Brannan Island State Recreation Area Camping Day Use

Brannan Island State Recreation Area is halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento along the east bank of the Sacramento River. Brannan is not entirely an island, but it is surrounded on three sides by water.

For day use, the park has a substantial six-lane boat launch and swimming area on Seven Mile Slough, which is closed off to the boats. During the summer months, the swimming beach has a lifeguard on duty.

Brannan Island visitor center offers displays and publications on the Delta’s wildlife and history. A large group picnic area can hold up to 200 people. Two of the most popular activities at Brannan Island are fishing and boating.

Fishing Brannan Island

Anglers catch striped bass, sturgeon, catfish, black bass, bluegill, crappie, perch, bulkhead, and an occasional salmon or steelhead trout in the river and sloughs around the park. If you bring a boat, you can access hundreds of miles of rivers, sloughs, levees, old river channels, and marshes.

Five miles southeast of Brannan Island, Franks Tract State Recreation Area, with most of its acreage underwater, is accessible only by boat. Boating and water skiing are popular here, and the flooded island provides excellent fishing.

Camping Brannan Island

Camping is popular on Brennan Island and is a very affordable weekend or vacation destination. One hundred two developed sites, including five accessible locations, have tables and stoves.

Campsites can accommodate tents, trailers, and RVs up to 36 feet, but there are only water hookups. During the summer, weekends are usually booked up, but you can still get a reservation during the week without too much trouble.

Heidi’s Outrigger Marina and Saloon are on the other side of the campground slough and the nearest dining place.

Brannan Island has 32 boat-in camping slips in the Delta Vista Boat Campsite, where you can berth your boat overnight. Berths accommodate boats up to 35 feet long and 10 feet wide. For groups, six areas will accommodate up to 30 people and ten vehicles.

You may reserve more than one site for larger groups. The sites offer tables, stoves, showers, toilets, and drinking water and can accommodate RVs up to 36 feet in length.

Getting There

The surrounding area is mostly farmland, with the nearest town being Rio Vista. Park Website

Directions to Brannan Island: SRA 17645 State Hwy. 160 Rio Vista CA 94571 The park is on Highway 160, three miles south of Rio Vista. Brannan Island SRA is open seven days a week for camping and day use.

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