This refuge, it's for the birds. It's also a wonderful destination for photographers, birders, and…read morenature lovers. Geese, ducks and shorebirds stop here to rest as they journey along the Pacific Flyway. In the winter it is a crowed place Visit early in the morning and watch the geese fly out to feed in the surround grain fields; it's an awesome experience. If you're there in the late afternoon see them fly back and land in the ponds where they spend the night safe from predators. Even during the day there is something interesting on the 3 mile auto tour road. The best time to visit is from mid November to mid February. Even, if you miss the prime bird time, there is usually something to see year around.

Gorgeous wildlife refuge with a free auto tour. If you drive at the speed they recommend and stop…read moreto take a few pictures, Id say its about 30 minutes. Its very beautifully scenic out there and wild migratory birds of all varieties, tons and tons of them. Was relaxing just to turn off the car radio, roll down windows and listen to the wildlife. Bikes are allowed in summer, and there is a walking/hiking trail which i fully intend to check out soon.

Visited April 5 2026. See my receipt as always…read more I belong to the wine club and love coming here to pick up my wine and a combo pizza. The crust is amazing! Because they do not allow dogs inside or outside in their patio area I had to wait with my car running and my air on high because I had my puppy with me. The owners are very nice and I understand about their pet policy. It would have been nice to have a glass of wine and a slice of pizza inside! It's still a very nice environment with trivia on Thursdays and all kinds of drinks ( try the ice cold slushies! ). Pizza is always amazing! I will try to leave my puppy with my friend next time I visit!

It's rare to find a spot that has wine, mead and cider but this place has it all and offers…read moretastings to boot. It is locally owned by a husband and wife and has been open for about three months in an airy space. Loved the tasting that you can mix and match for four pours, as well as their alcoholic slushies that rotate flavors. I got the peach cobbler slush and it was amazing. You can order pizza and food freshly made. The owner was so sweet and gave us a personal tour of how the grapes are made. His passion and love for what he and his wife does really shines. Highly recommend if you're in the area. Support local business!

This is a fantastic tour. Our guide Frank, one of the founders of the non-profit which maintains…read moreeverything, gave us a very informative and entertaining tour. If you like mining history, this is a must. Even if you don't, it is well worth doing. There is so much to see here, all beautifully restored and preserved. All these years of driving by on Hwy 49, and I had idea how much was down here to see.

Took the guided tour at the Kennedy Gold Mine. Both myself and my boyfriend had not been to the…read moreKennedy Mine other than passing by it when in the area. They have a large outdoor area that has some of the old equipment on display. There is also a small museum area and gift shop. They have a cute little area with trinkets you can purchase. They staff was very friendly, greeted us with a warm welcome when we arrived. We had about a half hour before our tour started so we browsed the museum. There is a restroom located outside the museum in a building just across the walk way. Our tour was just over 90 minutes and our guide was extremely knowledgeable. The tour started in the museum, we watched a video on the mine as well as learned about the placer mining and hydro mining. We visited a few buildings around the property, saw how the large rock grinders work and the machinery used to extract the gold from the sand. How they tested samples. We were able to see the engineers office, the pay station, safe, office and bunk house. They have a small building dedicated to the 47 lost in Argonaut mine. It was really cool seeing all the machines they used and getting a history of the Mine back in its operating days.

I came across this park while staying overnight in Willows and looking for something to do. What an…read moreamazing place! There were so many different types of birds (we saw thousands) and I even spotted a bald eagle. I appreciated that dogs are allowed and the park is open until an hour past sunset. Purchasing tickets is so easy too. I'll be sure to come back with my SLR camera next time I'm in the area.

We had such a wonderful experience with Sacramento Wildlife Refuge during my daughter's field trip…read moreyesterday. Ranger Nikki led the group, and she was outstanding. She brought energy and enthusiasm, which made a huge difference in keeping a group of first and second graders engaged. Nikki has a natural gift for teaching--she explained things in a way the kids could easily understand while still making it fun and interactive. My daughter came home talking all about what she learned, which says a lot. It's not easy to manage a group of young kids, but Nikki handled it with patience, positivity, and great leadership. We're so grateful for educators like her who make these experiences meaningful and memorable. Highly recommend this field trip for young students!

More than I expected. Faith is passionate about the lake and its habitat, especially bird life…read more She was enthusiastic and extremely knowledgeable about birds on the lake. Breeding habits and migration were explained in detail. We were a family party of five with ages from 3 to 70 and all were well served on this early October morning. We always felt safe. There was a special bathroom stop. Faith is also people friendly and went beyond expectations to accommodate photos. I plan to do this again in late May or early June. in Gratitude, David

We spent the morning with Faith on her mighty pontoon boat. I dare you to spend the morning with…read moreanyone else that is so passionate about our feathered friends on this lake. When you can't, you owe me a drink. Faith had no tours scheduled for today, but she woke up early and was waiting for my wife and I, boat in the water and ready to go. We paid a premium for the private tour but so worth it. I think 4 people per tour would be perfect so if you have another couple to split the costs it's well worth it. Watching Faith get so excited about spotting another species and talking excitedly about the where's and why's is really engaging. She truly cares about the lakes ecosystem and how it affects the birds. There is no script and no trying to up sell. This is a small owner-operator company. We had such a great morning. Before today I would have called this a bird watching trip. Now I will be describing it as a bird engagement tour. We stopped at a dock on the South side to watch even more birds not of the paddling type and use the restrooms. We then headed back across the lake. Our tour ran long as we were just enjoying the lake and the conversation. I recommend this tour just so you can feel Faith's passion for the waterfowl and this lake. My wife and I travel much of the year for work, meeting with customers and we see a lot of attractions, meeting a lot of people. We will be talking about this morning a lot with our friends and family.

So much fun! I look my parents when we were in the area, and as someone who doesn't like to rave,…read moremy mom won't stop talking about it! You're in for a surprise on the trip down, and it'll definitely keep everyone, kids and adults alike, very entertained.

Absolutely amazing experiences. We take out-of-towners here and they have a blast! (Even for adults…read more/ no kids lol) Under an hour away from Elk Grove. We have been 3 times and did the golden hour ones in the spring, but our most recent was the morning one in the fall. It was foggy and overcast which provided some cool spooky vibes! The staff here are all amazing from the shop, to the crossing guards, to the crew that rides on the carts. They are all very professional, knowledgeable, and I have felt very safe on all of our trips! It's a 4 mile trip out and then 4 back for a total of 8 through the countryside over the course of 2 hours. You'll pass some currently used streets which is where crossing guards will lower the gates for safe passage. On the way back you go especially fast which is so fun to fly along the railway tracks. A very unique experience!

Holiday train review - Absolutely spectacular and warm heartening experience for our 3 and 4 year…read moreold girls! I don't know what other low rating patrons are expecting... fireworks? High class service? Jazz band playing in every train car with speakers interconnected? We came expecting nothing and ended up having an incredible experience with beautiful decorations well suited for a sweet, memorable Christmas train experience. Online reservations were simple, easy to obtain, and a lot more affordable compared to the exorbant Polar Express tickets. We're extremely happy that we chose this over Sacramento's Polar Express. It's obvious that their staff spent a lot of time putting work into the trains inner and outter decor - beautiful and creative! Parents and adults FYI - on your way to your reserved train car, there's a small bar after boarding the train. It's very important to load up on your magic drinks before heading to your seat. (Drinks.. not drink! But drink responsibly, of course.) Parking isn't far and although limited, it shouldn't be a problem with reservations handled appropriately. We sang a few Christmas songs with the elves, threw snowballs at the grinch (best part, IMO), met Santa, and had a little fun at Santa's (little) village after the ride. Every sip of their hot cocoa (included with your tickets) was warming and delicious, perfect for cold weather. Couple of cookies came along with it, perfect for our kids to snack on. Overall, this was an incredible experience for our kids! Service was fantastic, ambiance was very jolly and felt like home, staff members are very friendly, and the experience is fantastic for all occasions - family, friends, and dates! The memories are ever lasting and hopefully it becomes a core memory that lasts a lifetime. Highly recommended to experience, at least once, for your little loved ones. We'll be back next year!

Update - My wife left feedback with the River Fox Train customer service and was given a full…read morerefund for all 7 tickets. Absolute Disaster on the River Fox Train - Throw Mama from the Train! I wish I could throw myself from the train after this trip. What a complete mess. The AC was completely broken, turning the entire car into a sweaty sauna. They were "cooling" things by keeping bags of ice on the floor that quickly turned into lukewarm puddles. Of course, that meant the beer and water were all warm too. Nothing says "premium train experience" like sipping hot beer while sweating through your clothes. The charcuterie boards were a total scam. The menu looked great, but what actually showed up was a sad, half-empty version with tons of items missing. Ingredients didn't match the description at all. Then, when people started complaining, they announced free food... but only for passengers who didn't order the charcuterie boards. That's fantastic if you're part of the 10% who didn't order one. For the 90% of us who did? Tough luck. To top it off, our car didn't receive any food service until about 30 minutes before arrival. We paid for a nice experience and basically got a rushed, incomplete plate right as we were pulling in. The only bright spot was our server Ashley. She was running around like crazy in that heat, hustling hard and staying positive when everything else was falling apart. She deserves a medal (and a better employer). Save your money and skip this train. Not worth it.

Don was our tour guide and it was an incredible experience. He was very knowledgeable and answered…read moreevery question we had! It was a pleasure meeting him and I recommend everyone checking this gem of a place out!!

A very Pretty drive out to this cavern Lots of trails to…read morewalkabout around and before the small parking lot with an old yellow fire truck that you can check out too A kids sluice that is pretty cool by the shop and check in for the tour of the cavern. Bathrooms were decent And Faith our tour guide was A+++++++ with her flashlight extra luminescent sight too! Check it out and pack and pick-nick-lunch BooBoo! Get outside