The camping season runs from April 1 to Oct. 10
By SHRADDHA JHINGAN — city@theaggie.org
Recently, Cache Creek Canyon Regional Park, located close to Rumsey, CA, reopened all of its features. Though various parks reopened after May 2020, following shutdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Cache Creek Canyon Regional Park remained closed, according to an article from the Davis Enterprise.
However, after reopening all of its features this year, people have been able to make camping reservations, starting on April 1. This will be an option until Oct. 10, after which camping season for the year will end.
Though people are able to make walk-in reservations, they are encouraged to do so online, which is possible at least two days before the intended date of arrival, according to the park’s website. There is a maximum of eight people allowed per camp-site.
The park’s description provides a further insight into the park’s location, stating that it is located about six miles north of Rumsey, alongside State Highway 16. It has more than “600 acres of natural wilderness,” which ranges from pines, cottonwoods in grassland meadows and more.
“The Regional Park sits in the beautiful Cache Creek Canyon area, with peaks reaching higher than 2,200 feet in elevation,” the website reads. “The Regional Park is divided into three use areas: the Cache Creek Upper Park Site, the Cache Creek Middle Campground Park site, and the Cache Creek Lower Park Site. The three park use areas offer a range of activities such as white water rafting, rural hiking, kayaking, fishing, and nature walks.”
The Upper Day Use Park Site is often used for rafting during the summer, though cell phones may not work in that part of the park. The same goes for the Lower Day Use Site, although there are various trails around for people to go hiking. More detailed information can be found in the park’s information website.
Before making a reservation, campers should note that the park is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays during camping season, and no overnight camping will be permitted in this time period.
With the opening of Cache Creek Canyon Regional Park, and others during the camping season, residents of Yolo County will be able to spend more time outdoors this spring and summer. One such program at UC Davis is encouraging students and members of the community to do so — Healthy Outside.
Members of the UC Davis community are encouraged to spend more time outdoors under the program, and can share photos of them doing so in order to be eligible to win prizes. According to the website, this helps with mental and physical health.
“Most of our campus community missed the last two spring quarters at UC Davis,” said Stacey Parker, the Healthy Outside lead and UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden director of public horticulture, in a news release. “It’s really quite a spectacular time of year, so we want to celebrate all that our campus and community recreational spaces have to offer.”
In a webinar by the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden, they highlighted the importance of spending time in nature. Additionally, they also described how nature should be something that is accessible for everybody.
“As I mentioned before, nature is a necessity that should be universal,” Arboretum Ambassador Cassie Eng said. “It’s extremely important to address these vulnerable communities in order to close the nature gap for all.”
The webinar also noted that the UC Davis Arboretum features collections from places around the world. These include the East Asian Collection and Southwest U.S. and Mexican Collection.
“The collections at the Arboretum and Public Garden are diverse and representative of plants from all over the world,” Arboretum Ambassador Michelle Lester said. “In this way the Arboretum and Public Garden is demonstrating inclusivity with our biodiversity as well as making sure to highlight different cultures and then plants native to those lands.”
In a webinar, Dr. Jean Larson, who is the “director of nature-based therapeutics at the Bakken Center and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum” spoken about the benefits of spending time outdoors, specifically in nature. In addition to being mentally healing, it can also help in forming a community, Dr. Larson said.
“There is scientific evidence that being in nature or even viewing scenes of nature reduces anger, fear, stress and increases pleasant feelings,” Dr. Larson said. “Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, it also contributes to your physical well-being: reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension and the production of stress hormones.”
Ultimately, through the reopening of Cache Creek Canyon Regional Park, many residents of Yolo County can have more chances to get outside and enjoy the benefits of spending time in nature.
Written by: Shraddha Jhingan — city@theaggie.org
