Go elsewhere!…read more Hillside facilities are very run down and have a lot of deferred maintenance, but my daughter started riding here because I liked the owner Kathy Pead. Unfortunately, as time went on, it was apparent that her lesson instructor Destiny, who is only 18 years old, needed some additional teaching experience and mentorship. She is quite young and doesn't have the best judgement yet (however, in Destiny's defense, it seems like she has a lot of responsibility at the barn and is doing the best she can). Sadly, my 12 year old daughter was put on a horse named Daishar who was too advanced for her skillset and he BOLTED off during a lesson. My daughter was screaming and crying as she had no control over the horse, but eventually was able to roll off him when he slowed down. Thankfully, she did not sustain any injuries. This scary incident could have been prevented as she asked Destiny to get off the horse before leaving the arena, and also asked Destiny to grab the reigns to help guide her out as she sensed Daishar's energy changing and told her she was scared. Destiny did not take these requests seriously and told her no. I'm also horrified that Destiny had her get back ON the horse after this happened (despite my telling her I didn't think that was a good idea). After this situation, I thought it was important to discuss the situation with Kathy and confirm she had insurance coverage. I requested a declarations page to show the policy is paid up and active as I understand she is on MediCal and insurance is expensive. She said I am the first customer in 50 years to ever request this and told us we are not welcome for lessons anymore. If she had the coverage, don't you think she would've just showed it to me? In hindsight, this was a blessing in disguise as I am looking forward to finding a barn that takes my child's safety more seriously. Be careful if you decide to take lessons here.

Positives: -Great location: easy access to Orangevale Park…read morefor trail rides, etc. -Affordable -Owner is pleasant and lives on-site -Riding lessons for beginners and mommy-and-me available weekdays and weekends -Relaxed environment -Kid friendly! -Work Exchange Accepted! You can work in exchange for lessons and boarding of horses. Cons: -No front gate between main road and facility -Many areas where maintenance is overdue -Limited training or lessons for intermediate or advanced riders/horses -Many of the barn staff lack general horse knowledge and/or are under 18yrs old.

My kids have been at Wild Roots in Folsom since they first opened during COVID. Back then, my kids…read morehated wearing masks in regular classrooms. Wild Roots was just what we needed! The teachers here are amazing! My middle schooler even had a teacher from his old public school, which was super helpful since he planed to go back to public high school later. This kept him on track (and even ahead) with what he needed to know. Something that I love is that the kids are outside ALL THE TIME! They have class outside, eat lunch outside, and do pretty much everything outside unless the weather is really bad. In summer, they sit under shady trees with nice breezes. In winter, they bundle up with jackets and blankets near space heaters. It reminds me of how European kids spend way more time outdoors instead of being stuck inside all day. My kids have learned tons and made great friends here. If you've read the book "Wild and Free," this school follows that idea perfectly. Kids learn, play, and grow at their own speed. Even if your kids go to regular school, Wild Roots has awesome summer camps that cost less than a babysitter! The kids learn cool stuff while having fun outside. I tell everyone looking for homeschool help around Folsom to check out Wild Roots. It's been such a great place for my family!

My girls loved their recent experience in Summer camp at Wild Roots! The weekly themed camps were…read moreengaging, fun, and helped them express their creativity in a unique way. They came home proud of their new projects, which were full of ideas I know I would never think of. I felt safe dropping them off and knew they were in good hands with the staff. We will definitely be back!

I would give 7 out of 5 stars if I could. The ride with Marina was GREAT!!!! She was a very good…read moreguide. She had knowledge, patience, and great direction. I highly recommend this experience that I had with our group of 4. Marina made our experience over the top with the pictures she took for our group.

My friends and I went for a wonderful ride!! Marina was the most patient and knowledgeable guide…read more Marina took some great pictures of our group. Thank you Kal, Abe and Marina!!

Very clean and although it's crowded, it doesn't feel overwhelming at all. The only downside for me…read moreis that outside food and drinks aren't allowed. But thankfully, there's a nice little cafeteria with affordable prices, okay for lunch or snacks. We'll definitely be back tomorrow! It's a great spot both for families with kids and for adults without children. There are slides, inflatable toys, and even an Olympic-size pool. There are plenty of lifeguards around, and one big plus for me: they play music! It really lifts the mood. We loved it!

It is very crowded. An entrance fee of $10 if you swim or not. Another $5 of you want to play on…read morethe side of the inflatable obstacles. No food allow from outside. The place is a zoo!

Shadow Glen Riding Stables was hands down the best field trip we have been on in years!…read moreAs a 3rd-grade teacher, I cannot say enough good things about Terry and the wranglers. They were welcoming, patient, knowledgeable, and made every student feel included. Our students had an incredible opportunity to learn about ranch and farm life, tractors, horses, foals, farm animals, hay, and the daily responsibilities of caring for a ranch. The hands-on experiences were the highlight of the day. Students were able to groom horses, interact with animals, ask questions, and gain a real appreciation for agriculture and animal care. Terry and his team kept the students engaged from beginning to end. What made this experience even more special was Terry Howard's generosity. Shadow Glen donated approximately three hours of their time at no charge to educate three classes of Center Joint Unified School District students. That level of community support is truly appreciated. Our students are still talking about the trip, and the adults had just as much fun as the kids. It was an outstanding experience from start to finish.

This place was nice, I signed up for riding lessons which was a one on one lesson with a trainer. I…read moreforget my instructors name but she was a young girl, really patient and knowledgeable. My lesson got cut a little short because a horse (not mine) got stuck in his reigns wrong and freaked out. They said I could ride more on my second lesson but when I tried to book my next lesson it was sold out until next year.. I'm not kidding. More than 8 months until I could book my next lesson. Very nice staff and horses but I wish their lesson bookings were more straight forward.

This place really is surprisingly effective at building kids' confidence and physical endurance…read more It's intense exercise but the kids LOVE it and are obviously having a blast. Of every class or sport my kid has ever done, this has been his absolute favorite (It's been one of my favorite activities he's done, as well!). The coaches are super positive and keep it high energy. It's only 45 minute classes (I wish they were an hour) but they don't waste any of the time. Even during their water breaks they have an activity or video on the screen that teaches confidence building skills. The coaches are very friendly and encouraging to parents , as well. My only complaint is that there often isn't enough instruction on proper form. Kids are frequently using bad form. There are only 2 instructors for the class so they can't help every kid for every activity, but there needs to be more live assistance on proper form. (I will say that I provided this feedback via a survey and the following week the coaches made a noticeable effort to help my kid with form, so they are very receptive to feedback, which is very rare these days). Every single coach there acts like they love their job. I'd think they'd have to have a passion for working with kids in order to do this job, but nonetheless, I love their business model attitude. (I was actually very hesitant to sign up as I had seen them at various festivals, and it seemed like a money grab. But after attending a single trial class, my kid was hooked, and it was evident that their entire business model revolves around building confidence in kids). I can't recommend them enough!

We came here for a kid's birthday party. The coaches were fantastic with all the kids and even…read morelearned all their names. The kids had a blast climbing the equipment, running around, getting a workout, and playing games. No socks required, everyone was barefoot.

This was so much fun, I received a gift card for this workshop and couldn't be more thankful! I…read moreasked my daughter to join me one evening to make our own wood items for our homes. We had to pick our day, which project we were planning on doing, all registrations are on line for the class I picked a sign for the outside of my house and my daughter picked a tray for her living room Once you arrive you are greeted with the best staff, they help you all the way, from choosing your colors to helping with the stencil and even showing you how to add the embellishments. This is a perfect meet up with friends, time with your family or looking for some personal time kind of place We are already planning our next visit,

We had a great time making our bottle opener wood projects here last night. The shop is beautiful…read moreand well lit. -- a great space to create. Our guide Cristin was fun, funny and knowledgeable. The range of projects to choose from is wonderful. This is a great activity for friends or family. You can bring your own refreshments if you want, but we opted for great appetizers and wine beforehand at The Range in the same charming little center.

Antelope Aquatic Center swim lessons were amazing. Affordable,Clean, safe, easy to find, and very…read morefriendly staff. Our son (3 years 6 months) was enrolled in a two week group class for 3-5 year olds. He had fun and learned enough to be cautious of but comfortable in water. There were about 5 -6 children and two wonderful instructors. Our daughter who is 5 years old and has Autism had a one on one class with a wonderful person and skilled instructor, Jarrett. Jarrett was patient and flexible helping our daughter learn and have fun in the water. Although our children at separate times had melt downs Jarrett handled them with care and kindness. I would recommend the center but especially Jarrett to anyone and especially to parents of kids with special needs. Because of him we felt safe, included and welcomed, despite our sometimes difficult and frustrating children. I can't say enough about how happy each of our kiddos was everyday on their way to swim and how fortunate I feel as a parent to have Jarrett as our instructor.

Mike was the nicest guy ever. He went above and beyond. Made the park super cleannnnnnnread more

Amazing camp! A crown jewel nestled in Northern California. Many great activities and the folks…read morerunning the camp were incredibly hospitable, kind and generous!

We time traveled back to the gold rush area and this crew did not disappoint! This was a school…read moresponsored trip and the staff were outstanding! They committed to their roles, got the kids very involved, were educational and entertaining. So glad I got to go on this trip with my daughter and can't wait to go back with my son in a few years. Hopefully "Cuz" is still there, always nice to have a relative around

We love this school. My son has thrived here. He loves the extracurriculars and also the emphasis…read moreon whole child learning. We love the community and the special events that make this school such a special place to be a part of. Lots of great field trips and hands-on learning!

My child was at Golden Valley River for 2 years. After recently going back through his 2024 IEP,…read moremeeting notes, and the emails from that time, I decided other parents of children with IEPs deserve to know about our experience. In 2024, during our first experience with the IEP process, a Special Day Class was presented to us as the recommended placement for our son for first grade. We were told to research our options and decide how we wanted to proceed. We signed the IEP believing we had options. What was never clearly communicated to us was that GV would later treat that signature as meaning our son could no longer return to River. When I realized that was their position, I objected immediately and in writing. I explained that the SDC had been presented to us as a recommendation, that we had been told to research and decide, and that neither my husband nor I had agreed our son could not return. I specifically asked them to show me where the IEP said that. I never received a direct answer to that question. Instead, GVs Director of Special Education responded in writing that River was "unable to meet [our son's] needs," that he had been "recommended for a special day class," and that because we had signed the offer, we needed to contact our district of residence. But that wasn't what I was asking. I knew an SDC had been recommended. I was asking when and where we had been clearly told that signing the IEP meant our child would no longer be allowed to attend the school he had been at for 2 years. Had someone looked us in the eye during that meeting and said, "If you sign this, Golden Valley's position will be that your son cannot return to River," we would never have signed it. And this wasn't something I suddenly decided I misunderstood months or years later. I raised it immediately. I asked for clarification. I demanded answers. I put our disagreement in writing. I asked them to show me where we had agreed to this. We had another meeting because we wanted to revisit the decision and discuss our son remaining at River. We still did not receive a straightforward answer to the questions we raised. Instead, our signature was treated as though it settled the issue. Looking back at GVs own documentation makes the experience even more upsetting. The IEP notes list multiple options the team considered, including continued enrollment at the charter school with accommodations, general education with accommodations, etc. Yet the documentation we received does not explain why the options that could have allowed our son to remain at River were rejected. His IEP also states that academic interventions had not been tried because Golden Valley's kindergarten program was play-based and formal academics were not introduced until first grade. We were never provided a separate Prior Written Notice explaining that Golden Valley's position was that our son could no longer attend River or why alternatives that could have allowed him to remain were being rejected. I still have the IEP. I still have the meeting notes. I still have the emails. Two years later, I don't have to rely on my memory of what happened. I can read what I wrote while it was happening. We were parents navigating our first IEP. We trusted the professionals sitting across from us to explain our options clearly and make sure we understood the consequences of what we were signing. They did not. But what I find even harder to accept is that once I explicitly told them there had been a serious misunderstanding and demanded clarification, we still couldn't get a direct answer about when or where we had supposedly agreed that our son could no longer return. Looking back, I feel manipulated by a process we did not yet understand. We felt pushed out of a school our child had attended, and we felt that our lack of knowledge about the IEP process worked against us once our signatures were on the document. Parents should not have to become experts in special education law before they can trust that the professionals sitting across the table are being completely transparent about what they are signing and what it means for their child's education. If your child has an IEP or may require accommodations, ask everything. Ask exactly what every signature means. Ask whether your child can continue attending the school if you accept a placement recommendation. Ask what supports and accommodations have been considered. Ask why other options were rejected. If something doesn't make sense, say so. If the answer isn't clear, ask again. And get everything in writing. I can't change what happened to our family, but I can make sure another parent walks into their first IEP meeting knowing the questions I didn't know to ask. I wish someone had done that for us. We trusted GV with our child. When he needed additional support, we were told they didn't have the resources for him. That is how our two years at Golden Valley River ended.