Spring is the best window for a drive in the Sacramento region, and it is short. The hills are green, the sky is clear, and the wildflowers are doing the heavy lifting. The good news is that most of it can be seen without leaving the car.
The region has mountain passes, winding country roads, and Gold Rush towns, and they are close enough for a day. Here are four routes worth the fuel, plus an honest look at what can go wrong on each one.
HIGHWAY 49 FROM AUBURN TO PLACERVILLE
Highway 49 is the Golden Chain Highway, running from Sierra County in the north down to Madera County. The stretch from Auburn to Placerville is the one people argue is the most scenic, and it is the easiest to reach from the Sacramento area. Start near the Auburn State Recreation Area for views of the North Fork of the American River. Heading southeast, you pass oak-dotted hills and rolling green country with river views along the way. Cronan Ranch Regional Trails Park is covered in orange poppies and purple lupine this time of year. Further south is Coloma, where gold was first discovered. You can learn about mining in the region and cool off with a dip in the river. The highway finishes in Placerville, where Main Street is historic and food is easy to find.
THE DELTA ALONG RIVER ROAD
River Road, also Highway 160, is minutes from the city and feels like another place. The drive passes farmland, vineyards, and orchards with river views the whole way. Pick it up near Freeport Boulevard and I-5 near Elk Grove, then choose a side.
Cross the green bridge to the Yolo County side and you are in the Clarksburg wine growing region, where the wineries are numerous and some have water views. The farm roads and sloughs crisscross the landscape, and it is fine to get a little lost, because the sunsets are worth it.
Stay on the Sacramento County side and the scenery is just as good: boats moving up the river, people fishing along the banks, and rolling hills covered in vineyards. Scribner Bend Vineyards is a good pit stop for wine tasting and wood-fired pizza. Further along is the town of Hood, and nearby is Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, with walking paths, guided docent walks, and guided paddle tours. Keep going and you reach Locke, a historic town and National Historic Landmark that tells the story of Chinese settlers in the area. You can explore the original buildings, browse the museums, and eat before turning around.
CAPAY VALLEY IN YOLO COUNTY
Capay Valley, west of Woodland and reached by Highway 16, is one of the prettiest spring drives in the region. It is known for its burst of blossoms, especially the almond trees. Bright green hillsides, neat rows of vineyards, and the mellow Dunnigan Hills in the background do the rest. Family-run farms and wineries line the route, including Grindstone Wines, Taber Ranch Vineyards, and Seka Hills, which also pours estate-grown olive oil. There are places to pick your own flowers, including the Park Winters Flower Farm, which serves small bites in an open-air pavilion. If you want to stretch your legs, Cache Creek Canyon Regional Park at the northern end of Highway 16 has hiking trails and river access.
SALMON FALLS ROAD AND FOLSOM LAKE
Folsom Lake is one of the best places to spot wildflowers in the region, and Salmon Falls Road in El Dorado Hills is the way to reach it. Get on Salmon Falls Road from El Dorado Hills Boulevard off Highway 50. At Green Valley Road, detour to Brown’s Ravine, a lakeside recreation area and marina known for the purple lupines that erupt on its banks in spring. Further up the road, the Monte Vista Trail and the Old Salmon Falls Assembly Area both give you lake access.
Continuing north, you pass country estates and horse ranches until you reach the Salmon Falls Bridge over the South Fork of the American River. There are trailheads and water access points here too. The road keeps going, winding past oak forests and open grasslands to the town of Pilot Hill. From there, Rattlesnake Bar Road takes you back to the lake, or Highway 49 north takes you into Auburn.
WHAT CAN GO WRONG ON A SPRING DRIVE
- Timing. Most blooms peak between March and May, and going a week early or late changes what you see.
- Fuel. Rural stretches may not have cell service, so fill up or charge up before you head out.
- Weather. Spring can be hot one day and rainy the next. Pack a rain jacket and sunscreen in the same bag.
- Closures. Farm stands, tasting rooms, and guided walks run on their own calendars, and guided docent walks are not daily.
- Crowds. Midweek is quieter and the roads are emptier. On a weekend, go early.
- Rigid plans. The best version of this drive is the one where you stop for the photo, the picnic, and the roadside farm stand.
THE COMPARISON I REACH FOR, AND WHERE IT STOPS WORKING
I think of a spring drive as a slideshow you control. Green hills, blossoms, a river, and a historic main street, one frame after another.
Where that stops working is the windshield. A slideshow is watched from a seat, and if you stay in the car, every one of these routes is just scenery through glass. The drive only pays off when you get out at Cronan Ranch, at the flower farm, on the docent walk, and at the river. The comparison is right about the sequence and wrong about the point. The point is stopping.
If one of these drives has you wondering about a town you passed through, the neighborhoods hub has the area guides, and my about page explains how I work with buyers and sellers across the region.
Question for you: do you take a drive to get somewhere, or to see something on the way? If it is the second one, Highway 49 should be first on your list.
Adapted from Beautiful Spring Drives in the Sacramento Area, originally published by Windermere Signature Properties at windermerecalocal.com.
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