Riparian Oaks at sunset

A set of old Oaks near our campsite on day 2.  These groves of old Oak trees are remnants of the Oak forests

that used to dominate the Valley alongside the San Joaquin River's floodplain. Over 95% of the river's riparian

woodlands have been lost in the last century. Other than the State and federal protected areas, there still

remain a few expansive forests on private lands where the floodplains and flood channels made agriculture or

development difficult. Let's hope these remain wild in perpetuity.