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.

January 27, 2026 - El Dorado Hills, CA…read more Not much to recommend unless you have watercraft. We walked along the shoreline, but it was mostly rocky and muddy, and we didn't really see a defined trail. A few people were fishing, there were maybe five boats out on the lake, and a helicopter was practicing water drops, which was interesting but unexpected. Entry fee was $12. Overall, probably better for boaters than for walking or hiking.

Brown's Ravine is marketed as a great spot to bring dogs, but it wasn't quite what we expected…read more There isn't much of a true "beach" area to sit out and relax, so if you're looking for a sandy shoreline to spread out with your pup, this probably isn't the best fit. We did find a little spot to set up, but it was right where boats were constantly going by, which made the water very choppy. On the plus side, there are real bathrooms on site, and if you're looking for a place to drive up, park your car, and have more of a beach picnic vibe, it could work. Overall though, it didn't quite meet what we were looking for with our dogs.

*SWEETWATER TRAIL*Came up here around 8am on a Sunday and there were only 2 cars in the parking…read morelot...by time we left it was still only less than half full. I've never been here so here's a heads up for those that are new. Every time I googled the pin would drop on Salmon Falls Rd. So I looked up Salmon Falls Bridge and zoomed in. There is a sharp left turn right before you get to the bridge itself. This turn will take you up to two parking lots, both with their own bathroom (four stalls total). There's also a boat ramp but this area is shallow. The trail starts at the lot to the left as you enter. The pathway is not too narrow but in some areas it is and it's used for both walking/biking and there is POISON OAK everywhere. I suggest wearing long socks/pants. If you do wear shorts be cautious! There are plenty of trails that lead off to the right and take you down toward the lake. My boys and I packed up our coolers and spent some time down there for lunch. When we went it was beautiful and sunny with just a light breeze. This is a nice trail to get in a good walk/run. We will definitely be back as it's beautiful up here...enjoy!!

This review is specifically about Darrington trail that leads to Salmon Falls trail. It is a tiny…read moreparking area past the Salmon Falls entrance, over the small bridge. Get there early for parking and make sure to always lock your car and leaving nothing visible. This trail is known for break-ins. I come here once a week for trail running. It is always so peaceful and quiet. The trail begins with a short and easy incline to get the heart rate started. It is very popular with bikers so be mindful of them and try to keep on one side. Some of them are great about using the bells to alert hikers but not all. Luckily I have my bear bell hanging from my bag as well that helps for the same reason. It is usually pretty empty early mornings when I typically arrive and even by 10am it is not to bad. Be aware that it does get fairly warm because there is not much shade. It is more of a creek than a lake but at times it does get more full, usually at the end of Spring. I have spotted a couple of bobcat cubs so keep an out for wildlife. Overall my fav close spot to hike or run. The walk back in the mornings is best for pics. Enjoy and please keep it clean and safe!

3.5 Stars nice if you live in the area but not worth a trip by itself. The trail follows Dry Creek…read morewhich actually looks nice this time of the year. People were generally friendly but we saw a few questionable people as well. There was a spot on the trail underneath a overpass where we could see racist graffiti and a Swatiska. The graffiti had been cleaned up but was still visible.

I think the experience all depends on which way you go. If you stick to the paved trail probably…read moretotally fine. We parked at the Regal UA trail head. It started out ok but then about 0.5 mile on the dirt trail next to the river/ creek the trail goes under a bridge (East Roseville Pkwy) and there were a handful of unhoused/ transient people hanging out/ living here. It was a bit sketchy. This portion of walk was also smooth rocks and a bit unsteady. So walking through quickly was precarious. Was with hubby and our little so on the return we walked through the grassy hill to get to the streets before the bridge onto Medical Plaza Drive, thankfully the fence was busted and we could go through to the street... walked across Sunrise Blvd by the hotel on the corner and picked up the trail again here. It wasn't a bad walk entirely but the experience under the bridge put me on edge and I kept thinking we would run into other encampments along the way but we didn't. The creek was mostly clean but did see two grocery carts along the way. There was also quite a few people on dirt bikes around 1.50 miles in which is when we decided to turn around. We took the creekside path instead of the paved bike path. Not sure if we would come back for this one. No bathrooms but there was a trash an at the trailhead.

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.

If you can handle straight down and straight up hiking, trail running, or horseback riding with…read morecliff drop-offs, this Bud's for you! Head down the paved road to the river. Someone else said it's 3 miles round trip but my Strava says 3.2 miles up from the river with 800' gain. :shrug Check out Alltrails app for more input and routes. If you stick to the pavement route, the path is very wide, two cars width and more at times. So no fears of steep drop-offs. Beyond the river, it's single track. On the dirt routes going down to the river, it's very technical and steep. Though I've never been on it, I know about K2/Cardiac Hill. LOL! If you want to explore the Western States trail that's used by Tevis Cup and Western States Endurance Race (both 100 mile endurance races one on horse one on foot), then head down the dirt trail off the horse side. If you travel a little more than 3 miles down this path you'll encounter a waterfall if there's still flowing water. Cross in the water or on the bridge (horses ok either way). But again, this trail isn't for the faint of heart when it comes to horses and their riders. Be mindful it may be too much for you or your horse. Horse side has a large watering hole that had water in it in early April 2023 (while some locations fear the horse sicknesses and have shut off water). There's also tying rails. And plenty of room to maneuver a rig. Paved side has a building with restrooms. The restroom is accessed by the paved lot but is on the side nearest the dirt lot/horse trailer parking. I don't recall it having soap or towels or hand dryers in April 2023. C'mon 'rona, give us soap even if it's the sandpaper powder! Be aware that some days there are major events and you may not be able to park there. I suppose you can call City of Auburn or just be prepared to go somewhere different such as railroad park. Major events include: Tevis Cup, Western States Endurance Race, and American River Endurance Race.

Beautiful large park. Costs $7 to enter/park, and there's a strict close time to leave at sundown…read more Highly recommend for biking, but not so much for casual walking with kids. This place is huge and has a decent amount of hills and flat areas.

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!

Good because it's not crowded at all! Plenty of space for everyone. Parking was ok. Getting down to…read morethe water was a little hard for the kids and elderly.

Great outdoor area always something beautiful to see! It does take a bit of hiking and you need to…read morewatch out where you are stepping! Not only because of steep areas but there's rattlesnakes in this area as well.

There's a trail here which can be found a bit to the right after you cross over the Fair Oaks…read moreBridge; it's on the side opposite from the Sunrise Recreation Area. While there isn't any parking on the side of the bridge where the trail is, there is some which costs $10 at the Sunrise Recreation Area. Once you reach the trail, it takes about five minutes to get to the top, and then maybe another ten minutes to hike to the fence at the end of the trail. The views once you get to the top are pretty good :-) Tip: Each of the lookouts from the top are on a very steep cliff-edge, with an unprotected drop to the river down below. It isn't possible to see straight down the cliff because of deep errosion at the bottom, but you can see both the bridge and the river. Note that this area seems fairly safe during the daylight hours, but there are a lot of homeless people around the bridge and in Sunrise Park, so I'd suggest avoiding the area when it's dark.

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.