Have now done this hike/loop a few times now and it's definitely worth the drive and parking…read morefiasco. The trail is about 4 miles long and takes just a couple hours to do at a slow/medium pace. The trail is pretty wide, there were people with their dogs, a few little kids, and lots of groups enjoying the beautiful day. The majority of the trail is shady and covered by beautiful trees, some spots are under the direct sun so bring a hat or sunnies. You'll see tons of butterflies, wild flowers, birds, and of course will see the spillway. Parking is $10 cash paid to the park. This most recent time that I came it was very difficult to find parking, so if you plan to come on a weekend plan ahead and come early. I would also recommend bringing bus spray and being cautious of the poison ivy along the sides of the trail. Overall it's a beautiful hike and I'd recommend it!

Beautiful hike!! Highly recommend! There is a $10 parking fee. The fee grants you access to…read moreMULTIPLE trails for the ENTIRE day, take advantage and check out different areas to explore the scenery. More info on their website! The hike was moderate. Pretty straight forward, some steep elevation here and there. But worth the experience! As we hiked I was greeted by the buzzing bees at work, different species of butterflies, and watched the birds glide above me. The trail is filled with trees that provided shade, accompanied by drafts of wind. Hearing the water crash as we got closer to the dam was the best motivation to quicken our pace. So stunning! There's a small bench where you can sit to enjoy the view before your hike back. We were wiped because we went at peak heat level, rookie mistake. So definitely check the weather to go at a cooler time to thoroughly enjoy this wonderful scenic hike!

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.

Visited with family who actually Mine. Really interesting,…read moregreat place to Walk about. Lots of history and things to see. Something for everyone. Neat gift shop With reasonable Prices. Clean restrooms and grounds. This is a must.

If you haven't visited Empire Mine State Historic Park, it's truly a wonderful…read moreexperience--educational, historical, beautiful, and peaceful all at once. There is a $5 entry fee, but parking is free. The free mine and garden tours offer a fascinating glimpse back into the Gold Rush era of the 1850s. Whether you enjoy exploring the mining equipment, watching blacksmith demonstrations, touring the living and office quarters, browsing the gift shop, or simply taking in the breathtaking gardens, there's truly something for everyone.

Beautiful park. Nice playground area and a large field/baseball field. A great spot to picnic and…read morelook out onto El Dorado Hills. There is a nearby restroom, a small area with a picnic table and parking is limited, probably 10 or so spots.

It was beautiful but they close sooo early and it would be nice if they weren't so pushy and rude…read moreabout leaving right after the sun sets.

We have always loved coming to Yankee Jim's! Unfortunately…read morethe swim hole is closed for the next 4 years due to construction of the new bridge on top. So sad but so excited to go back!

Ok...my sister came here yesterday...and I love waterfalls so I asked here where it was…read more This place is located in colfax ca. If you type in Yankee Jim's bridge...it will come up on Google maps...please download the map...BECAUSE YOU WILL LOSE SERVICE. Once you get on Yankee Jim's road...it is paved...then turns into a dirt road for about 3 miles. You need to drive slow...no rails...and a long drop.. some places are narrow...and yes a car can drive on that road. I have a civic and had no problems. But drive slow...some people go a little faster...there are little pot holes here and there. You can drive across the bridge...I did...my mom was scared...but not me... Once you arrive at the bridge...there is a portapotty...and a few places to park. If you drive over the bridge...there is additional parking...and stairs that lead to a path to the river. If you keep driving just about .25 miles more...you will see a beautiful waterfall on your left... There is a 3 mile hike to a beautiful swimming hole...I did not go there...but you can see pictures on Google. This place is so beautiful...I saw people with kayaks and fishing poles. The path to the river can be accessed from a trail to right of portapotty...or by stairs across the bridge. I would recommend coming here if your looking for a day trip...or something to do.

This was one of the most beautiful parks I've visited! My husband and I took a romantic stroll by…read morethe pond, where we witnessed adorable goslings with their mamas and ducks gracefully swimming in the water! Next we picked out a book for our eldest from the Little Library located next to one of the playgrounds! Finally we swung our baby on the swing at one of their playgrounds! I'm looking forward to returning to explore more! What's your favorite park? SYOY! *Acoustic Guitar 1 audionautix.com License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

Hidden gem in Auburn. Needs a better name though. Watch out for the disc golf course. Some of…read morethe playable areas cross the walking paths.

On a recent mild sunny winter weekend afternoon, I visited the Halsey Forebay fishing access area…read more It's a water reservoir that's occasionally stocked with trout and crawfish. It's managed by PG&E. The reservoir is a lake with shallow rocky edges. It's just for casting fishing, no humans or animals should go into the water. The access and parking is FREE. And as always, anglers 16 and older need a CA fishing license to fish. I didn't fish here. I looked about and soaked in the sights though. It was rusticly beautiful. However the perimeter doesn't have any shade trees. But vibes were super quiet, I call it library fishing. Shhhh. As I walked about the perimeter of the lake, I noticed folks were quiet even amongst their own groups. Even the elementary school age children there were super quiet. An incredible feat. QuietPlace. And about the fishing situation, not much luck with the anglers that day. Stock was low. Near the parking lot is a short concrete pier with fishing rod holders. This is closest to the water shed. The picnic area is across the watershed. To get to the area from the parking lot, you will have to walk, on a narrow steel grate walkway, over the watershed. The rushing water provides for a dizzying visual effect. The picnic area is set back enough from the lake so if you bring the kiddos, this is the area where they can go about hooting n hollering. The area has 3-4 concrete picnic tables and a several bbq pits. It's first come, first serve. This area is not paved, dirt packed; shaded with big growth trees. Plus let me tell you I learned the hard way that the walking path doesn't connect fully around the lake. I don't recommend attempting the mythical loop. The path is mostly gravel with the other parts being dirt. Watch where you step; there was a lot of poop along the trail. There is a stretch of the path that ends and funnels you out to the narrow bike lane on Christian Valley Road near Bancroft Road. There is no adjacent room to the side of the bike lane, only a chain link fence. Cars are going 50plus miles a hour inches away from you; and they are on a curve. So wait until traffic clears for a significant distance to hightail yourself across that stretch which runs about 50 feet. Don't try to walk with cars coming at you; don't risk getting impaled by a side view mirror or worse. There is a paved parking lot and a public restrooms with vault toilets. Sorry ladies, I can't provide any additional info about the restrooms. As always, I try my best to avoid public park restrooms. But at least they have a restrooms. And to add the landscape of area doesn't provide for any natural discrete spots to answer the call of nature.

It's gorgeous out here…read more.. We've been fishing at Halsey Forebay Picnic Area quite a few times now. We've caught trout and crawfish! Along with some gnarly mosquito bites. You can pull in and park in a parking space where it leads right up some picnic benches. Just beyond that, a l is a fence with holders for your pole. About 10-12 of them lined up. If you are fishing here, this is where having a 2nd and 3rd pole comes in handy - just be sure to get your license for that!! The water current starts off strong over here and, depending on what you are using, could float downward towards our into the next person's line, so use wisely! Figure it out! On this cool evening, we were catching them left and right. Everyone fishing here is so friendly. It's fun to meet people and see what they're using. When the sun goes down, and most of the heat goes away, Halsey Forebay becomes a sight for sore eyes... as I said... so gorgeous

Gorgeous landscape! I recently completed the Quarry trail and it was a beautiful walk. The entire…read morepark is great for enjoying nature and exploring the outdoors for various levels of activity. For the Quarry trail, I recommend parking along the main road if you find a parking spot. The parking lot at the trailhead is tiny, and always full. This trail has plenty of portable bathroom stalls and is paved.

So lucky to have such a great outdoor recreation area near home…read more Numerous trails along the North Fork of the American River. From easy short walks to all day of hiking, it's all here. Free parking along Highway 49 at the American River and a large and free parking area at the American River Overlook Park across from Railhead Park in Auburn. Perfect access point to the Western States Trail that takes you down to the American River as well as a large assortment of trails that cover the north side of the American River Canyon. Paved as well as natural trails for every skill level. Bikes are welcome on several of the trails as well as horses. The Western States Trailhead at the Overlook has a staging and parking area for horse vans. Regular parking for about 150 cars at the Overlook and no charge for parking. For the advanced hiker you have a well marked trail that will take you from Overlook Park all the way to Folsom. In the late afternoon you might catch deer roaming the hillside. A couple of waterfalls in the area that are worth a visit. Beautiful views of the American River as you hike along the canyon trails. Most trails are well marked. The free app. "All Trails" provides a detailed map of the trail system in Auburn and makes it easy to determine the length of time it will take to hike to most scenic spots.

Chasing (roadside) waterfalls…read more.. This is a pretty decent roadside waterfall off Highway 50 (between Sac and Lake Tahoe) near Pollock Pines. It is pretty during spring as snow melting gives the waterfall a good amount of flow with a drop of 80-ft. Nice stop to stretch out the legs at the same time. The waterfall grabs your attention whether you're driving to or from Lake Tahoe. The falls is to your right as you head to the Lake. I suppose you can pull over on the opposite side of the highway to get a full view of the falls but I wouldn't cross the road as it is dangerous because there are blind turns, sometimes cars and trucks whiz by fast and furious down this road. Easy access where you literally just pull over into a very large pullout right in front of the falls. This waterfalls is about 60 miles from our place. It is worth stopping to look at, at least once, on your way to Lake Tahoe. Review #2106 updated

Worth the quick stop to get out, stretch and check it out on the drive to Tahoe or back! Very cool…read morelittle falls on an easy pull out.

We love it here! Such a lovely spot. We come several times in the summer. Pay for parkingread more

Campground doesn't have running tap water . Toilet is vault toilet . Doesn't have sink in the…read moretoilet . The campground is full of mosquitoes . We were bitten all over . The only reason I gave 2 star is for the river next to the campground . We had fund at river and it was convienent that we walked to the river .