The Ahwahnee Hills Regional Park offers up 5 miles of walking or hiking trails, 2 miles of equestrian trails, picnic areas, restrooms, interpretive and study centers on 241 acres. Dogs are welcome, on leash, but I left Sally home for this adventure. Entrance to the park is free for individuals, but a fee is required to reserve space or conduct events. Their website says that when staffing levels permit, the park will be open daily from 8:00 a.m. until dusk Wednesday through Sunday, with pedestrian access Mondays and Tuesdays via the Wasuma gate. A park host will be in residence or volunteer docents will be on duty at most times when the park is open to the public. I suggest that you check their website Ahwahnee Hills Regional Park for more specific and up to date information. Directions to the park, along with maps of the trails are located on the website. The park land is owned by Madera County, but the day-to-day operation, maintenance, and improvements are the responsibility of the Friends of Ahwahnee Hills Regional Park, a non-profit organization formed for this purpose. They have done an amazing job on the trails and park. The Friends is an all-volunteer group and they count on your donation of time or money to help this park going. Their website also is full of information on the history of the land that the park is on, along with some wonderful historical pictures. They shared that the name Ahwahnee is an Indian word meaning “deep grassy valley.”As I wandered along the trails, I couldn’t help but imagine what it must have been like back when the Native Americans lived in this area. Lots of acorns and rocks to grind them were undoubtedly on of the tasks that were done in this area.