Looking for a stunning and beautiful water fall without the leg work? Bridal Veil Falls in Pollock…read morePines California is the place where you can do that. On your way from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe, you can just drive right up to the falls from Highway 50, going eastbound. What makes this very convenient is that this is also a large pull out space that you can park to make it really easy to just get right out of your car and take a closer look. This waterfall is 80 feet tall and makes for a nice stop to stretch your legs and enjoy the cool air. When my husband I went, we stopped by this waterfall towards the end of March. The waterfall is not gushing with water but the flow is enough to nice and have that nice flowing sound that relaxes you. This part of the Eldorado National Forest is free to drive through and visit but there is a fee if you wish to visit the Bridal Veil Group Campsite and Picnic Area that is nearby. Definitely worth a visit and something to look out for if you plan on driving to Lake Tahoe from Sacramento.

Amazing nice quick stop on highway 50 heading to Lake Tahoe got some great pictures it's a quick…read morestop so be prepared.

Everything about this walk, hike, views, sounds, was worth every moment of the visit. We had recent…read moreviewed this from someone else's Facebook post and decided it was part of our summer vibes. This was well worth it. FREE access, views, nature sounds, fishing. What more could you ask for. Pack your own snack or lunch even if you wanted too. You won't many benches to sit along the way, but hey, why not utilize one of the many massive tree trunks that were just cut up on the side of the trail. If you have any type of water shoes, bring those alongside your walking shoes. During our visit we did about a good 4 miles of trail visit. The road entering into the location is very narrow, and almost like a one vehicle a time passing.We would DEFINITELY see ourselves visiting here again. No IF, ANDs or BUTS about it.

Beautiful views and a super unique hike. The dam at the end was very cool too. It was very hot so…read morewe could even get very close and get splashed by the dam water, cooling us off. Pro tip, you can drive up to near the dam and do the trail backwards if you want to be able to see the dam without hiking as long. One caveat, you have to walk single file so it's a bit hard to have any big group conversations.

I first want to say that a buddy of mine convinced me to do a hike here. He did some research but…read morehe said didn't read any reviews. This takes me to let whoever reads this that the drive to where you park is a tiny barely paved road for only one vehicle to use to get to main are you park. From where we entered I can say it was pretty windy road but the only-room-for one car and going downhill was scary for me. We walked around the bridge and we turned around. The river views were beautiful. Was very hot and tons of mosquitoes having us for lunch. We drove back to civilization and maybe will attempt hiking in the future when we know more and may from a different entrance.

"100 degree Hike -- Just Righr!"…read more I had a chance to check out this trail today on a boiling hot day. At the end of my 10 mile hike, I was really dragging, and did not know why. (I like hot weather.) When I got back to the car I realized it was 100 degrees! Oh, I guess that explains it. So keep in mind that in the summer this area is boiling hot! If you do hike at that time, be sure to bring a ton of water. I brought 3 liters, which was just right for a 10 mile round trip. I did not see any potable water along the trail, so be sure to keep that in mind and bring your own water. There is a convenient staging area at the south end of Pardee dam, called Campo Seco. The day that I visited, the only other visitors there had large horse trailers. There is an outhouse at the staging area, and another one a few miles east on the trail, at a fascinating area called the Wildermuth House. This house is the top attraction on the hiking trail. Definitely worth a visit. Note that you need to also get a hiking permit. I got mine today from the party Lake Pardee Recreation Area. It's really very inexpensive. There is also a sign in kiosk at the staging area. On this my first visit, I went east from the staging area. For most of the trail, there's not a whole lot to see. After several miles however, the trail approaches close to the Mokelumne River, and the views are excellent. If you happen to go 5 miles east from the staging area there's a fascinating structure known as the Kiln. It's actually made out of bricks and is just slightly off the trail. One can actually crawl inside. I posted some photos of the kiln. The Kiln marked by further most point on my hike today. From there I returned to the staging area. Including some extra time for finding geocaches, my round trip to the killed was about 10.5 miles. So I'm glad I made this hike, but in the future I think I will visit on a cooler day.

Such a beautiful and serene spot! While on ice house road you encounter a split where you can keep…read moreright for the millionaire trail parking or left for the bassi trail lot. If you keep right and park, it's a bit longer of a hike to the falls whereas if you keep left and drive up further, the hike is only about .5 miles. We intended on doing the longer hike but got confused and kept driving. Either way, it's nice that there are multiple options that lead to the same beautiful waterfall. We got to the falls around 9:30am and it was pretty empty but started getting very busy by 11am.

This is a very beautiful hike. I would definitely go in the springtime because the water is flowing…read morepretty heavily. A lot of picture spots in here as you hike up the river. When you get to the top, you see Bassey Falls, where people were laying out somewhere swimming others just enjoy enjoying lunch but overall it was a really nice day.

Beautiful Blue Oak ecosystem. They sponsor hikes with themes: fungi & mushrooms, native Indian or…read moresettler history, yoga, geology,etc. Self guided hikes of 3 to 6 miles. SacramentoValleyConservacy.org

We attended the first docent-led hike of the year on Saturday, 2/1/2020. It was a "history" hike,…read morefocusing on the Deer Creek Gold Rush. We learned about the gold in the area, the miners, the mining district, and the fate of the local natives. The leader, David, was very knowledgeable. We enjoyed a beautiful 3-mile hike over gentle hills. It was an easy hike, although some of the terrain was rocky and uneven, and we had to find a path through a couple of small streams. Not a problem for most, but some older folk were glad they had their hiking poles. I was glad I had my waterproof hiking shoes. The Preserve is open to the public on Saturdays from Feb - May, and then again in the fall. Check the website for access hours. You can hike on your own, or register for one of the docent-led hikes. Also, the road to access Deer Creek Hills is not paved, and there is a small stream you have to drive through to get to the hiking area, so a four-wheel drive is a good idea. Those without high-clearance vehicles parked their cars along the side of the road before the stream, and hiked to the trailhead.

I needed a gift for Father's Day and didn't want to drive all the way to REI. Found something great…read moreimmediately but my husband wanted a long sleeve shirt instead. He was able to return the shirt and picked out a beautiful Patagonia shirt. Mike the owner was helpful both times and even gave us a discount. I definitely will continue to shop here.

I took my husband for a scenic drive to Sutter Creek and we sauntered up and down Main Street…read morechecking out interesting shops along the way. Down at one end we discovered the Sierra Mountain Outdoor store, and on a rack of clothing that was out front on the sidewalk, I found a beautiful plaid shirt that fit him perfectly. Even marked down the prices aren't cheap, but the quality is excellent, and in the case of the Marmot shirt I bought for my husband, it comes with a lifetime guarantee.