Char: "Daniel, why haven't you taken me here, sooner? I don't even feel like I'm in Sacramento…read more Everything is so lush and green!" This was my first impression as soon as we drove into Ancil Hoffman Park. I didn't realize that the golf course and park combination was so big and separate at the same time. It's truly a hidden gem, hidden behind such beautiful, large, custom homes and huge, gorgeous trees - after all its nestled in The City of Trees, Sacramento! I really enjoyed my first time visit. To be clear, the half dirt/half cement trail is a little over 3 miles (per Apple Watch) that outlines and circles the golf course. It's nice because most, if not all of the trail is shaded! You can hear so much birds and sounds of nature, but you're not somewhere in the center of the woods, you're literally just in the suburbs of FairOaks and Carmichael- it's crazy! Adjacent to a huge part of the trail is the American River. There are parts of the trail that lead you to the river where you can lay out by the water and just listen to the water, so Relaxing. The pro is clean, safe and has so much space. Great place to run, walk, ride your bike and or walk the fur babe! I highly recommend this park, for it has so much to offer!!!

We love Ancil Hoffman, it's unfortunate that the park rangers don't enforce the leash laws. Off…read moreleash dogs are everywhere. Forget the snakes, you're way more likely to get attacked by an off leash dog.

I love living so close to the river. The American River is so beautiful and getting out the first…read moreday of 1/1/24 was treat. The weather was so nice and everyone was so friendly. Happy New Years :)

Great place to spend time with your family. Very many squirrels, ducks. You can have a barbecue or…read moreride bicycles. Clean toilets.

Absolutely breath taking. From the warm sand between your toes to the cold water on your legs…read more Very peaceful...loving it

No signage lead to a 20 min walk to nowhere in triple digit heat. Horrible experience will not come…read moreback.

If you have never been to the Lake Natoma Recreation area, you are missing out on a very beautiful…read morelake. It is the place to Paddle board, swim in the water, look at sailboats big & small. There are kids learning to kayak in classes, families setting up day tents and people just enjoying a beautiful lake. The geese just paddle in the water and ducks fly low to the water as you paddle by. Right off of highway 50. This is my first paddle boarding experience. You take out the paddle board out of the bag, Lay it out. Blow it up, put on 3 fins on the bottom and you your paddle are ready to go. Have your life jacket, hat, water and a camera. I met really great people just floating and paddling today. This lake is really big. I stayed close to the main recreational area since I am new. I heard there is a cave you can explore. Natoma recreational park is a place for picnics, families, water sports, paddle boarding, sailing and fun in the sun. I am hooked on paddle boarding now. I love this lake! See you again. Bring the family or just yourself. Have an adventure. Julie A

Love Lake Natoma. Lots of water loving options for fun. Beach, picnic areas, connections to trails,…read moreand shade. No current is family friendly swimming for all. Love to take in a sunset on our stand up boards. You've got to check this place out for yourself. I am eager to return soon. Great place to beat the heat.

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.

Small parking lot at the beginning with restroom. Nice grassy field to picnic. Once you head out…read moreyou have three choices when you get about a 100 yards down the paved bike path. (1) Stay on the bike path (2) take the dirt trail towards San Juan Rapids which is what me and the fur baby do or (3) take the dirt trail on the left. All three choices end up at a nice picnic area with tables and benches. You can cool off in the river or cross Jims Bridge and continue the trail. Its fairly level on all three paths. There is some shade but be aware of occasional rattlesnake in the brush on hot days and coyotes.

I grew up near bannister park! It's a wonderful place to play with your kids or bring friends to…read morespend time together. You can ride bikes along the path or take a long walk to enjoy the scenery. There river access for you to float on the river or go fishing. There's tons to do at bannister park!

Came here looking for a shaded dog park. Hagan offers paid and free parking. Parked in the free…read moreparking and the walk was not bad at all. Went to the large dog park side which was semi-shaded. There was a double gate to enter. A hose with a water bowl and lots of seating for owners. All the dogs had a blast here

We went yesterday for the train ride! Was donation $2pp. Train ride was soo cute. 15min ride…read morethrough Hagan park in Rancho. About 8min from KP international market. They have a tiny farm there, we saw 2 pigs. More animals available to interact w on Saturdays. Suggested donation $2pp. They take cash there. I thought u needed advanced tickets so bought online but it's really just whoever wants to ride can line up. https://www.svlsrm.org/ Duck pond: tons of duck and geese Water area: part of american river?? Not sure. Can fish there! Playground: With climate change, unpredictable weather, and summers with many days over 100F, would be nice if all parks in the sac area provided shade. This one has shade only over a small set of swings by a picnic area/ by the trains & barn. The main playground had shade near it but no shade over the play structures. Kids going down the slides could get burned- recommend putting up shade to avoid future liability issues. Overall a beautiful park w a good amt of shade, multiple parking lots and multiple picnic areas. Too far for us to come regularly but likely coming back for the train ride during holidays when I think they usually have a Santa there. (You need advance tix for this)

Quite busy today (3pm on Sunday) but otherwise seemed nice. Over all was clean from what I saw. I…read morewould recommend you get here early if you want a parking spot though

This is a nice spot that's tucked away for you and your family to enjoy…read more Although I hate that some people trash the place and boats use it as a spot to unload their rope and waste. I'm thinking of getting a trash collector and picking up trash myself. I would not swim in it but it serves as a relaxing fishing spot.

Love that this hiking trail is within 5 minutes of my home. Having the parkway available throughout…read morethe Sacramento area makes it Sacramento an even more disrespectful place to live. My husband and I go here for shorter rehabilitation walks (he is relearning how to walk after a spinal tumor was removed), I go here on my own for connecting back to nature and exercise, and the last two days I enjoyed taking a 6 mile hike with brother who was visiting. I have visited all up and down the parkway, at different entrance points, and different times of year. It never disappoints. I have had a yearly pass and it is well worth it for all the enjoyment I get from here.

I spent the majority of my vacation in Sactown along the American River. Just beautiful!…read more Loved this particular spot with wonderful views. I am assuming they get super busy when it is warmer but was nice to be here without a lot of folks around.

Daniella was an amazing guide ask for her!! Extremely knowledgeable and safe!! Thanks for the great…read moreday!!

I decided I wanted to take the kids I nanny (11 & 13) to do something fun and unique and thought…read morewhy not finally cross off whitewater rafting from my bucket list?! We were gifted a beautiful day on the river with multiple sightings of wildlife including fish jumping, ducklings, geese, and even a bald eagle! The best part was getting to see the kids do something, get scared, have a blast doing it, and then ask to come back for more intensity next time. I really appreciated the guides for their hospitality, humor, and kindness. However my main piece of feedback would be a friendly reminder that nature and outdoor recreational activities are a form of escape and respite from our every day life, so being more mindful of the topics of conversation brought up during the ride is very important to the atmosphere.