One of several ponds at Anderson River Park, Anderson. Photo taken January 8, 2023, by Don Burk.
When it is raining, where do you go hiking? We often end up at Anderson River Park. The park offers a (mostly) paved trail that features three ponds, a dense riparian forest, great views of the Sacramento River, an abundance of birds, and even an occasional river otter or beaver. On many, many occasions over the past 30 years, we have walked a figure-eight on this trail, which clocks in at about 1.75 miles.
A paved trail in Anderson River Park provides an easy walk to some beautiful habitats. Photo taken January 8, 2023, by Don Burk.
About a year ago, a number of additional trails were installed, and signs were added this year. The new trails are in the natural area of the park, and have opened up a vast expanse for further exploration. The new trails provide access to several recently created salmon-rearing channels, as well as much more riparian forest, open grassland, and gravel bars. Great for winter hiking, these dirt trails seems to drain very well. While one may have to walk around some puddles, the trails are not excessively muddy or slippery when wet.
Unpaved trails wend through the riparian jungle of Anderson River Park. Photo taken January 8, 2023, by Don Burk.
In Anderson, take either Rupert Road off Stingy Lane or Dodson Lane off Balls Ferry Road to get to the developed portion of the park. The paved trail can be accessed behind the amphitheater (along the river) or by the kids’ playground. The dirt trails can be accessed at several points along the paved loops, or at the end of Shelley Lane off Balls Ferry Road.
The Shelley Lane trailhead at the south end of Anderson River Park’s natural area has ample parking and is only a short distance from the Sacramento River. Photo taken January 8, 2023, by Don Burk.
Even in the dead of winter, riparian systems always have something unique to offer—often weedy species that have washed in from upriver. Among our recent observations in the riparian forest are Aleppo pine, European beech, pecan, two species of Opuntia, and gopher plant —at most, these weeds have been reported from only one other location in Shasta County. An interesting assortment of aquatic species is also present, with some species being native and others highly invasive. ~Don Burk
West Indian spongeplant, Limnobium laevigatium, also called smooth frogbit, is a highly invasive member of the frogbit family (Hydrocharitaceae). Although the plant may become rooted, we usually see it floating in backwater areas of the Sacramento River. West Indian spongeplant is easily recognized by its inflated, spongy leaves. The species was first reported in California in 2003, and is rapidly spreading through the Sacramento-San Joaquin river systems. Photo taken on December 4, 2022, by Don Burk.West Indian spongeplant, Limnobium laevigatium, choking an isolated flood channel of the Sacramento River in Anderson River Park. Photo taken January 8, 2023, by Don Burk.Water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes, is another highly invasive aquatic species, “perhaps the world’s most troublesome aquatic weed,” according to The Jepson Manual. Photo taken December 4, 2022, by Don Burk.Water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes, is a free-floating perennial with bulbous petioles (leaf stalks) that provide buoyancy. These plants were stranded on the river bank, but high water will put them back in action. Floating mats of the plants can double in size in one to two weeks under optimal conditions. Photo taken in Anderson River Park on December 4, 2022, by Don. Burk.Hornwort, Ceratophyllum demersum, is a submerged aquatic plant that is native to California. It is usually found in ponds, reservoirs, or slow-moving streams. Hornwort can be identified by its whorled leaves that are forked near their tips and have teeth on their edges. Photo taken at Anderson River Park on January 8, 2023, by Don Burk.Wavy-leaved pondweed, Potamogeton crispus, is a submersed aquatic species found in habitats similar to those used by hornwort. Although well over a dozen pondweeds occur in Shasta Chapter CNPS territory (mostly native, some rare), this introduced species is readily recognizable by its alternating leaves with wavy edges. Photo taken in Anderson River Park on December 4, 2022, by Don Burk.
