Attractions and Places To See around Université de Californie à Davis - Top 8

The Stevenson Bridge was built in 1923 over Putah Creek, is one of only three remaining reinforced concrete “through tied arch” bridges in California. Now is it covered in graffiti, and it is a popular destination for visitors to the area.

The Putah Creek Trail is a lovely, flat loop along the north side of Putah Creek, where you can immerse yourself in nature surrounded by Valley Oaks, wild California Grape, California Wild Rose, and Fremont Cottonwood trees. The public access area is only on the north side of the creek between Pedrick Road and Old Davis Road; the rest is private property or not open to the public, so be mindful of the boundaries. In the winter, the path might get a bit flooded; however, you can still enjoy a stroll by walking along the levee to Old Davis Road.

Lake Spafford is a segment of the original channel of Putah Creek, with a trail system that goes around the lake. It’s an artificial lake created as the result of dredging back in the 1870s when the city was still being developed.

Every biker will enjoy seeing the origins and history of this sport and daily mode of transport

Davis is such a bike friendly town - lots of bike paths to stay off of the busy roads!

An bridge covered in graffiti.

Home of the popular weekly Farmers Market, which extends meanwhile beyond this long shade structure. Easy and a pleasure to reach by bike on safe bike paths.

Midsize lake along a former stream in Davis Arboretum. The waterway, built in 1968-69, occupies what used to be the north fork of Putah Creek, which brought floodwater to the town then known as Davisville. A dredging effort in the late 19th century diverted most of the flow to a channel known as the south fork of Putah Creek. In 1948, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built levees at the north fork's mouth (the west end); the levees completely eliminate flow in the north fork. Whereas the original north fork flowed east, the waterway flows west. This is the result of dredging and grading over the years. When the waterway fills up with storm runoff, excess water goes through a weir and into a holding pond and from there is pumped into a pipe that carries the water to the south fork of Putah Creek. The waterway is about 1½ miles long, about 2 to 5 feet deep, along the south edge of UC Davis' central campus. A wide portion of the waterway just east of Mrak Hall is called Lake Spafford, named after F. Edwin Spafford, an alumnus who went on to be come a longtime UC Davis administrator, holding such positions as assistant to the provost; executive assistant and special assistant to the chancellor; and vice chancellor for physical construction and maintenance. The waterway runs from near the south end of D Street in downtown Davis to the UC Davis Equestrian Center. The university classifies the remnant north fork channel as a recreation and aesthetic amenity, and a biological resource. The waterway runs through the arboretum, established in 1936 and considered today to be the university's landscape centerpiece. Pedestrian and bicycle paths line the waterway's banks. The waterway also serves as a storm water detention pond. Poor water quality conditions have persisted since the arboretum waterway was first created more than 50 years ago. In large measure, the problems of today stem from the original design. The arboretum waterway is a stagnant pond designed to look like a flowing creek. https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/arboretum-waterway