Ranger Programs: The Gem of the Forest

​The Stanislaus National Forest is host to a little known gem, Ranger Programs!  Like many families, when we vacation, we try not to break the bank.  I am always on the lookout for low-cost family friendly fun.  Last summer I happened upon the Miwok Ranger District “Specialty and Weekly Program Guide.”  With a variety of offerings from June through September.  Most of them are free, while a donation is suggested for a few of them.  My ten and eleven-year-old boys were excited to sit down and pour over the calendar to see what activities they wanted to participate in.  
​

Specialty programs included events throughout summer such as star gazing, making a walking stick, geology, wildflower & bird walks, basket weaving, tree identification, watercolor postcard painting, and fishing.  It was during “Fishing for Smallfry” that my son caught his first fish!  Since the poles and bait are provided by the rangers, all you have to do is show up. However, I learned the hard way that you should come prepared with something to carry your trout back to the cabin with! After learning how to tie some knots and practicing their casting with magnetic lures & magnetic fish, your child will be ready to start casting into the river.
 

The ranger program also included more frequent weekly events such as the Junior Ranger Club, Nature Crafts, Campfire Programs, Tall Tales & Silly Songs, Yoga in the Forest, What’s Bugging You, and many more.  We went to multiple events at the outdoor Pinecrest amphitheater where my children listened to stories, learned nature songs, and heard rangers discuss the wildlife that can be found in the Stanislaus National Forest.  We made fun crafts to decorate our cabin and participated in Junior Ranger activities.  My boys were so proud to earn their Junior Ranger bandana and proceeded to wear it ALL summer long.  I was allowed to occasionally wash it at night.  Towards the end of summer, they were excited to turn in their books and receive their Junior Ranger badges.
 

Since the ranger programs are held in various locations in the forest, we also got the opportunity to get out and explore places that we had never been to, which always seemed to be an adventure in itself.  Bald Mountain Helitac Base for stargazing or meeting at the Summit Ranger Station to find a great creek for “What’s Bugging You.”
 

While I would love to say that we made it to almost everything at least once, we were on “Cabin Time.”  Which meant we stopped watching the clock, slept later, and relaxed more.  The good news is that my boys had so much fun at the events & activities that we did attend, they are looking forward to the upcoming 2024 summer programs.  To tide us over, we did attend a winter ranger event where we made ornaments, bird feeders, and drank hot cocoa on our way towards the summit to cut down our Christmas tree. 
 

​
Author Richie Norton wrote, “Forest rangers see the forest differently.”  After spending time with our friendly Miwok Station Forest Rangers, our family sees the forest a little differently as well.  
 

Author

Denise Brownlee is a mother of 7 and owner and host of Robins Roost Cabin,
Twain Harte