William B Pond Recreation Area

Our family has enjoyed coming here for more than 20 years. There is no longer free parking along the street in the neighborhood outside of the park. It is definitely worth buying a season parking pass, not only to support our local park but also for the convenience of parking close to trails and picnic areas. You can also use the pass at many other parks.
There are many wonderful areas for family barbecues or small picnics. There are so many trails for those who want short OR long walks. Great place to feed ducks and see other wildlife. We love bringing our dogs for long walks and water play in the river.

This is a hidden Gem… had my Dads memorial here it is such a beautiful peaceful place I love it.

Nice park located at the end of Arden Way. Many parking spots available, as well as picnic tables, covered areas, 2 bathroom buildings, water fountains, and bike tools. It is home to the American River Parkway Foundation and is connected to River Bend Park by the Harold Richey Bridge.
I enjoy the small trails around the pond, as well as the secluded beaches behind it. I’ve tried fishing here and have seen large fish in the pond, but have yet to land one.
This park is a large grassy area with many trees, but no playground for the kids. Good for family gatherings, but bring your own entertainment (volleyball, badminton, etc).
During the busy season, there is a ranger to take your $ 5 parking fee. If they’re not there, you put $ 5 in an envelope and write your license plate # on it. I have seen rangers ticketing vehicles, including the parking lot in the back by the pond.

I scarce can remember, in all my golden youth, the river area looking so inviting or so peaceful. 13 000+ steps on my Fitbit, and for some muted, hushed moments, I was whisked away to a world only Thoreau could adequately detail.

The short: One of the stops on my trips along the American river bike trail where one can relax, kick back, and put your feet in the water.
The long: I’ve been coming to this park a lot recently while I am biking down the bike trail. It has plenty of all the things one would need in a park for the day including tables, benches, restrooms, shade, grills, and views. There are a few really nice spots where you can get down to the river so you can jump in or just throw your feet in and relax. During the week there is almost nobody here and on the weekend it is packed with families and groups. I even went through recently and there was a massive party going on where they had 3 of those giant bounce houses in the park. The park is always clean and from what I can see it is pretty safe.
What works: Nice family park that sits along the river with plenty of necessities.
What to improve: Nothing really

Highly irritated. This is the second time I’ve tried to just go take my toddler to throw some rocks in the water only to find I have to pay five dollars to even park and walk to the water for 15 minutes. I’m not trying to camp or fish or have a massive BBQ and party and stay for hours. Also, you can’t just park outside and walk in like a previous reviewer said because there are no parking signs all over. No thanks.

Me and my daughter love exploring areas like this. The river as low too so we had lots of extra areas to look at. Looks like it would be a good park for a picnic too. There are tables with grills and a bike path too.

Pretty cool recreation area in Sacramento. it is in the neighborhood known as Arden, but in the better part of Arden. There’s lots of hiking trails and you could easily spend hours exploring. It also seems to be a very popular spot for biking. I didn’t see anyone swimming, but I know that water activities area known in this area too. It’s pretty, as far as a park goes and a nice place to find some solitude in the city. I would come here for walking or biking. I don’t know if I would really want to do any water activities here… the water seems stagnant for the most part… yes there are places where the water flows over rocks… but for the most part, it’s stagnant and appears very dirty — not dirty like trash, but I saw lots of algae on the rocks and the water is greenish in color. I would venture to say that there are probably numerous questionable microorganisms in this water. I prefer to swim and do water activities in places where water really flows and looks clear. It’s $ 5 to park here, but this park is in the heart of a residential area and so you can find free parking in the residential area. Just park 2 blocks out because the area within 2 blocks of the park is residential permit parking only.
If you like to bike, I would highly suggest this place. LOTS of paved paths to bike on… and lots of miles to bike and hike. As far as water activities, I wouldn’t… but it is part of the American River where water activities are bountiful. I’m guessing they are done in a different part of the American River because water in this section is stagnant and questionable…
Great place to bike and hike. Also, plenty of table to picnic at and good for family functions. Just know that I only found one nearby bathroom but I didn’t use it so I don’t know how well kept it is. $ 5 for parking, but no entrance guard on duty. You put money in an envelope… I never saw anyone use it, so I’m not sure how often they check it.

Beautiful park. There have been some arson attacks on the park as of late, and so there are a few areas that were burned and smell smokey still. Very sad, but still lots of park to enjoy. Many running clubs and bikers use this trail, so it is very busy. Be sure to pay attention and never walk in the middle of the bike trail, stay to the dirt path off the trail for your safety. Buy the annual pass for parking, it is so worth it and helps maintain the park. Come out for the American River Parkway Half Marathon and support the park that way too.

Beautiful!

Our family and friends love coming to William B Pond in Sacramento (we were just here this past weekend). It is really nice here and clean, with so much to do so it’s hard not to like. They have picnic and bar-​be-​que areas (some of which are covered to provide shade) with bathrooms nearby within walking distance. You can fish and swim, and the water is pretty clean. There are areas where the water is really pretty and clear that you can see the rocks below. Plenty of biking and hiking trails if you want to explore or work out.

It’s hard to NOT like a park these days. This is as good as it gets.
Park on the street outside to avoid the $ 5 fee. However, I still go in just to pay the fee and think of it as a donation to the park.
There are grills and picnic areas within the park. Bathrooms are located right by the entrance, near the parking lot.
I like hiking or running along the trails that are between the river and the paved bike trail. The trails making it slightly more challenging and you get off the crazy fast paved trail. There are bikers going 15 mph down that trail and when you have wandering toddlers, you have a heart attack whenever these Lance Armstrong wannabes goes by.
As an alternative, I will run along the levee a lot of times. I use it when I want to go for a brainless run — don’t need to watch my step or find my way, just keep running, just keep running…

Having grown up near the river, it has a special place in my heart. I now live in Kansas City and the river is really the only thing I miss. This is the best thing that Sacramento has to offer and the first place I want to go when I arrive. Park on the street.

Beautiful and easy access.

Having lived all my life next to a river and then went away to college to live in a beach town, i must say that I love being outdoors. I happened to find this park since the hubby comes from a huge metropolitian city that considers a river to be a concrete canal with a tiny stream of water running through it and thought he would love this place since we live nearby.
This park is very well kept and very big so you can go have a picnic and relax without having other people that are doing the same thing all up on your business. The entrance fee is $ 5 which I don’t think is expensive but I grew up in a town with a river and a state park so maybe I’m used to. They also have an annual pass $ 50 which is a good deal since you can go whenever you want and picinic, fish, jog or ride your bike without paying everytime.

Ive spent so many years at this park. It’s a part of my life.
They charge $ 5 for parking, but you can park outside the park and walk in.
Fishing and feeding ducks with my family as a kid.
Rafting down the river. Perching up on rocks during the summer. Nature walks. Sloshball.
They allow BBQ, and Alcohol. Great bike trail. Family friendly. Event friendly. Sport friendly. Win win win.
Doesn’t get much better then that.

A Great park at the very end of Arden Way. I enjoy taking my dog walking on the various trails at the end of the park. There’s a nice one that loops around the pond that takes you between the pond and the river.
The other advantage of this park is the bike trail bridge that connects this park to River Bend Park. This gives us a lot more access to the many trails in that park.

This pond located by the American River use to be a planter pond for both trout and catfish but the stocking have ceased for quite a while now.
Fishing in the pond isn’t so productive on the shore because only ¼ of the shoreline is accessible to fishing. What I recommend is some sort of watercraft that can get the angler out there to search the water.
The pond itself is infested with carp!!! Carp outnumber bass 5:1 but the pond can be quite rewarding for bass fishing during late March till September. Some «hawgs» can still be caught every year though the number is dwindling… Other species that can be found in the pond are Pikeminnows, catfish (holdovers), Bluegills, Tule Perch, and occasionally a crappie due to the fact that they are stunted by the other sunfish.
Fishing techniques vary a lot in this pond because of it’s underwater terrain. An angler on a float can be fishing over a bed of vegetation then all of a sudden find himself fishing a solid rock floor or drop. Anglers fishing for bass can find some success tossing soft plastics, cranks, and top water early morning and dawn. Carp anglers find some success by tossing dough mixture with corn early morning and sitting till noon. Sunfish can be caught with small chunks of crawlers, hot dogs, wax worms, etc.
Fishing grade overall would be «decent»… Not the best but isn’t the worst.

This is a great place to walk, ride bikes, take photos, walk dogs, and explore a more natural world. I usually come several times a week. Park a bit back on one of the side streets and walk in (parking isn’t allowed close to the entrance) or you can park inside for a fee (handy if you want to launch a kayak, etc.).
The red sandstone bar is a pretty spot; walk straight in, turn right once you reach the main bike path, then turn left on the first dirt road and head straight for the river. The pond can be reached by continuing on the dirt road in the downstream direction (right).