The Eldorado National Forest consist of nearly 600,000 acres with lakes, streams, and rivers;…read moremeadows and mountains; and campsites and picnic areas. There are over 400 hiking trails that pass through various terrains ranging in technical difficulty. The terrain ranges from meadow, oak foothills, to the 10,000 foot Sierra Nevada. Some hiking trails require reservations for day use permits. There are also campgrounds. Some areas, such as the areas affected by the recent fires, are off limits. For up to date information, It is advised to check out the fs.usda.gov website. The area is beautiful. Gorgeous alpine backcountry. Old growth forest. Pristine streams. There are access roads that will drive into the area. But most of the access roads are ruff, not paved, and could be hard to maneuver without a SUV.

Where do I start?! I absolutely love hiking here. It's a long drive for us, but it is so worth it!…read moreIf you love Yosemite, then you will love it here as well. We hiked Horsetail Falls Trail, and I can't even explain how magnificent this place is. It is a 4 mile hike surrounded by mini waterfalls and rock formation throughout the hike. Your reward is getting underneath the main waterfall at the top of the hike. You will do a lot of rock climbing the further you hike, and it gets really steep. There are absolutely breathtaking views at the top. I love it! I recommend this hike to everyone. My tip for this hike is to bring lots of water because you will need it. Come early to snag a parking spot because it fills up fast and there is a $10 fee for parking. ENJOY!

VERY CLEAN!!! stayed In the larger teepee with my friends! Hot showers, spotless bathrooms, and not…read moretoo many bugs! Extremely Well maintained and very friendly and helpful staff. They also have a fun lodge full of stuff for you to do, plenty of grills to cook on, and even a microwave and keurig! They have a section of Weber creek that they blocked off to create a small swimming hole which was cool because it was so hot. It is a very Rocky creek so you will need water shoes. It was fun seeing the crawfish and the fish swimming in the water! Also like the little store they have in case you forget something and are in a pinch. It also has ice cream! Would go again. signal was pretty good as well

Discount Pricing for local 501c organizations. Plus possible allowance of a small number of RV'sread more

Gorgeous views. Great campsites. Amazing fishing. Perfect paddle boarding space. Nightly serenades…read morefrom bull frogs. Clean bathrooms- flushing toilets, running water.

Our first camping trip and I gotta say, it was pretty sweet to be right on the lake with our…read moreprivate entrance! Zero issues with geese (we had read that in other reviews) ... would be nice if the ground were flat ... but overall, it's a great lil spot! The diner staff ... 10 outta 10 ... great group of people!

Garden Valley is a rural unincorporated community in El Dorado County in the foothills of the…read moreSierra Nevada mountains. Population around 3500. 40 miles from Folsom, CA. They put on a great Fourth of July for the semiquincentennial gathering. Small community charm, big hometown spirit. Family friendly event. The parade ran a few blocks starting at the fire station, passing the Garden Valley park to the Golden Sierra High School parking lot. Folks set up lawn chairs along the route. The parade included local veterans, classic cars, fire trucks (CalFire, U.S. Forestry, Georgetown, and Garden Valley), local western riding groups with their horses, Smokey the Bear (yes, he made an appearance in the flesh) and local folks. The kiddos enjoy the tradition of parade participants tossing candy into the crowd. The park has a gazebo, play area, splash pad area, restroom, and green lawn shaded with gorgeous ild growth trees. For the Fourth, they had live music, food vendors, crafts vendors, and local organization's booths. Non political event. Vendors: +Teri's Stain Glass - hand crafted stain glass art from the whimsical to the traditional classic look. +Garden Valley Nursery - selling healthy, gorgeous roses. Nice variety with amazing colors. +Handmade Bright Type Designs - jewelry (charms, pendants, earrings, necklaces) these clay type material are lightweight and designed in fun, modern styles +Zip--A-Dee-Doo-Dog Hot Dog cart +ECV chapter 86 Georgetown - fundraising selling their growlersburg donkey dog. ECV is a fraternal organization preserving Western and Gild Rush history in a satirical manner. +Renzoni Pizza +KFOK FM radio- community radio serving "the Divide" +Plus a bunch more

My boyfriend and I decided to take my daughter here to play on their playground after lunch. She…read moremet a couple children there and had a blast on their nice big swing set and playground. I loved the festive bows on the gate, stage and Little Library next to it! I would recommend visiting this park and we will definitely be back in June to check out their splash pad they have and take a gander at the Little Library!

1/5/2019: I wrote several reviews for James Marshall Monument and Coloma State Park; however, all…read moremy reviews mysteriously disappeared! Yah~YELP! Where ARE my reviews, eh? THEREFORE, I searched ALL the YELP! photos I posted: I found a few photos dated 1/5/2019 as PROOF I did write my reviews for both locations. Disappointingly, ALL my photos AND reviews for James Marshall's Monument and Coloma State Park event MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED AFTER 2019! UNHAPPY! Anyway, in June 2022, I attended a Military Funeral I personally arranged at James Marshall's Monument for my deceased Army friend who passed away plus, instrumentally preventing his family from spending an egregious, heinous sum for funeral expenses, i.e., I contacted the Coloma State Park's Head Supervisor Ranger on my friend's family's behalf. Blessed, the Head Park Ranger Supervisor contacted my friend's family a couple days later who only had to pay $75.00 for reserving James Marshall's Monument location for my friend's Military funeral! The location presided a PRIVATE, dignified, Military funeral which involved the US Army Color Guards who fired off a 21-Gun Salute for my deceased Army friend, ample parking provided for all attending the Military Funeral, conveniently located picnic tables for food/libations setup, and more importantly, an easy, short stroll to James Marshall's Monument where the 21-Gun Salute was presided. My friend's family were so grateful to Coloma State Park's Head Park Ranger Supervisor for allowing presiding a Military funeral which was quite a distance from the Coloma State Park's American River parking lot. Reiterating, reserving the James Marshall's Monument location for my friend's family and all who attended my friend's Military Funeral, it was so PRIVATE, awesome, easy, uncomplicated set up due to the picnic tables for the food and libations were conveniently adjacent to the clean restrooms, and overall, a gorgeous, tranquil, serene, appropriate location presiding a somber, dignified, Military funeral. Finally, presiding a Military Funeral at James Marshall's Monument for my friend's family will always be remembered and revered. Best of all, all who attended my friend's Military funeral have ALL returned exploring James Marshall's Monument--again, James Marshall's log cabin, checking the construction updates for both St. John's Catholic Church and Emmanuel Church, Sutter's Mill, gold panning the American River, sent snail mail from the Coloma Post Office, ate at my friend, Noah's Argonaut Cafe, and hiked all the trails, too! BTW: Since I'm 100% Service-Connected Vietnam Veteran possessing a Veteran's Distinguished Park Pass, reserving James Marshall's Monument would be NO FEE for me! FYI: Resource Building For PHYSICALLY Applying For A Veteran's Distinguished Park Pass Resource Building 1416 9th Street Sacramento CA 95814 (916) 657-4380 https://www.mapquest.com/us/california/resources-building-375367030 www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30958​ Contact CA Park Pass Sales Office: (800) 777-0369 ext. 2 Send email: parkpassinfo@parks.ca.gov

Awesome historical stop. This cute 1800s old town brings the California Gold Rush era to life with…read moreover 20 historic mining buildings. You can still see a schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop, a cafe, event venue (Gold Trail Grange), museum and a charming little post office that is actually still functional. It's a great spot for all, kids enjoy the fun gold-panning activities, adults interest to learn the Gold Rush history, walking trail, picnic and hanging out by the river. We also walked around the Mt. Murphy Road Bridge, this bridge offers great views of the South Fork American River and the white-water rafting, please watch out for cars, the bridge is narrow! Highly recommend stopping by this place.

Ohhh camp Lotus you have given me so much of your energy and vibes through out these years. It was…read morein the year 2006 that I discovered you! 20 years later I now bring my daughter and her best friend. Through out the years I have brought friends and family to camp and we all leave saying similar things " that was so needed" " we really needed the outdoors" " this is such a cool place, and it's not that far from Sacramento" They have a cafe on site although it's not 24 hrs. They do however serve breakfast sandwiches in the morning w/ coffee. Along w vegan cookies and muffins. They have a pretty great selection of connivence items. Similar to what you would find at 7/11! They carry S'mores kits and wood when it's allowed to burn. They have free showers and running toilets that have always been really clean. This place has lots of price and I believe it's family owned! My last recommendation would be to bring BUG repellent (the store does sell it) and to CHECK IF YOU CAN MAKE A FIRE if not it's propane season

It's a cute camp. The store is good and has good prices! The showers are nice and I liked the…read moreplace. One 'bad thing' is that the place is a bit messed up

Hidden little park with beautiful views. I discovered the…read morepark while in a walk in the neighborhood while my kids were at practice. Great hill for hill sprints or weighted vest walks! There's a concrete basketball court at the top of the hill and a little park with some older park equipment, but it's very charming! Would definitely recommend anyone wanting to get a little sweat on, come out and try this hill !

Lew Howard Memorial Park is quite a gem of a park. It is on Baldwin Dam Road, nestled within a…read morecommunity of homes and along the Hinkle Creek nature trail. The park has basketball courts, tennis courts, and children's play area. Scattered about the park are picnic tables with BBQs. The park has beautiful large mature shade trees that offer shade in the summer. In the Fall, the color of the trees and foliage is beautiful. There is a covered outdoor pavilion with a large BBQ and picnic tables that seat up to 160. The rental fee is $250 for eight 8 hours. Also there is a clubhouse for rental as well. The Robert H. Miller III Rotary Clubhouse sits within the park right along the parking lot. It can seat up to 128. Additional rental information on the pavilion and clubhouse can be found on the City of Folsom Parks and Recreation website.

It was hot and we were visiting the area. My husband used his mapping skills and found this area by…read morethe water. When we arrived I was stunned it was so empty! Not a huge fan of trying to relax amidst a ton of people. There is a 6 dollar per car entrance fee. There were butterflies everywhere. It is a put it here for the rafters. It is located at the south fork of the American river which I have rafted many times but never from here. If you haven't rafted the American river I absolutely recommend! Back to the park, there is a grassy area to lay down a towel and have a picnic. I didn't see Bbqs or bathrooms but I didn't look all that hard. The beach area is rocky. Beautiful rocks, most smooth. Perfect for skipping! The water is Cold but that didn't stop us. My daughter in law is very pregnant and her poor feet appreciated the frigid water. The guys, they just jumped in. I edited real quick to add, if you get in know that the water is moving fast. Be aware. Next time we come I will bring some chairs. You can also pan for gold here if you desire. Pet friendly! Wonderful spot to cool off and listen to the water I tell ya!