Chapter Picnic at China Camp State Park

Chapter Picnic at China Camp’s Miwok Meadows with Field Trips

Sunday, May 17, 2026, 10:30 am to 3 pm

Please sign up for this event on Meetup or just show up.

Potluck Picnic: Get together informally with your CNPS friends and acquaintances for a potluck picnic.

• Enjoy simple potluck fare. (Bring some fun bread, cheese, or fruit if you don’t cook.)
• Visit with others about recent wildflower discoveries, garden additions and visits, botanical insights, restoration achievements, and advocacy goals.
• Learn about The Friends of China Camp’s habitat restoration efforts in the park.
• Share remembrances of Laura Lovett’s dedication to native plants.
• Take an optional field trip around Turtle Back Hill.

We will gather at noon and plan to start eating around 12:30. Please bring:

• A potluck picnic dish to share w/ serving utensil.
• Reusable picnicware (the Chapter has plates & flatware to share, too)
• Picnic tablecloth if you have one.
• Your favorite beverage (no running water available at site)

Dress in layers for hot sun and cool shade. If it threatens showers, bring your beach umbrella.

Optional Field Trips: Let’s take advantage of the proximity of Turtle Back Hill. It is a lovely, varied trail traversing grasslands, scrub, and mixed evergreen forest, at the edge of saltmarsh of the San Francisco Bay Estuary. Docent led hikes begin at 10:30 am and 2 pm.

You can walk or drive to or from the trailhead (~ 1 mi. from Miwok Meadows). The Turtle Back Hill loop trail is fairly level and less than a mile.

Listen to the Turtle Back Trail Interpretive Audio Tour before or after the hike.

Here is an interesting article: “Tidal Marsh Vegetation of China Camp” by Peter Baye.

If you have not done so already, please sign the CNPS Marin 2026 Waiver 

Practice clean trail etiquette. Pocket Guide – Every Step Counts and Cleanliness Tips for Hikers

Directions: 

Picnic: We have reserved Miwok Meadows which is accessed by a dirt road off North San Pedro Road (the main park road) about .6 mi east of the China Camp Campground entrance. (Best access is from the north due to road work.) Parking is included in our rental.

Turtle Back Hill trailhead is on North San Pedro Road about .3 mi east of the campground entrance. (Best access is from the north due to road work.) Park along the road there or walk about 1 mile from Miwok Meadows picnic area along Shoreline Trail.

Email Ann Elliott with any questions.

Text for day-of-trip questions or issues: 530-588-2555

Limit: 100