26 Feb The Delta National Heritage Area, a Little-Known Day Trip and a Step Back in Time

The San Joaquin riverfront in Antioch. (Jose Cordon / Pulse file)

By Ruth Dusseault
Bay City News

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area is located an hour’s drive and a half-century away from San Francisco.

Frozen in time, the winding roads include watery landscapes and a living archive of early 20th century agricultural architecture.

On Saturday, U.S. Rep. John Garamendi, D-Fairfield, will speak in Rio Vista at the RioVision Gallery to launch the Delta National Heritage Area’s Passport Program, a milestone aimed at boosting heritage tourism and public engagement throughout the waterways and communities of Northern California.

The Passport Program is modeled after the long-running Passport to Your National Parks initiative, a nationwide effort that encourages exploration through collectible stamps. Visitors can purchase an official passport book and collect free ink “cancellation” stamps at designated locations.

Each stamp records the place and date of a visit, creating a personalized travel log that grows with every stop. The Delta program will offer stamps at museums, libraries, historic parks, nature preserves, and community landmarks throughout the National Heritage Area.

Unlike entrance passes or tickets, the passport is a voluntary, educational tool. Stamping stations are free to use, and no purchase is required to participate. The passport books themselves are produced by America’s National Parks, a nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, with all proceeds supporting educational and interpretive programs in national parks nationwide.

According to a statement from Garamendi’s office, there are currently 62 National Heritage Areas across the United States, and the Delta is California’s first and only such site, designated by Congress in 2019. The area spans portions of five counties and supports preservation through partnerships rather than federal ownership. Extending from Sacramento to Stockton to Vallejo, the junction of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers are at its center.

Accessible by car or boat, visitors can visit 55 U-pick farms, 38 wineries, and 17 national, state and local wildlife areas, as well as immersive landscapes that feature historic drawbridges and pioneer towns shaped by American, Chinese, Filipino, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Portuguese and Sikh settlers and their descendants.

To learn more about the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area, visit delta.ca.gov/nha.

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