The Value of Trails

The creation of trails within neighborhoods provides both health and transportation benefits to the residents and community overall. Trails provide people of all ages safe, accessible places to take part in recreational activities such as jogging, cycling, or skating. A well-planned network of trails can also make it easy for residents in the area to incorporate exercise into their daily routines by safely connecting them to where they need to go. 

Trails at River Islands

The River Islands lifestyle is one of convenience, recreation, and advanced living. This forward-thinking development encompasses many revolutionary facets, the cornerstone of which being their commitment to the environment and the residents and visitors alike who will interact with it. The ultimate build-out of this 4,905-acre community in Lathrop, CA will include 11,000 residential units, five million square feet of commercial and office space, and nine schools connected by a network of lakes, parks, trails, and open spaces.

The development includes a variety of pedestrian, bicycle, and hiking trails, lanes, and connections throughout the community. Ultimately it will include an 18.5-mile network of trails, including a greenbelt trail that encircles the entire development. Cyclists and pedestrians will only be required to cross one street to do a complete circle of the trail.

This greenbelt park is the longest uninterrupted bike trail in the Central Valley and provides unmatched public access to the San Joaquin River, reinforcing neighborhood walkability and safety.

The Spirit of Volunteerism Brought to Life at the Bennie and Joyce Gatto Historic Trail

Within the River Islands greenbelt is the Bennie and Joyce Gatto Historic Trail. Since the 1950s, this remarkable couple has dedicated their lives to improving the Lathrop community through combined volunteer efforts. The trail is named in their honor to recognize their continued support in the arts, culture, city government, athletic boosters, and commitment to making Lathrop an even better place to live.  

Specifically, Bennie has helped launch not one but two athletic booster programs in town and Joyce founded the annual Mayors Art Show and Sale event that has further enriched Lathrop’s art culture. These accomplishments, among many others, are a true testament to how tireless their community involvement efforts are. Hopefully, the spirit of community improvement they embody will inspire future citizens to continue to improve Lathrop, just like the Gatto’s have done for so many years.

Learn More

To see more O’Dell projects, click here.

For more information on our landscape architecture services, click here.

For more information on River Islands, click here.

For information on joining the O’Dell team, check out our employment listings.