Folsom Lake

Directions: Off I-80N Take Douglas Blvd east. Follow Douglas Blvd until it dead ends to the park ranger station. Pay $7.00 daily fee and go straight until you see the signs for Granite Beach. This is a good beach spot. If you want to load your boat, hike or walk around ask the ranger for a map and they will direct you.
See this website for hours, hikes and information:
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=500

Granite Beach is a fun spot for kids and families. It has plenty of sandy area to sit and relax. The sand isn't as sandy as beaches so it is nice to sit and not get too muddy going in and out of the water. The water is shallow in the beginning, and hardly no wakes from the boats. Lots of birds come by and say hi. It is a great way to cool down during the hot summer months. It has bathrooms near, along with a snack bar that opens during certain months of the summer.

Folsom Park

Directiosn: Next to the Folsom City Zoo. See that entry for directions.

This park has two great playgrounds for older kids and younger ones. Lots of slides, swings, shade, and open space. There is horseshoes, picnic and BBQ benches, baseball and soccer fields. Lots of parking too. I am a little weary of the signs that say to watch out for snakes but other than that it seems like a nice family friendly park.

Folsom Zoo & Folsom Valley Train Ride

Folsom City Zoo
Directions: 403 Stafford Street, Folsom, Calif. From Hwy 50: Exit at Folsom Blvd. Turn left at the off ramp intersection. Follow for 3 miles and take Right turn on Natoma Street traffic light. Follow for about 1 mile, turn left at the traffic light onto Stafford Street and turn right into the entrance past the library which leads into the parking lot.
The Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary is open from Tuesday through Sundays 10am - 4pm. Closed on Mondays, unless it is a major holiday. Hours are subject to change. Please call (916) 351-3527 to verify hours.
Children 4 and under Free. Children 5-12 $3.00. Youths 13-17 $4.00. Adults 18-54 $4.00. Seniors 55 and over $3.00.

The first Tuesday of every month, admission to the Zoo is half price!


Operating since 1963, the zoo has been the home to hundreds of animals from squirrels and chickens to tigers and bears. Each year the zoo welcomes thousands of visitors in a simple and unassuming park like environment. With close to 100 animals your family is sure to enjoy it. You will find an animal your little child will surely enjoy. The monkeys are funny, the owl is cool, and the peacocks and roosters and chickens run wild so that is a delight. Most of the animals are behind wire fences, so you can't see them as well as other zoos. It is a small zoo so its easy to walk around and see everything within an hour or two. Lots of shady spots and benches to rest.

Outside the zoo is a Railway Train Ride you definitely need to ride. It is $1.00 for kids over one. $2.00 for anyone over three I think. It goes along the track next to the library and the zoo. It is great fun for the train enthusiast.

Old Salmon Falls Loop Hiking Trail

El Dorado Hills/Folsom, CA
Drive east on Green Valley Rd for 2.9 miles. Turn left (north) on Salmon Falls Rd, and drive 2.9 miles to turnout on left marked at Falcon Crest. The parking lot is there Then walk down the paved road to another parking lot, or park there but it is a $2 fee. The trailhead starts at the end of the parking lot.

At the end of the parking lot is the trailhead to many hikes with different mileage. This Old Salmon Falls Loop is the shortest one. This is an excellent easy hike. The views are gorgeous! Along the way you will pass through a new pine forest, planted in 1972. At the 1.4 mile mark, you will reach a trail junction, and the site of an extinct waterfall, Salmon Falls, which was destroyed when the Folsom Dam was built in the 1950’s. This is a great spot to stop and picnic. Follow the signs to the Monte Vista Trailhead to return the loop to the parking lot. The last 0.8 miles climbs up to a tremendous vista where there is a drinking fountain, with drinkable water, and picnic tables.
After the hike, take time to explore the Old Salmon Falls town site, at the lower parking lot. This was an old Mormon gold mining town, which is now underwater because of the Folsom Dam. This hike is very peaceful, relaxing, and has a few up and downs to give you a slight workout while enjoying nature.

Hannaford Family Park/Eggloff Family Park

Folsom, CA

From Douglas Blvd off I-80 go north. Keep on Douglas for many miles and turn right on Folsom-Auburn Blvd. Continue for a few miles and turn right on Folsom Dam Rd. Then turn left on Lakeside Way. The park will be on the right. Park on the street. The Eggloff park will be up Lakeside Dr a ½ mile or less on Hollyann Dr.

Hannaford Family Park is a small park. It has a good full size basketball court, picnic tables, swings, and a cute playground for kids of all ages. A nice walking trail for walking pets. Eggloff Park is nearby and is a cute meandering trail park. It has cute bridges to go over and a peaceful setting you can enjoy while mediating or reading.