Lone Tree Creek, San Joaquin County facts for kids

Lone Tree Creek is a stream in central California. It was once called Dry Creek. This stream flows through San Joaquin County and Stanislaus County. It is a small river that eventually flows into the larger San Joaquin River.

The creek gets its name from an old settlement called Lone Tree. This settlement was about 2.25 miles (3.6 km) northeast of a town called Escalon today.

The very beginning of the creek, called its headwaters, is in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Today, this spot is about 3.4 miles (5.5 km) northwest of Oakdale. It's about 550 feet (168 m) southwest of the end of Parson Ranch Road in Stanislaus County. Long ago, the creek started a bit further east. But parts of its upper stream were changed to help with irrigation for farms.

The creek flows west into San Joaquin County. There, it meets another stream called Little John Creek. When Lone Tree Creek and Little John Creek join, they form French Camp Slough. This slough is an important waterway that flows into the San Joaquin River.

History of Lone Tree Creek

The area around Lone Tree Creek has an interesting past. The settlement of Lone Tree was once a key spot. It was a crossing point over Dry Creek (which is now Lone Tree Creek).

This crossing was part of the important Stockton–Los Angeles Road. This road was used by travelers and traders. It connected the city of Stockton to the Stanislaus River. People would use ferries there to cross the river near Oakdale.