The Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District ("RivCoParks"; and commonly, Riverside County Parks) is a special district operating in

Riverside County Riverside County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,418,185, making it the fourth-most populous county in California and the 10th-most populous in the Unit ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. The District’s focus encompasses providing high-quality

recreation Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasur ...

al opportunities and preserving important features of the County’s Natural, Cultural and Historical heritage.Riverside County Parks: about us
/ref> RivCo Parks Logo

History

RivCoParks was founded in July 1926 when the Riverside County Board of Supervisors created a Board of

Forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

to oversee what little open space the County had acquired up to that date. In 1959 the Board of Supervisors created a parks department and appointed a Parks Superintendent. In 1990 the parks department became a district during a

general election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

and formed under th
California Public Resources Code 5506.7. (a).
The

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

s and facilities administered by RivCoParks vary greatly in size and character. Current inventory includes 71,669 acres of land, 160 miles of regional trail, 11 regional parks, 6 archeological sites, 4 nature centers, 4 historic sites, and 14

wildlife reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

s. Some of the parks are wilderness areas, others include a variety of recreation attractions with opportunities for

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

angling Angling is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook or "angle" (from Old English ''angol'') attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth. The fishing line is usually manipulated via a fishing rod, although rodless techniqu ...

boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether Motorboat, powerboats, Sailing, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sp ...

camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...

biking Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

, and

horse riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, Driving (horse), driving, and Equestrian vaulting, vaulting ...

. The work of the District is supported by 3 commissions, 1 committee and 6 support groups, which raises funds for the improvement of the parks and programs. The District is a member of the National Association of Regional Parks and Open Space Officers
NACPRO
, the California Association of Regional Parks and Open Space Administrators
CARPOSA
, the

National Recreation and Park Association The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is the leading non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of public parks, recreation and conservation. Their work draws national focus to the far-reaching impact of successes generated ...

NRPA
and the California Parks and Recreation Society
CPRS
.

Mission

The mission of the Riverside County Regional Parks and Open-Space District is to acquire, protect, manage, and interpret for the inspiration, use and enjoyment of all people, a well-balanced system of park-related places of outstanding scenic, recreational, and historical importance.

District Parks and Trails

* Bogart Park (transferred to the Beaumont-Cherry Valley Recreation and Park District in 2019) *

Box Springs Mountain Box Springs Mountain is the highest peak in the Box Springs Mountains range, standing tall. The mountain is in northwestern Riverside County, Southern California. Geography The mountain is east of downtown Riverside, and northwest of Moreno Va ...

Reserve * Crestmore Manor (event facility and headquarters)4600 Crestmore Road, Jurupa Valley, CA 92509: * Gilman Historic Ranch and Wagon Museum * Goose Flats Wildlife Area * Harford Springs * Hidden Valley Wildlife Area * Hurkey Creek Park * Idyllwild Park *

Jensen Alvarado Ranch The Jensen Alvarado Ranch is a historic park and museum in Jurupa Valley, California, USA, and is operated by the Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District. It can be accessed from 4350 Riverview Drive, or 4307 Briggs Street. It wa ...

* Kabian Park * Lake Cahuilla Recreation Area – a modern reservoir/lake named after the prehistoric

Lake Cahuilla Lake Cahuilla ( ; also known as Lake LeConte and Blake Sea) was a prehistoric lake in California and northern Mexico. Located in the Coachella and Imperial valleys, it covered surface areas of to a height of above sea level during the Holocen ...

Lake Skinner Skinner Reservoir, also known as Lake Skinner, is a reservoir in western Riverside County, California, located at the foot of Bachelor Mountain in the Auld Valley, approximately northeast of Temecula. It was created in 1973 by the construction o ...

Recreation Area * Lawler Lodge/Cabins *

Louis Robidoux Louis Rubidoux (1796–1868, born Louis Robidoux) was an early settler in the area of modern-day Riverside, California, United States. He was son of Joseph Robidoux III and Catherine Marie Rollet. He arrived in California in 1844. He bought Ra ...

Nature Center * Mayflower Park * Maze Stone Park * McCall Memorial Park * McIntyre Park * Miller Park * Multi-Species Reserve *

Rancho Jurupa Rancho Jurupa was a Mexican land grant in California, United States, that is divided by the present-day counties of Riverside and San Bernardino. The land was granted to Juan Bandini by Governor Juan B. Alvarado in 1838. Located along both banks ...

Regional Parks *

San Timoteo Canyon San Timoteo Canyon is a river valley canyon southeast of Redlands, in the far northwestern foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. Geography The canyon runs from its southern inflow mouth in Bea ...

Schoolhouse *

Santa Rosa Plateau The Santa Rosa Plateau is an upland plateau and southeastern extension of the Santa Ana Mountains in Riverside County, southern California. It is bounded by the rapidly urbanizing Inland Empire cities of Murrieta and Temecula to the northeast and ...

Ecological Reserve

References

External links

* {{official, http://RivCoParks.org Parks in Riverside County, California

History

Mission

District Parks and Trails

References

Further reading

External links