Hidden Falls Regional Park

Hidden Falls Regional Park in Auburn, CA

Directions: I-80 to I-49 in Auburn. Click on the link at the bottom of this post.

Hidden Falls Hikes are great for all family members. They have many trials to chose from: easy to difficult and even an ADA paved trail (great for little ones on their bikes and scooters). We went on the Poppy Trail with a 3 1/2 year old and a 10 month in a backpack, and made the entire 1.7 miles in about 1 1/2 hrs with pit stops along the way. Mid point is a bridge we went under and watched the water, going back we went to a small waterfall. Beautiful scenery all over as well as rocks, twigs and leaves to pick up for the little ones. Go to this site and click on the location map  and the map of the trails and choose your destination.

Ancil Hoffman Park/ Effie Yeaw Nature Center!

This park is located in Carmichael off of Fair Oaks Blvd. Go to this link for good directions (depending on where you live there are many ways to get there: www.effieyeaw.org and click on directions/map on the left sidebar. Or for the Ancil Hoffman park information click here.

Ancil Hoffman Park is $4 to get in during business hours. You can golf, hike, or just have a picnic. Once you wind around past the golf course there will be parking directions to get to the Effie Yeaw Nature Center. There are many nice trails and a trail that goes and you can see the old indian pots, writing and a teepee. 

The Effie Yeaw Nature Center, in Ancil Hoffman Park, is an award-winning environmental and cultural education center within the American River Parkway. The center offers a wide variety of hands-on educational activities and exhibits for all ages. This center is free! It has so many cool exhibits. They have a "tree house" you can climb up and read books and look over the museum. It has some animals inside as well, an owl, snakes, lizards, etc. So neat!!

Trails - Walk quietly along the nature trails winding through the Effie Yeaw Nature Center and one may see a herd of deer or listen to the chirps and chatter of over 100 bird species.

Golf- Golf Digest has named Ancil Hoffman Golf Course one of America's top 75 courses. Shady even in the summer, the course also houses a spacious clubhouse, a restaurant, and a trophy room.

Picnic - Enjoy a picnic with friends and family. This picnic area is operated on a first-come, first served basis. To protect wildlife and others, glass containers are not allowed in County Parks. Dogs are required to be on leashes throughout the park and may not enter the Nature Center.

Worth the drive, money and time!

Misty Wood Park!

Roseville, CA

Off I-65 take the Pleasant Grove exit. Turn west. Turn right onto Misty Wood Drive. It is the first right after the Foothills signal. The park will be on the left side. Park on the street.

This is a great park. It is far enough away from the street you don't have worry about kids running in the street. It has a very cute boat structure kids can play on along with slides, ramps and small and big kid swings. There are plenty of picnic benches in the shade, BBQ area and lots of great open grass fields to play soccer. It even has a circle basketball court. The bonus is a hiking trail along the open space that goes along the creek behind houses. It makes a great hiking outing for toddlers and young kids.

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.