Discount Pricing for local 501c organizations. Plus possible allowance of a small number of RV'sread more

My daughter and I stayed for two nights in a teepee, and we felt quite safe--especially comforting…read morefor two women traveling together. Greg, the camp manager, was very considerate and responsive, quickly taking care of anything we needed. The bathrooms were very clean, and the beds came with mats and fitted sheets. We brought our own blankets, but it still felt cold at night--next time, I'll definitely bring sleeping bags. There's a beautiful hike nearby, and our teepee was just a short walk from the river, which made the experience even more special. The lounge area was a fun bonus, filled with games and a ping-pong table--we had a great time playing table tennis together. Overall, it was a peaceful and relaxing stay. The staff were kind, caring, and polite. I absolutely recommend this place.

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.

Some friends and myself just spent the last two days hiking into the desolation wilderness part of…read morethe Sierra Nevada mountain range, near Lake Tahoe, Ca. Up Wright's Lake road you go until you've reached a top-of-the-world mountain spot called Wright's Lake. There are some hiking trails that extend you further into the nearby mountains, placing you at various lakes beneath these craggy skyscrapers, just west of Pyramid peak. We spent a night at Hemlock Lake, a beautiful little destination spot in this area for hiking and overnight camping. I hurrah this pristine little lake for variety of excellencies: first, the fishing was bountiful, and a respectful fisherperson will find themselves a tasty dinner amongst the wildlife jumping at the water's surface. Second, there is a half-rushing waterfall that cascades from higher-up snowmelt, feeding down into the lake. A short jaunt and slopey climb will catch you some of the prettiest vista-views this side of the Sierras has to offer. Surrounding both the waterfall and lake are gorgeous Jeffrey sugarpines. Put your face close to its rutty bark, and you will want to lick the delicious smell of these trees (especially for a hungry hiker). All this, but don't count on any time to sit and meditate. Half of the exercise I got out of this trip was from slapping and dancing around the mosquitos that inhabit the lush little 8500-foot lake. I won't complain, since it's not my place to judge nature, but I do largely suggest that you bring with you some sort of repellant. We used garlic cloves, which worked surprisingly well. But if nature's comfort is what you're looking for, mosquitos are only a necessary part of this package. I say, take the trip. Even if you don't like the remarkable hike or lake, there's enough camping spots and high-mountain lakes in this area to keep you and your family/friends packing here for for years to come!

We enjoyed exploring the powerful waterfalls and roaring rivers of Coloma, CA!…read more We did the Dutch Falls Hike Length: 2.5 miles Type: Out and back Level: Moderate Elevation gain: 272 ft Be sure to bring hiking poles, hiking shoes and get ready to get a little muddy (worth it, I promise!)

This trail is pretty well reviewed on Alltrails and Google but I could not find it on Yelp. As is…read moretypical, reviews on other sites can be short and quite limited so from what I read I was excited to try this trail. It is lovely right now, but you can tell it is on the precipice of drying up for the year and turning brown and dusty. Speaking of precipices, there were many areas where the path was unstable of the cliff face had collapsed. The trail was just not well maintained and there were tons of bugs, especially mosquitos due to the sitting pools of water and long grass. Even being coated in bug spray, I found dead bugs in my shirt when I came home and my hiking partner had bugs go in his mouth and eye. We saw poison oak and although I checked my dog thoroughly for ticks after the hike and found none, she is good at staying on the trail so I would be cautious with wandering pups. Overall, the trail is moderate and if maintained would be spectacular. However, the blatant disregard for the trail is a solid reason to take away a star. The other reason is that there is no parking in the area, with the exception of the museum parking lot and we paid $10 to park over a half mile away from the trailhead on a hike that will take you an hour max. Still, while this trail was disenchating, we did drive past a few other parks and trailheads in the area with free parking that we were previously unaware of and will most likely be back another day to try those.

Came for my third visit during a dry spell in January. Very nice! So green and cool. Did the…read moreDown and Up trail. Came in the afternoon on a Saturday. I thought the parking lot would be full, but there were som spots.

Family-friendly hiking trail! It's quite an easy 4-mile loop to the river. You see a lot of people…read morehorseback riding, walking their dogs and families having a leisurely time. It was a chilly day but it was a clean trail, not too muddy, next to a stream the entire way down to the river! The parking is also clean and has bathrooms close by.

We love it out here, and are repeat camping visitors. They have some nice tent sites along the day…read moreuse area and some quiet and large sites at the top of the hill. They do have some plug in sites, but we just dry camp it with a generator and water jugs. There's a nice boat ramp and the place always feels safe enough to leave our kayaks on the beach between days. Fishing is too notch and the lake itself is beautiful.

My first time camping here and our experience was fabulous!…read more Our site was gorgeous offering lovely lake views. The grounds are kept quite clean. The day use area was right near our site which we used each day to paddle board and enjoy other water activities. The waterfall hike was so pretty- we all took the cold plunge!

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.

This is a very beautiful hike. I would definitely go in the springtime because the water is flowing…read morepretty heavily. A lot of picture spots in here as you hike up the river. When you get to the top, you see Bassey Falls, where people were laying out somewhere swimming others just enjoy enjoying lunch but overall it was a really nice day.

Bathroom locked. Road closed to parking lot. Parked along Ice House Road which added about a mile…read moreto our hike. Some minor stream crossings. Some snow patches. Waterfall raging. Beautiful views.

On AllTrails app search "Western States Trail to Calcutta Falls". Parallel Parking on the street…read moreClose to the trailhead - get here early otherwise your parking will be part of your hike. It's early spring. There is lots of wildflowers - lots and lots of butterflies to see. Got to see many reptiles - skinks and a variety of lizards. Many hawks flying overhead. Lots of amazing views of the river. And a couple of small waterfalls. Walked further than the posted trail on All Trails just to add some extra mileage.

We stopped by on a Friday afternoon and the sun was peaking in and out from the clouds. The…read moreopening to the trail can be easily missed so just pay attention to the signs. The address on Yelp is not accurate so I would suggest using Google for directions. Parking is limited so if you don't get lucky with snagging one of the parking spots in the front then just park down the corridor and make the walk back up. The entire trail itself is flat with very little to no incline. We had my three younger nieces with us and they were able to physically complete the hike with no complaints. As you reach the bridge, walk across it and keep going to see the end prize of a gorgeous waterfall. The hike will amaze you with some scenic views of beautiful mountain backdrops with clear waters roaming down the stream. It was a very peaceful and therapeutic experience. We were able to have conversations without the disruptions of life, and we had a chance to soak in nature without the nuances of digital connectivity. So -- bring some water, snacks, and maybe a light lunch to enjoy the short and yet breathtaking experience with your loved ones. P.S. you will pass a few mini waterfalls before getting to the grand prize. Even if you don't see or hear anything for a while, just keep going because once you turn the corner -- it will all have been worth it. Although I'm an avid hiker and have walked through many trails throughout the state, this trail will remain my favorite trail in all of California.

This is a beautiful trail with asphalt the entire way. Be ready for a hill climb if you're heading…read morefrom El Dorado to the end of the trail. The bonus is you get to ride down on your return trip.

Do people get on your nerves? Do you ever feel drained of energy after spending time around people?…read moreLOL! Well perhaps you need some soul refreshment in nature, doing something physical, away from people. Look no further than the El Dorado Trail. And if you like the scent of forest, this is a great place to get it without having to drive fully into the Sierras. It's a 30 min/ 25 mile drive from Carmichael. There are 4-6 parking areas where you can hook onto the trail. I used 4451 Missouri Flat Rd, Placerville, (free, no time limit) and went east. Dont make me regret telling you this, but if you're lucky, you might get a glimpse of the Long-tailed Weasel in this general area. Google maps shows two port-a-potty units in the parking lot but they're gone. The one located about 1-3 miles east of downtown Placerville is still there. There's a public restroom on Main St in downtown Placerville. The path is mostly smooth but there's patches of lifted asphalt, so be careful. I used the trail as a bicyclist so my review is from that perspective. The route for a road bicycle is about 23 miles if you add Placerville Rd and Ray Lawyer (this "cat's claw" shape adds 3 miles and a good climb if you are turning left onto Ray Lawyer from Placerville Rd. The route starts out with a hint of downhill but then climbs steadily. Once you get to Halcon at the end of the paved route and you return on the same route, you'll be headed downhill. Be careful carrying speed, there's some inconsistencies with the pavement. And the two bridges that you cross are rustic styled and not smooth for a road bike. There's a third bridge, paved, that goes over El Dorado Freeway/50. The trail breaks up in a few places and you use the shoulder of the road to connect the sections of bike path. The trail is open to pedestrians, cyclists (non-motorized), and equestrians. There were very few trail users which I really liked. This is a good series of trails and if your tooling around downtown Placerville, it's a great way to walk off lunch!