{"id":8716902,"date":"2023-01-15T06:03:02","date_gmt":"2023-01-15T14:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/?p=8716902&preview=true&preview_id=8716902"},"modified":"2023-01-17T05:39:57","modified_gmt":"2023-01-17T13:39:57","slug":"popular-brannan-island-park-campground-now-fully-reopened-spruces-up-for-visitors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/2023\/01\/15\/popular-brannan-island-park-campground-now-fully-reopened-spruces-up-for-visitors\/","title":{"rendered":"Popular Brannan Island park, campground now fully reopened, spruces up for visitors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nine months after closing and then reopening months later only on weekends, one of the most affordable Bay Area freshwater recreation, boating and camping areas has fully reopened and awaits visitors itching to get outdoors after many days of pounding rainstorms.<\/p>\n

Located just north of Antioch and south of Rio Vista, Brannan Island State Recreation Area is part of a maze of waterways and marshes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta long popular for boating, fishing, swimming and camping.<\/p>\n

And though its picnic tables and campsites surrounded by mighty oaks and towering eucalyptus trees sit empty now, Clint Elsholz, state Diablo Range District acting superintendent, knows that the park will soon be filling up.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Since the pandemic), parks have seen a big spike in attendance,\u201d said Elsholz, who oversees the 336-acre site. \u201cPeople want to be outdoors, so I expect the campgrounds to be very popular over the summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last March, American Land & Leisure, which operated the park since 2013, opted not to renew its lease with State Parks, effectively shutting down the park much to the dismay of its longtime users. Elsholz said park officials scrambled to reassign workers and reopen the popular boat launch last June, but only on weekends, while they looked for a concessionaire to replace the Utah property management company.<\/p>\n

Elsholz thanked the public for its patience while waiting for a new operator. He added that he was \u201cexcited for the new partnership\u201d with Park Delta Bay of Isleton to bring camping and day-use opportunities back to Brannan Island. Reservations for the 136 campsites \u2013 both tent and RV hookups in five different areas and a rustic cabin \u2013 were being taken as of the first of the year.<\/p>\n

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View of the Cottonwood Campground area at the Brannan Island State Recreation Area in Rio Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023. Brannan Island State Recreation Area is approximately 330 acres and offers over 150 campsites. (Jose Carlos Fajardo\/Bay Area News Group) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Park Delta Bay operates an RV and tiny house resort just down the road, about six miles from Brannan Island State Recreation Area, and Esholz said he believed the company would do well restoring the state recreation area, which first opened in 1952.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe (owner Eric Chiu) has vision,\u201d Elsholz said, noting that adding a bait store \u2013 the first ever at the site \u2013 should be a welcome amenity for visitors.<\/p>\n

Hap\u2019s Bait and Tackle, a longtime Rio Vista store, was forced to close recently and will be reopening at the park.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe (Chiu) is going to put it in as part of the experience at the park, and that\u2019s the kind of vision that will bring people out,\u201d Elsholz said. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty exciting. It\u2019s something that\u2019s important to the locals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chiu could not be reached for comment but his park managers Chris and Billie Logan, who are doing much of hands-on work sprucing up the park, were optimistic about its future and said getting the bait shop up and running was \u201cthe first order of business.\u201d Chris Logan\u00a0estimated it would open \u201cin a couple of weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple managed the park for three years before leaving last spring, but were excited to return when the new operator was found.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came back because I know so much about the park and I knew it was the right time to come in to try to get things done that I thought needed to be addressed,\u201d said Chris Logan who now lives with his wife inside the park. \u201cI knew I could get a fresh start and get things going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Besides cleaning up debris, landscaping and other minor maintenance, Logan said the park will have to clean up the beach in the Seven Mile Slough area for the summer, when operators expect to add lifeguards and paddle boats for rent. The beach will be a big draw, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople always come in and say, \u2018Where\u2019s the beach?\u2019 \u201d Logan added. \u201cIt\u2019s tide-oriented. When the tide is in, there\u2019s no beach, when the tide\u2019s out there is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elsholz said over the years the beach has become overgrown with weeds but park officials will work to clear it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have some Himalayan blackberry that\u2019s crept in there that we want to take out and expand it,\u201d he said of the beach. \u201cIt\u2019ll still accommodate swimming \u2013 I don\u2019t think we\u2019re going to have to dredge \u2013 but we\u2019re going to do some vegetation management on the site.\u201d<\/p>\n

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View of the boat dock area at Brannan Island State Recreation Area in Rio Vista, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023. The boat dock area is temporarily closed and is in need of repair. Brannan Island State Recreation Area is approximately 330 acres and offers over 150 campsites. (Jose Carlos Fajardo\/Bay Area News Group) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n