We enjoyed visiting this really neat, fun, educational, & free experience in a lovely nature area…read more We found ample parking in the lot on a Sunday morning. Park at the far end from the lot entrance to be situated closer to the Visitor Center. The Visitor Center is small, but clean, organized, & packed with lots of facts & information. Some areas offered hands-on experiences. They also had coloring sheets for kids. Giant fish heads offer a listening experience teaching about the Chinook Salmon & Steelhead Trout. We enjoyed wandering around. Restrooms are available & were maintained. Just watch out for some spiders on the ceiling above. We went out to the hatchery early enough to get to scoop up some free fish food by the gate with available containers. It ran out while we were still there. It was a very cool experience to see the fish go into a feeding frenzy! Do keep the gate closed, which is posted on a sign. Some people weren't being attentive. There are observation points & a lovely trail to walk along the river with some informative signs here & there. It was so pleasant to take in the pretty, peaceful scenery & watch birds. We hope to return to see more action with the salmon & trout from November to February. Do check their website for up-to-date visitor information as they close the facility to the public after Memorial Day until Labor Day & times may be subject to change.

The Nimbus Fish Hatchery is a great family friendly place and it's all free! It's a nice place to…read moreenjoy some nature and fish. There's free fish feeding which is my favorite activity here. The feeding area closes before the visitor center so plan to do that first. Be sure to check their Facebook page for the latest updates on hours and closuresThe visitor center is also worth a stop, with educational displays about fish spawning. There's restrooms available inside as well.

The Jim Konopka Volunteer Bridge is a beautiful long wooden bridge spanning several hundred yards…read moreover Humbug Creek in Folsom. Located between the Overlook at Blue Ravine and Humbug Creek, the bridge is part of the Humbug Willow Creek Bike Trail. It was built by volunteers over a period of several weekends about 15 years ago, and is named after Folsom's senior trail planner. The entire bridge is flat and shaded. Due to it's beauty, as well as its proximity to large apartment complexes, the trail is very popular. For cyclists, I would recommend riding slowly, since there are almost always pedestrians, turkeys, or cats on the bridge. The best time to ride over it is early in the morning, or mid-day during the week, when it isn't as crowded. I'm not sure exactly how long the bridge is, but it takes me about 25 seconds to ride across it at a reasonable pace. It takes a few minutes to walk across. The closest parking to the bridge is on Creekside, but it only takes about 10 minutes to walk there from Target via the Willow Creek trail. The green bridge that crosses over East Bidwell is part of the same trail, and is only a few hundred yards away. Even though it's not too far from the main road, the sounds of the creek and the birds fill the air, and make the bridge a really peaceful place to be. This is an ideal spot to take guests for a walk, or to take family photos, or make TikToks of turkeys (which I have personally recently done). Overall, this is one of the most beautiful walking and cycling bridges in Folsom. It's a perfect example of why our town slogan is "distinctive by nature."

This bridge is connected to trails around downtown historic Folsom and makes for a great…read morewalking/running trails. Plenty of spots along the way to enjoy the lake and nature.

The Historic Truss Bridge is the bridge over Lake Natoma that runs parallel to, and can be seen…read morefrom, the Rainbow Bridge in Historic Folsom. There are a lot of cool bridges in Folsom, but the Historic Truss Bridge probably has the neatest story of them all. Built in 1893 by the San Francisco Bridge Company, the Historic Truss Bridge was supposed to be "replaced" by the adjacent Rainbow Bridge, which was built in 1917. In 1930, the Truss Bridge was purchased by Siskiyou County, which placed the bridge over the Klamath River in Walker, where it remained until the 1990s. When Siskiyou County decided to replace the Historic Truss Bridge, Folsom decided to purchase it back, and to return it to its original location. Most of the original construction elements were kept, but some of the parts that had to be replaced were used to construct the nearby walkway down to the gazebo below the bridge. The bridge is now mainly used as a bicycle and pedestrian pathway. Technically part of the Jedediah Smith Memorial section of the American River Bike Trail, it connects the latter trail to the Johnny Cash Trail and Historic Folsom, where the terminus to the Lake Natoma Bike trail is located. My favorite thing about this bridge are the funny signs on either side, which read: $ 5 FINE FOR DRIVING OVER THIS BRIDGE FASTER THAN A WALK $ 25 FINE FOR DRIVING MORE THAN 20 HEAD OF HORSES, 50 HEAD OF CATTLE OR 200 SHEEP, HOGS OR GOATS OVER THIS BRIDGE AT ONE TIME The bridge is within walking distance of Folsom's Historic District and Sutter Street, and is accessible via the bike path. Pedestrians should always face bike traffic in Folsom, but virtually no one follows these rules on the Truss Bridge, so watch out. Lots of people come here to just wander around and pose for photos. The Historic Truss Bridge is the best place to view the Rainbow Bridge from, since it is only a couple hundred yards away. There is a (non-accessible) walking path between the two. It's also a fantastic place to get a view of Lake Natoma, especially looking towards the prison and the dam. The best time to visit the bridge is either sunrise or sunset, when the views over the river are spectacular.

Well run part of the local history of the fort and John Sutter. They are doing a good job updating…read moreand including more information about the people, what they did and how they lived. This is a good place to take kids and people who are interested in California history. We took our 10 year old niece and she had a good time. There is a small gift shop and the staff are incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. When you study history and learn about life in the past, you will see that there were no good old days.

Fun family outing . Not too big and you can do it on your own time 30min - 1 1/2 hours depending on…read morehow long you want to hang out. Everything is labeled and easy to follow. Didn't take picture because I was spending time with the family and enjoying the moment. This is a fun little stop to check out and soak in some history

I've stopped on main Street placerville dozens of times over the last 20 years or so. Today I…read moreplugged in at the Bank of America to charge my EV and decided to take a walk. There's a lot of interesting facts about placerville and the buildings on this street, but the street and the folks hanging out here are just not a good vibe. Stop through once, take some pictures around the historic buildings, ead up on the Gold Rush, then get out of town.

Folsom Dam is a huge 340 foot tall dam in Folsom, California. For some dam perspective, that's…read moreabout half as tall as Hoover Dam. The main structure is about 1400 feet wide, but it has flanks and walls that extend out for about nine miles. The North and South Forks of the American River converge upstream of the dam, creating the reservoir known as Folsom Lake. There are five full spillways and three shorter spillways on the main dam structure, although I don't think I've ever seen any of the smaller spillways used. The most likely time to see any of the spillways open is just before or after a heavy storm in late winter or early spring. In 2017, a new, 3,000 foot long auxiliary spillway was opened adjacent to the original dam structure. This took several years to construct, and significantly improved flood control downstream of the dam. It's easy to see Folsom Dam from the nearby road, Folsom Lake Crossing, but it's hard to get a great view while driving. The best way to really see the dam is from the American River Bike Trail, which has a pedestrian crossing to the businesses on the corner of Folsom Blvd and Folsom Lake Crossing. One way to see the dam without having to hike or cycle very far is to grab some coffee (or hot chocolate) at nearby Folsom Grind, and cross the street to the bike trail from there. The walk to the first viewpoint is less than half a mile away. The auxiliary spillway is practically impossible to see while driving, but the view from the bike trail is spectacular. The whole 3000 foot long concrete spillway runs parallel to the trail. There is actually a road on top of Folsom Dam (Folsom Dam Road), and it used to be possible to drive across it. Back when I was in high school, I remember driving over it with my mom and sister all the time. The road is so narrow, and it feels like it's a mile high in the air. Following 9/11, the dam road was closed due to security concerns, and the nearby Folsom Lake Crossing was built to replace it. Folsom Lake Crossing feels a lot safer to drive across, in my opinion, because it is so much wider, and lower. I love the dedicated bike lanes, and use them very frequently. The ride across is tough, but is only about 2 miles each way. Still, I wonder what it would be like to ride my bike across Folsom Dam Road. Would it be terrifying, or amazing? It would be so cool if the city would open the dam road up a few days per year so that people could do that again. Anyway, the best thing about Folsom Dam is that it keeps Folsom and Sacramento from being completely flooded every year. According to the Parks and Rec website, the dam has prevented many billions of dollars in flood damages.

Unlike some of the other reviewers here (who've written some truly hilarious narratives), I didn't…read morehave the chance to stay at Folsom Prison. But I really wanted to see Folsom and while on the way to Folsom Lake State Recreation Area with friends, we noticed a sign for the Folsom Prison Museum. Naturally, curiosity won out and we took a much desired detour. Despite having checked online and learning the museum is closed for the foreseeable future (likely budget related), we still decided to drive onto the prison campus anyway to at least see the outside. Mission accomplished! Not only did we find the museum and snap a bunch of fun photos but we also ended up meeting two of the friendliest prison guards imaginable (please note: they're also the only prison guards I've ever met, but still!). They generously took the time to share stories about the prison's history, current conditions, and even fun trivia like the fact that all California license plates are made here at Folsom. Incredible! Oh! I also got a Junior Correctional Officer sticker, how fun!!! Their kindness and willingness to chat really made the stop worthwhile, even without stepping inside the museum. Which, by the way, the museum is the old warden's residence! While I'd love to return if the museum ever reopens, I'll definitely pass on the chance to spend a night here as an official guest. Still, for a quick, quirky, and historic stop, Folsom Prison delivered.

The Johnny Cash trail was interesting to say the least. Definitely wear sunscreen as the sun beams…read moredown, you'll get your steps in for sure. This is not for the weak or slightly interested. Pay attention to the signage so you'll see where to go. The informational plaques here and there are nice. It's still cool to see wildlife I. The distance or the areas around.

Shout out to the West Sacramento/ Freeport/ Delta area…read more.. After having lunch at the Dinky Diner and visiting the Schoolhouse museum in Clarksburg, we drove back into Sacramento. But instead of driving back towards West Sacramento on South River Road, we drove on the Freeport Bridge to Highway Road 160. The bridge took us over the Sacramento River. I'm not going try to describe the Freeport Bridge in detail. Yelper Lucy wrote a concise epic masterpiece on describing that historic engineering gem of a movable bridge. It was built in 1929. The bridge designer was Joseph Strauss (Strauss Bascule Bridge Company) ; the same designer/company of the Golden Gate Bridge. Near the Freeport bridge, on the Highway 160 side, is a gravel area big enough for cars to park. I noticed it's a fishing spot. Plus on the weekends there is a BBQ vendor. I happen upon the BBQ guy; he has a large Santa Maria type grill. Right on the spot he BBQs spatchcocked whole chickens $18 and rack of ribs. I forgot how much the ribs costed. The first batch of food is ready around noon. He'll cut up the chicken and ribs into pieces and box it up. I bought the chicken. It was fantastic. Nicely marinated. Tender chicken, deep smoky flavor with a beautiful charred, crispy skin. Mmm.

The Freeport historic bridge is a beautiful sight. This bridge is a bascule type of bridge which…read moreuses counterweights on either side to lift the middle section so large barges and freight boats may pass through. I was touring the historic bridges in Sacramento and this was my first stop. If you look at the pictures of this bridge you will see the counter weights at either end suspended above the entrance and/ or exit. However, to see this live is quite spectacular. If you drive over this bridge and you happen to have to be in a vehicle with a sun roof, I recommend to open it and look up as soon as you cross onto this bridge. That way you will observe first hand the intense beauty of the structure of the bridge and its counterweights. The Freeport bridge is extremely narrow and is made with treaded steel plates meant to provide traction to the vehicles which cross it. The counter weights look like enormous blocks of cement, and it's quite fascinating to look up as you drive underneath them. Another fun experience is the sound of the resonance all car tires will make when crossing this bridge. I hope you come to see this historical fully operating Bascule - Counter weight bridge. Its free to cross and is an interesting historical landmark to visit with friends, family and by oneself. Enjoy!