Woodbridge Ecological Reserve

One of California’s Department of Fish & Wildlife’s objectives is to maintain ecological reserves and marine protected areas intended to conserve unique, fragile habitats, which can function to protect and restore rare and threatened native species. The greater sandhill crane population has diminished in California to a point where they were listed as a threatened species in 1983. The Stockton delta wetlands (inclusive of the 353-acre Woodbridge Ecological Reserve) provide the largest area of freshwater marsh wintering habitat in the state, not only for sandhill cranes but for other waterfowl as well.

Sandhill cranes, Canada geese, snow geese, tundra swans, and many other birds use the reserve as their fall and winter home. Local residential birds include the red-wing blackbirds, black-shouldered kite and American kestrel, ring-necked pheasant, meadowlarks and other small songbirds.

For detailed information about a self-guided tour, click on the link above to visit the Woodbridge Ecological Website.

Directions:

From Sacramento/North, take Interstate 5 south to Peltier Road. At the bottom of the exit, turn left to Thornton Road where you will go right. Continue on Thornton until the stop sign at the corner of Woodbridge road. Make a right hand turn and travel west for approximately 2 miles to the turnout and lookout point of the reserve on the left hand side of Woodbridge road.

From Stockton/South, take Interstate 5 north to Turner Road. At the bottom of the exit, turn right to Thornton Road where you will turn left. Continue on Thornton until the stop sign at the corner of Woodbridge Road. Make a left hand turn and travel west for approximately 2 miles to the turn out and lookout point of the reserve on the left hand side of Woodbridge Road.