New place for Fresno County families to enjoy nature is right in our own backyard

FRESNO COUNTY (KFSN) -- Hikers, cyclists, and families now have more territory to explore in Fresno County. Wednesday marked the grand opening of the new San Joaquin River Parkway Trail.

A $3.4 million dollar sprawling project that bridges Friant to Lost Lake Park. It is all part of the Friant Interactive Nature Site-- just off Friant Road

"We have 59 acres out here but the backside here was undeveloped, so we saw a great opportunity to add features for the public here," said Cheryl Moxley, Fish and Wildlife.

Dale Mitchell of Clovis was impressed with the project.

"It's beautiful-- it's the kind of place you'd bring your family just for a walk on the weekend. The people who put this together did a wonderful job of it. The nice part is its very well built. It's permanent and it is going to be useful for people in the area for a long time to come."

The facility encourages kids to connect with nature. They can feed fish while also learning about the life of a trout on the children's trail.

"We feel like this is a pretty unique site because everything relates back to the water, to river, and to the fish," said Moxley.

It is open everyday and the best part is it is free to the public.