southward, paralleling and to the east of State Highway 99 through San Joaquin County.
Recreation at Lake Natoma is managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation under agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation. The Lake was created by Nimbus Dam across the American River.
Recreation at Folsom Reservoir is managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation under agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation, Central California Area Office.
Nestled between Blue Ridge and Cedar Roughs, east of the Napa Valley, Lake Berryessa offers year-round recreation opportunities.
Aquatic Park Cove is a vibrantly urban harbor that mimics a natural anchorage and is located on the Pacific shores of one of America's great West Coast cities.
Distances are straight-line miles from downtown Stockton. Listings come from Recreation.gov’s federal recreation database; check each official page for hours, fees, fire restrictions and closures before you go.
Contra Loma Reservoir (Bureau of Reclamation), about 29 miles west of Stockton as the crow flies. Next are New Hogan Lake (29 mi) and Red Hills Recreation Management Area (46 mi).
Based on Stockton’s average highs, October–May. Conditions at higher elevations can be much cooler.
Federal agencies including Bureau of Reclamation, US Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management. Each listing links to its official page for hours, fees, closures and current conditions.