People ask me where to ride around Sacramento, and the honest answer depends on how much riding you actually do. The region has one long spine and a set of smaller trails that feed into it. Once you know which rider you are, the rest is simple.
The spine is the American River Bike Trail, also called the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail. It is a multi-use trail that runs along the river from Old Sacramento to Folsom. Beginners and advanced riders share it with walkers, joggers, and equestrians. You can pick it up from parks all along the American River Parkway, and those parks double as places to stop and rest.
THE TRAIL THE REGION IS BUILT AROUND
The American River corridor does most of the heavy lifting. That trail is the reason a lot of people here own a bike at all, and the parks along the parkway let you start wherever it suits your distance. Folsom is the eastern end and Old Sacramento is the western one, so you can ride the whole thing or a third of it and still finish somewhere worth stopping.
Davis handles riding differently, and it is worth the trip. Davis has more than 100 miles of bike paths and lanes, and the infrastructure goes past paint: designated bike parking, bike-friendly intersections, and roundabouts. A trail circles the city through greenbelts and local parks. It is a large part of why people call Davis the Bicycle Capital of America.
EASY RIDES, FOR A FIRST SEASON ON TWO WHEELS
Willow Creek Trail, Folsom. Under two miles, winding through the woods beside the creek that feeds the American River. Bridges, wildflowers, and shade for warm afternoons. It also connects to the American River Bike Trail, so you can add distance when you are ready.
UC Davis Arboretum Trail, Davis. About 3.6 miles along Putah Creek, mostly flat and wide. The scenery is the point: a redwood grove, native plants, and demonstration gardens holding flora from around the world. Spring turns the whole route into a bloom.
Sacramento River Parkway Trail, Sacramento. Roughly 9.5 miles out and back, paved and smooth. It starts in the Land Park area, follows the Sacramento River past Old Sacramento, and reaches Discovery Park. River views the whole way, with Old Sacramento as the obvious rest stop.
INTERMEDIATE RIDES, FOR WHEN A FLAT HOUR IS NOT ENOUGH
Miner’s Ravine Trail, Roseville. Just over six miles of paved trail through a ravine lined with oak trees, bright green grassland in spring, and creek-side habitat. It rolls up and over hillsides, and that slight elevation gain is what moves it out of the beginner column.
El Dorado Trail, El Dorado County. A series of connected trails, some paved and some not, crossing different parts of the county. Open grassland with spring wildflowers at one end, forested mountains at the other, foothills views throughout. The most popular stretch runs between Placerville and Camino on a gradual climb.
Union Valley Reservoir Trail, Kyburz. This one connects the campground at a lake in the Crystal Basin Recreation Area east of Placerville. Water views, forest, a few bridges, and several climbs. It is a workout more than a cruise.
ADVANCED RIDES, WHERE THE WIND GETS A VOTE
South River Road, Clarksburg. It runs from West Sacramento to Clarksburg in Yolo County. It is demanding because of the length and because it shares a narrow levee road that can be windy. The payoff is vineyards, orchards, river views, and working farmland. You can stop at one of the Clarksburg-area wineries before you turn back.
Capay Valley, Yolo County. Backroads past orchards, farms, and fields of sunflowers, with the hills behind them. Rest and refuel at the Roadside Bar & Grill in Capay, and ride as much or as little as you like.
THE RULES ON A SHARED TRAIL
The American River Bike Trail carries everyone, so it has rules, and they are worth reading before your first ride.
- Walkers and joggers stay on the left, soft shoulder, facing traffic.
- Bike riders and in-line skaters stay on the paved path, right of the yellow line.
- The speed limit is 15 mph and it is enforced.
- Pass on the left only, and say it out loud: “On your left.”
- Horses are not allowed on the paved surface except at trail crossings and bridges, and riders yield to horses.
THE COMPARISON I REACH FOR, AND WHERE IT STOPS WORKING
I think of the network as a river system. The American River Parkway is the main channel. Willow Creek feeds riders in from Folsom. The Sacramento River Parkway runs its own parallel course. The smaller trails drop people onto the spine from the parks.
That holds until you push on it. A river does not have a yellow line down the middle. It does not post a speed limit. It has never needed a rider to call out a pass. The trails work only because the people on them agree to the same few rules, and that is a human arrangement no river has ever had to make.
WHAT TO WEIGH BEFORE YOU GO
Here is the part the brochures leave out. This is a spring and fall riding region more than a summer one. Summer afternoons are hot, and the American River trail has shade in stretches, not everywhere. Ride in July and you ride early or you stop enjoying it.
- The wind is real. The valley and the levee roads both funnel it. South River Road is described as windy for a reason, and it changes what the ride costs you.
- Trail traffic. On a good spring weekend the popular stretches are busy with walkers, joggers, riders, and horses. Want an empty path? Go early.
- 15 mph is the cap. On the shared trail you are not training for speed. Use the road routes for that.
- You will drive to the good ones. Folsom, Davis, Roseville, Kyburz, Clarksburg, and Capay are not one place. Most rides start with a car.
Two pages worth keeping open: the neighborhoods hub if you are deciding where to live, and the buying process page if you are at the start of that.
Question for you: if the riding is what pulls you here, which matters more, a flat trail leaving from your own driveway, or hills you have to drive to? Those two answers point at different parts of the region.
Adapted from The Best Scenic Bike Routes for Every Skill Level, originally published by Windermere Signature Properties at windermerecalocal.com.
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