It was a great hike, sadly it was raining but we still got to mile 3 before heading back. On the…read morehike I lost my great grandmothers bracelet that I haven't taken off in years. If anyone hiking this trail is willing, I would deeply appreciate if you would look for it and return it to me. I could meet you anywhere within an hour of Sacramento to retrieve it from you. I'll attach a picture of it along with a picture of me on the hike and my email. To the person who finds it, I'll give you a $20 reward, cash (or if you are willing to mail it, that would be even better) My email is duncansophia@icloud.com

The hike was actually a really good workout. A lot of hills, creeks, and different plant life. I…read morethought it was a good challenge but not impossible. At the same time I'm not a big hiker. We did come across a friendly group of 70 yo ladies that had completed the trail a few times and gave a lot of information.

Just by looking at all of the gorgeous photos everyone has uploaded from their visit here to this…read morespot.... you can tell that it's a hidden gem within. Nevada City didn't feel like that far of a drive from Sacramento and it really was an outdoor type oasis when we visited during the summer months. It's surrounded by lush forests and gorgeous waters from the upper Tahoe areas. There's a defined parking area so you're not just pulling off the side of the road. We had taken swim shorts and dressed for the ability to free swim and jump off the rocks so it really was the best blend of hiking, nature, and swimming all in one! I would love to return here for another visit when it gets past the chill factor of winter and snow!

Finally made it here! Been wanting to for years and I most definitely was not disappointed…read more Knowing how busy it can get we came on a Monday. We were able to find parking and it was an easy and pretty walk to the pools. My only regret was not having the right shoes as the rocks can be slippery. The water is clean and clear with a lovely green color. As the water was low the grandkids were able to wade, but it can be much fuller with rushing water earlier in the year.

Awesome trail as always. It's easy to get a bit lost on the beginning as there are lots of little…read moreside trails off here and there. GPS is helpful for this. It's a steady climb up to the first lake. Cool crossing over the train tracks. You do hear I-80 for a lot of the hike even when it's mikes away so it's not a remote hike at all.

Loch Leven trail begins at Placer County Road and ends at High Loch Leven Lake in the Tahoe…read moreNational Forest. It is about 8 mile out-and-back trail near Soda Springs, California. The trail begins 200 yards east of the Big Bend Fire Station on old U.S. 40 (Big Bend exit off I-80). A restroom is available at the trailhead. The trail begins across the road from the parking area. A designated parking lot is limited but parking is available along the road. Hiking can be challenging due to its high elevation and heat. I would rate this hiking trail as moderate as the trail works its way upward on a moderately steep climb. Granite outcroppings and glacial erratic starts along the first portion of the route, and the trail can be difficult to follow on the bare rock sections. The trail is a bit difficult to find at times but you can look for enough signs and cairns displayed by previous hikers. Don't get lost. Look carefully for the hiking trail! As the trail ascends, it crosses minor hogbacks and depressions, generally trending upward. Prior to the railroad tracks, you see the markers for a buried telephone trunk line, and petroleum pipeline that they cross. Near the tracks, a small bridge spans a creek that flows swift and cold in early season. Be careful with the train tracks. Don't get trapped! The railroad tracks are on the original 1860s route of the Central Pacific railroad, built by hand with Chinese labor. It is still a major freight and passenger route in and out of California as I saw two long trains passing by. After crossing the tracks, the trail becomes steeper, going from 6,000' to 6,800' in 1.25 miles. At the top of the ridge, the trail descends gradually into the Loch Leven lakes basin. The trail in the basin is primarily level, but follows the topography. At the south end of lower Loch Leven, a trail junction continues left to middle and high Lochs, or right to Salmon Lake. Fishing is good, and camping is dispersed throughout the basin. Campfire permits are required for campfires, backpacking stoves, BBQs, and lanterns. It took us about 5.5 hours to complete, including breaks, and time to enjoy the lakes. I would start around 8am although we did not get to the trail head until 1030am. There are plenty of cool tree shades and tree tunnels It seems to be popular for backpacking, camping, and fishing, so we encountered other people while hiking. The best times to visit this trail are May through October. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash. Please pick up all your poop bags. Garbage in, garbage out please. Sun block, mosquito repellent, and adequate hydration and food snacks are definitely important! We must try our best to keep nature is clean and stay beautiful! Magic is definitely here!!

Love, love, love this place! Years ago, before I moved to the area, I visited and definitely did…read morenot expect to find a **NUDE BEACH**. Over time, I've met some friendly faces and joined in on activities. For instance, one day I was there hiking with a buddy, and we met an awesome couple who were playing chess outside their van. We ended up staying for hours, mingling and playing games! Anyway, I love showing off this place to folks who are visiting. One thing I noticed not so long ago is that if you type the place into your GPS, it may take you somewhere else. Make sure to type in "Hoyt Trail Parking," and it will direct you to the bridge and trail. There's also a nearby trail called "Independence Trail" that's walkable from the parking area.

This was such an easy but beautiful hike. We went down to the beach and I even saw some crawdad…read moretype fish while sitting on a rock listening to the brook. It was gorgeous. I can't wait to come back and swim in the summer.

So beautiful and peaceful we will definitely go back very kids friendly the hike was easy and…read morebeautiful

We wanted to go hiking and found the Joshua M. Hardt Memorial Trail, which circles around the…read morereservoir. The loop was a bit over 4 miles. I'm glad it was mostly shaded and flat. The water was nice and clear. There were several benches along the way. Best of all, it wasn't crowded at all when we went. Bring cash- $5.00 per vehicle.

The best spot to spend time in quiet and fish, they got picnic areas to be there with your family…read moreand spend some quality time.

This is a bequtiful little trout lake About an hour above…read moreloomis ca. Ive taken my kids here for many years and now take their kids. Grrat plave for a picnik. Some casu a l float or bank fidhing with no noise and few people on weekdays. Easy access but not much parking.

Great trail for a fall hike. The steepest part is the downhill from the trailhead. Everything else…read moreis a series of gradual inclines and looping trails. Go left after crossing the swinging bridge and you'll come to the water treatment plant. The trail is well marked. I was able to see where I was on my iPhone map the whole time. The bridge is a great photo op spot.

I wish it a bit longer of a path. But very kid-friendly. Path is well marked. Lots of fun things to…read moresee and interesting parts of the path. An old mine to the right of the trail. A wobbly suspension bridge (gulp). Lots of shade! Which was welcome on a very hot day. The water below looked lovely, but I didn't want to guide my 7-year old down there and get stuck. Definitely will need a shower after this hike! The tree canopy is delightful.

The water is so clear. Beautiful. Gorgeous blue water…read more. Truly amazing place A definitely must visit..

Every summer we look forward to coming here! We've been coming here for over twenty years now and…read moreit's been getting more and more populated. It used to be more secluded but it's nice to see to that more people are finding this spot as it is a,"Gem!" There are so many places here to hike and swim along the Yuba and you kind of work your way and find what works best with what you want out of it. The water is pristine...better than any swimming pool or ocean, IMO. You can open your eyes under water and it's never irritated. We usually bring our goggles but it's not necessary. There's endless places to sunbathe, without feeling invaded. Dogs are allowed on leashes but on this visit we did experience a dog taking a poo in the water, which kind of turned us off. Luckily, the owner noticed and he was able to take care of it, minutes later. The Yuba River is beautiful, you can't ask for better swimming conditions, there are a number of spots available if you travel up or down stream. The water is always emerald green and so clear when you dive under. If you're adventurous, there are some great spots to sunbathe nude... if you desire!

A challenging hike around 2 hours from EG/Sacramento. It's nearly 9 miles round trip but has a…read morebeautiful view of Feather Falls from the viewpoint deck. We went in March when the weather was unusually warm this year and the water was f l o w i n g. There isnt much tree cover as there used to be after the fires in this area, so if you're coming on a sunny day, be well prepared with sun protection and water. The majority of the hike is uncovered if you start after the morning hours. Parking lot is decent sized, on the day we came there were hardly any cars at 9am, but we saw more people when we finished around 1pm. There's also vault toilets at the trailhead

How amazingly gorgeous it is here!!! Full of sweet sweet serenity…read more.. For Easter, my daughter & I decided to go here for our hike!! First, the directions on Google maps suck. You need to keep going down the freeway passed Coal Canyon Road We parked in a large rocky parking lot. At this point, you need to use the bathrooms because there aren't any along your path or trail. I found it hard to stay hydrated because since there aren't bathrooms along the way. I didn't want to drink too much water in case it makes me have to go. We started our hike at 1:15pm. The first part of the hike is a very rocky dirt path. No shade. So wear your sun screen! It was beautiful along the way with beautiful green grass, gorgeous flowers. There were free range cows roaming around. This hike can be very challenging to someone who doesn't work out or get their heart rate up daily. There were a couple large Oaks trees offering us some shade just before you approach the quarry. It's a good resting point but we kept on. For this part, we were climbing down into a quarry, surrounded by trees and bushes, over the rocks, down the path, going back and forth... to come to the first waterfall. It was refreshing and rewarding! Being able to feel the water coming down over you after hiking down from the sun was exhilarating! Now, you have to climb your way up the other side. This is where a big challenge comes in. Up the other side, walking up a very vertical hill, over the rocks... really takes your breath away and makes your legs burn.. we loved every minute of it. When you get to the top, there are no trees up here, just more hills to walk up with rocks below your feet. So wear some good shoes! Getting to the top of that part was another waterfall. It was only visible from far away, but even more gorgeous! The sun was hitting it just right to make a rainbow in the mist. It took us 2 1/2-3 hours to get to that particular part of the hike (we spent quite a bit of time at the previous waterfall). At this point we decided to go back... but you need to go back the way you came. We were pretty out of shape for this hike but we love challenges. So up and back over the hills, back down the steep quarry full of trees, down the rocky path, back to the first waterfall (and we spent time down there again, lol) and then climbing out of that quarry, we decided to stop at those big oak trees to make a sandwich to share. After our long rest, getting some fuel in our bodies, and getting nice and hydrated, we started out way down the rocky path. Again, the rocky path made it very challenging. Our legs were really worked from all the climbing up the hills we did so we've smaller hill after that made us feel the burn! Oh... there nothing like the motivation of seeing that parking lot, lol. It was indeed time to get into the air conditioned car and into a comfy seat in the car. Oooh and finally!!! Bathrooms!!! Lol My daughter & I had a blast on our hike for Easter. There were so many families that day who had the same idea. The weather was perfectly sunny with a slight breeze. It was 6 p.m. by the time we sat in the car and turned on the air conditioning. Great timing since I didn't have to drive in the dark on our way home!