Route to Parks: Gold Runner Connects California Youth to State Parks Through Educational Field Trips
Every student deserves the opportunity to explore California's rich history, natural beauty, and cultural landmarks. Through California's Route to Parks grant program, Gold Runner is helping make that possible by coordinating educational field trips that connect youth with California State Parks while introducing many students to rail travel for the very first time.
By combining accessible transportation with hands-on educational experiences, Route to Parks makes the journey just as meaningful as the destination, opening doors to learning, exploration, and discovery for students across the state.
What Is the Route to Parks Program?
The Route to Parks program was created to help schools, nonprofits, and youth-serving organizations overcome the transportation barriers to outdoor education and cultural experiences. The program provides funding for trips to California State Parks and other eligible destinations, allowing young people to experience the state's natural, historical, and cultural treasures regardless of where they live.
For many participants, these educational field trips also offer a valuable first experience with public transportation. Traveling on the Gold Runner train helps students gain confidence in using public transit, which is a safe, convenient, and eco-friendly way to explore California.
To date, Gold Runner has coordinated multiple Route to Parks trips that have connected California youth with parks, museums, and educational destinations.
Spotlight: Unbound Stockton Visits the California State Railroad Museum
One of Gold Runner's most memorable Route to Parks experiences brought together more than 70 youth from Unbound Stockton for a day of exploration at the California State Railroad Museum.
The group boarded the Gold Runner train in Stockton and traveled to Sacramento, where they spent the day discovering California's railroad history through interactive exhibits and educational programming at the museum.
For many students, it was their first train ride, their first visit to Sacramento, and their first opportunity to visit the California State Railroad Museum. The experience demonstrated how public transportation can connect communities while making educational opportunities more accessible.
The combination of rail travel and museum learning created an unforgettable educational field trip that spoke to California's transportation history and the important role rail continues to play today.
Future of the Program
Gold Runner is proud to support the Route to Parks program's mission by connecting California youth with meaningful educational experiences through reliable transportation.
As more schools and community organizations participate, even more students will have the opportunity to visit California State Parks, museums, and historic sites, while taking advantage of the convenience and accessibility of Gold Runner rail service.
Gold Runner looks forward to continuing to partner with schools, nonprofits, and community organizations to make educational field trips more accessible.