Spring is the season this region does well. The heat has not arrived yet, the winter chill is gone, the hillsides are green, and the trees are full. If you have allergies, they will also arrive on schedule, which is the honest version of that sentence.
What you do with a spring day here comes down to how much walking you want. There are wildflower hikes with water at the end, parks built for a blanket and a sandwich, and gardens that are only worth seeing for a few weeks a year. Here is how I would sort them.
WILDFLOWER HIKES WITH WATER AT THE END
Buttermilk Bend Trail, Auburn. Poppies, lupine, and buttercups are the draw on this hike in the Auburn State Recreation Area. It is just over a mile out and back, and it hugs the South Yuba River for most of its length, so you get river views the whole way. Guided hikes run through the spring, and there is a restored historic covered bridge at the trailhead.
Hidden Falls, Auburn. Hidden Falls Regional Park holds more than 30 miles of multi-use trails at different levels of difficulty. The trail to the falls itself is easy, and a viewing platform gives you the payoff. Other trails look out over rolling, oak-studded hillsides with wildflowers on full display. Parking reservations are required on weekends, so plan that before you go.
North Table Mountain, Oroville. Green rolling hills laced with vernal streams and pools, poppies and lupine across the landscape, and the occasional cow. If you want a longer day, continue to Phantom Falls, where spring runoff drops over the basalt mesa. That out-and-back is around four miles. Dogs are allowed and a land pass is required.
PARKS THAT ARE BUILT FOR A PICNIC
William Land Park, Sacramento. In the Land Park neighborhood, this is the easy answer for a spring picnic: plenty of picnic tables and barbecues, plus open grass if you would rather spread out a blanket. There is a historic rock garden with colorful flowers and blooming trees, including many California natives.
Henningsen Lotus Park, Lotus. Along the edge of the South Fork of the American River in the El Dorado County town of Lotus, this one gives you river canyon views with your lunch. Picnic tables and shade structures, and you can bring your own grill. The blossoming trees are the best part of spring here.
Dry Creek Community Park, Roseville. A big park in Roseville with barbecues, picnic tables, and a playground, plus creek access and a mellow walking path lined with wildflowers in spring.
GARDENS, AND WHAT IS BLOOMING IN THEM
Jensen Botanical Garden, Carmichael. A garden along the American River known for color, especially in spring. Ponds and winding paths make it a quiet place to walk, and the tulips are the reason people go.
UC Davis Arboretum, Davis. A 100-acre public garden along the banks of Putah Creek, with demonstration gardens holding plants from around the globe and native California species. A 3.5-mile trail runs through it and you can walk as much or as little as you like. They hold plant sales on select spring days, so you can take part of the garden home.
Crystal Hermitage Gardens, Nevada City. Above Nevada City, this garden is part of Ananda Village, a cooperative spiritual community and retreat center. Meditation areas, pathways, and quiet spaces built for reflection. The tulip displays are the main event in spring.
THE COMPARISON I REACH FOR, AND WHERE IT STOPS WORKING
The comparison I keep coming back to is a farmers market at the peak of the season. Everything is at its best at the same time, and all of it is temporary. You either show up inside the window or you wait a year.
Then the comparison breaks. A market has set hours and a roof. Spring here has neither. The blooms do not announce a last day, the runoff does not run on a schedule you can check, and the lot at a popular trailhead fills before you would think to leave the house.
WHAT TO WEIGH BEFORE YOU GO
Spring is not free, and the costs are mostly time and planning.
- Weekend reservations. Hidden Falls requires parking reservations on weekends. Without one, you are turning around.
- Permits. North Table Mountain needs a land pass.
- Timing. Waterfalls run on spring runoff. Go late in the season and the show is smaller.
- Allergies. Everything is blooming, which is wonderful and also the reason some people stay inside.
- Crowds. The famous wildflower spots are famous. Early beats popular.
If you are weighing areas around these spots, the neighborhoods hub is where I keep the area guides, and the buying process page covers the order of events if you are early in the search.
Question for you: on your ideal spring day here, are you walking to a waterfall or sitting still with a blanket? The answer usually tells me more about the area than any list does.
Adapted from Where to Spend a Spring Day in the Sacramento Area, originally published by Windermere Signature Properties at windermerecalocal.com.
WHEN YOU ARE READY
Let’s talk about what you want in an area.
Send me the areas you are considering and what matters most to you. I will tell you what each one is actually like, including the parts that argue against it. Nothing is committed by asking.