Beautiful scenery - hike was a pretty steep one about 5 miles but hopping in the lake after is…read moresomething to look forward to . Paddle boarding here is also a MUST

I bike on Salmon Falls Trail normally and was pretty excited to read about this trail opening and…read morewas finally able to try it on 05/01/11. This trial is an ass kicker. It starts you off with climbing then when your legs are about to fall off....you climb somemore. About an hour of climbing you finally reach the top and you are rewared with a nice view of the South Fork American River with the happy rafters riding down it. Look to your right and you get a really nice view of Salmon Falls bridge and Folsom Lake. Unlike the Salmon Falls Trail you share this one with equestrians so look out as you're flying down that hill. Definitly an advanced trail for mountain bikers. I couldn't find a good website for this trial so I linked the Sacbee article please feel free to update that if you find something better. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/30/3066300/south-fork-american-river-trail.html I want to thank American River Conservancy and the federal Bureau of Land Management and all those that donated for all their time and hard work and for providing us with this new trail for our recreation.

Hours: 6 AM-9 PM daily Entrance/Parking Fee: $10…read moreKayak/Paddle Board Rental Hours: 9 AM-6 PM weekends https://www.lakenatomapaddlerentals.com/ Solos: 1st hr $20, each hr after $15 Tandem (2 people): 1st hr $30, each hr after $20 I had a very hard time finding info about this lovely spot, so there you go. Hope it helps! Entrance is accessible from Greenback Ln with $10 fee required per vehicle. 2 Parking lots available - 1 closer to boat launch area and another further lot that's more convenient for picnic areas and tables. Plenty of tables and area for lots of families to enjoy some water festivities! Have a big party or just want to lock down a few tables? Highly advise to come early. If you just need some space to place your mats down, it should be just fine. Incredible trails alongside the water for walking, jogging, and bike riding. Dogs are welcome but just make sure you pick up after them (I noticed a good number of dog poop near the water edge). Want to take a dip? Feel free! Quite cold but more than welcome to. Biggest reason why we came here? To see how the Kayak Rental system worked. Scan the QR code or visit the site to book your rentals and sign waivers. I was told they rented daily by a worker (young ones) but their online reservations just show weekends and random Wednesdays.. so good luck. Honestly Rental prices are higher than another spot we've been to, but this spot was much closer to home and easier to access. Price for convenience! We didn't go kayaking on this particular day but definitely plan to return with our own paddle board/Kayaks since it just makes sense to invest and go whenever we want versus rent a few kayaks with high rental feels. Who wants to return within 1 hr?! No way, you gotta stay out in the midst of nature for at LEAST a few hours! Pathway Tip: Walking or jogging? Stay on your left. Biking? Stay on your right. Standard Placer County rules. Great spot for families whether you want to picnic, swim, paddleboard, kayak, go for a nice walk, jog, or bike along gorgeous river waters scenery. Have fun!!

Went out to Black Miners Ravine to get on the paddleboard and just decompress a little. This time…read moreof year out there is hard to beat... good vibes, calm water, and a chance to shut the brain off for a bit. Nothing super exciting in this review, just one of those peaceful days you appreciate more as you get older lol. Now fair warning... that water is COLD cold when you first step in but once you're out there it's worth it. Even the ducks were just cruising around being friendly and minding their business. Sometimes you don't need much, just a board, some fresh air, and a little quiet.

If you have never been to the Lake Natoma Recreation area, you are missing out on a very beautiful…read morelake. It is the place to Paddle board, swim in the water, look at sailboats big & small. There are kids learning to kayak in classes, families setting up day tents and people just enjoying a beautiful lake. The geese just paddle in the water and ducks fly low to the water as you paddle by. Right off of highway 50. This is my first paddle boarding experience. You take out the paddle board out of the bag, Lay it out. Blow it up, put on 3 fins on the bottom and you your paddle are ready to go. Have your life jacket, hat, water and a camera. I met really great people just floating and paddling today. This lake is really big. I stayed close to the main recreational area since I am new. I heard there is a cave you can explore. Natoma recreational park is a place for picnics, families, water sports, paddle boarding, sailing and fun in the sun. I am hooked on paddle boarding now. I love this lake! See you again. Bring the family or just yourself. Have an adventure. Julie A

Love Lake Natoma. Lots of water loving options for fun. Beach, picnic areas, connections to trails,…read moreand shade. No current is family friendly swimming for all. Love to take in a sunset on our stand up boards. You've got to check this place out for yourself. I am eager to return soon. Great place to beat the heat.

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.

Beautiful park and very safe and clean - has bathrooms and every sports field you can imagineread more

We had a good time here. Pretty far from our house so we won't go often. The slash pad seems nice…read morefor younger kids. Lots to climb, sand area, trampoline, separate playgrounds for toddlers and older kids. Lots of grass. Does have a parking lot. There were only a few other cars the day we went. Does have bathrooms. Not a lot of shade.

Such a great spot, but as many note, the parking lot is pretty small. Weekdays aren't too much an…read moreissue, but weekends certainly are as you approach mid-morning. Get there early! $10 to park, and if you don't have cash there's an online option. Has restrooms, cleaner than average, and helpful people if you don't have a pump or something like that if needed.

Great spot to paddle board!!! Very lowkey but if you don't get there early enough you won't find…read moreparking!

Amazing trail in scenic the Folsom SRA…read more Folsom lake gets a lot of attention as Lake Natoma is technically part of Folsom Lake's Recreation area but it couldn't be more different. Location: Lake Natoma is located downriver from Folsom damn and is held back by the Nimbus Dam. The major difference is that there is no motorized boats allowed on the lake and the water level is pretty consistent. This makes it much better for kayaking and paddle boards. It also make it great for waterfront trail that runs around the entire lake. Activities: With the recent renovations this trail is great for biking, walking and jogging. With the scenic view of the water and the scenery. Vibe: Besides the main trail, there are side trails and single tracks that run along the man trail. Lake Natoma has many activities and the multiuse trail is just one part. It's great to have something so great in Sacramento's backyard

Like it or not, the Lake Natoma waterfront and trail enhancement project was completed several…read moreyears ago. The result is the Lake Natoma Waterfront Access Trail. It provides ADA access to Lake Natoma area that's next to the Folsom historic district. The trail is a loop that cuts a path down closer to the river's edge and connects the current American River trail. It was my first time exploring the waterfront access. It was within a hour before dusk (in the winter) so I didn't venture far out. There are no lights out. I used the Gold Lake Drive access point behind Lake Natoma Inn that's also near the Lake Natoma Bridge Crossing pedestrian walk. The upper path is an ADA trail. The trail loops in an oval. It's shared with cyclists and pedestrians. So if you have mobility issues and/or children, please be vigilant and watch out for those cyclists. The lower trail hugs the river which the body of water is called Lake Natoma in this particular area. Not to be confused with the Lake Natoma recreation area off Hazel Avenue. There is a variety of foliage and wildlife to observe. Nearby parking maybe hard to find. You might have to park further away and walk over. But the plus side is that parking is totally free in and around Historic Folsom. Just be aware of the posted time limits.

Well first of all if you're trying to enjoy the day there's dog poop everywhere lol. Been here in…read morethe past and a lot has changed. Wasn't packed at all today when I went surprisingly ! Pretty nice people in the surrounding area also. This park has a huge dock area it's very long good for a walk down to the water. Boats come in quite often the later it gets. Mosquitos everywhere by the water bring repellent and sun screen ! This is an area mostly meant for boats to go out on the water at. Thanks for reading hope this helps !

This is my afternoon spot where I go simply to sit on a coffee table, enjoy the peaceful scenery…read moreand just step away from the bustle of Folsom. I love it here and love that my golden poppy pass lets me come by any time I feel like it!

First time time at Folsom Lake! Entered through the Folsom Lake-Granite Bay Entrance, on Douglas…read moreBlvd. Staff at the gate was nice and friendly. Parking is $12. Came here beginning of May to check out the lupine flowers. I parked at the Beek Bights parking lot as I was told that is where lupine flowers are at! Of course I came too late into the season as most were wilting. Was able to get a glimpse of some at least. It was a nice day out. Since I came on a weekday morning, it wasn't crowded at all. Peace and quiet. Walked around to check out all the wildflowers. After, did some hiking around the trails. Took a break to see the amazing view of Folsom Lake! Thanks to all the rain we had, the water level looks so much better! There is restroom located at the Beek Bights parking lot. Super convenient. There are multiple parking lots and spots. Folsom Lake is a great place to hike, camp, explore and more! Definitely coming back next year to catch all the lovely lupine flowers.

Folsom Lake is a nice recreation state park. I've been coming here since as long as I could…read moreremember. It's one of the closest lakes in the Sacramento area where you can come to for outdoor water sports, or just to relax on the sand and be near water. There are multiple entry points to the lake, depending on your purpose. Beal's Point is nice if you want to come and chill or hang out, lay on the "beach", barbecue, or play in the water. It's great for families, friends or solo. You can also bring your paddle board or kayak too. If you have a boat, or jet skis, there is another entrance for that so that you can unload them into the water. There's 3 separate lanes for you to back up and unload into the water and everyone is usually mindful of each other's watercraft. I like the fact that they have a shop there onsite for last-minute items (tools, etc.) that you need for your boat or jet skis, including snacks and refreshments. There are also bathrooms onsite with a few stalls. There's plenty of parking also. It's nice to spend a whole day or 1/2 day here. We spent a good amount of time on the water and I loved it - nothing like soaking in the sun and playing in the water in hot days. I can't wait to come back and spend more time on the water.

Fun little park, if you are local it's a nice place to ride after work. They host many great…read moreevents, along with have some free ride days occasionally

Prairie City is one of the State Parks dedicated to off-road vehicles. There are a handful of these…read moreOHV Parks around the state and one located right here in the Greater Sacramento Region. Bring out your atv, motorcycle, truck, Jeep, buggie, suv, Subaru for some off road action. Park entry fee is only $5. More info on Prarie City and other Events like the Hangtown Motocross Classic. State OHV Parks https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/ City of Rancho Cordova https://www.visitranchocordova.com/directory/prairie-city-state-vehicular-recreation-area/ Hangtown Motocross https://hangtownmx.com/ Prairie City https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1221 Calendar https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=24068