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On a typical summer weekend, the American River Parkway sees thousands of visitors — walkers, runners, equestrians, cyclists, skaters, picnickers, paddle boarders, kayakers and people just out to dip their toes into cool water. It’s one of the largest urban parkways in the United States, with towering oaks, grassy meadows and tangles of wildflowers including lupine and poppies. It’s also home to wildlife such as birds, deer, bobcats, raccoons and, of course, rattlesnakes.

Each year, according to the American River Parkway Foundation, some 8 million people frequent the trails, beaches, parks and waterways along 23 miles between Discovery Park and Nimbus Dam, which generates more than $364 million in revenue for the Sacramento region. An additional nine significant miles of the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail (known colloquially as the American River Bike Trail) continue from Nimbus Dam, past Folsom’s Historic District, to Beals Point at Folsom Lake. Locals regard the parkway and its associated trails and waters as a collective gem, an extension of their own backyards.

Beautiful natural resources like this make Northern California a popular destination for recreation lovers. In fact, in California in 2023, some $81.5 billion was generated from outdoor recreation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. In 2023, the outdoor industry accounted for 2.1 percent of California’s economy and generated approximately 545,500 jobs in the state.

“Recent research supports our understanding that consumers have strong interest in all kinds of outdoor activities,” says Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of Visit California, citing statistics from SMARInsights, a market research organization that studies the travel and tourism industries. “Among California visitors in 2024, 21 percent said they went on a hike, and 39 percent said they chose California as a destination to explore the outdoors. Beaches, state and national parks, and outdoor activities such as biking, ziplining and watersports, are all strong motivators.”

Let’s head outdoors.

Greater Sacramento region

Several dams along the American River create two popular lakes, both within Folsom Lake State Recreation Area. Encompassing some 19,000 acres stretching into Sacramento, Placer and El Dorado counties, the park brings approximately 2 million visitors each year. At Folsom Lake’s primary access points — Rattlesnake Bar, Granite Bay, Beals Point, Folsom Point and Brown’s Ravine — parking lots fill fast during summer months as boaters queue up to launch for a day of water skiing and tubing.

This season, Folsom Lake is closed to trailered and motorized vessels until May 15. To prevent spread of invasive golden mussels, boats must undergo inspection and a mandatory 30-day quarantine before launching. Inspections began April 14, and boaters should check the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area Facebook page for current inspecting sites.

“Recent research supports our understanding that consumers have strong interest in all kinds of outdoor activities.”

Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of Visit California

The American River Bike Trail skirts the bluffs along Lake Natoma, a prime spot for cyclists and runners. Also, Shadow Glen Riding Stables leads horseback rides from its Fair Oaks hub, picking up trails alongside the American River and Lake Natoma. Riders enjoy plenty of sunshine, shade and hilly terrain, and they might encounter deer, jackrabbits, turkeys and other birds, and maybe even coyotes or bobcats. One- and two-hour rides ($55 and $95 per rider), led by certified wranglers, are open to adults and children age 7 and older.

With a maximum on-water speed of 5 mph, Lake Natoma is calm and particularly welcoming for paddlers in kayaks and on stand-up boards. Off Hazel Avenue, Sacramento State Aquatic Center — a cooperative of Sac State, California Division of Boating and Waterways, California Parks and Recreation and the Bureau of Reclamation — is the region’s go-to spot for equipment rentals and lessons in sailing, paddling, windsurfing, boating safety, water skiing and wakeboarding.

“Our niche is beginner to intermediate,” says Brian Dulgar, aquatic center director. “We want people to get out and recreate, see the eagles and the other wildlife, and just escape,” he says, estimating the center serves approximately 44,000 people each year and, on summer weekends, processes as many as 1,000 equipment rentals. The aquatic center’s kids’ camps entertain and teach hundreds of kids each session. Also, the center is home to Sac State and Capital Crew rowing teams, and it hosts rowing championship competitions each year, bringing people and revenue to area hotels, restaurants and other associated businesses.

Water parks in the area beckon participants to swim, boat, ride personal watercraft or water ski. Bell Acqua, a 78-acre water ski-centered community in Rio Linda, includes three professional water ski tournament lakes. With a private, membership-only component as well as space and services available to the public, Bell Acqua provides ideal conditions for water skiers ranging from beginners taking their first lesson to elite competitors practicing their jumps and tricks. At Wake Island Waterpark in Pleasant Grove, participants will find a massive floating, splashing playground of slides, fountains, pillows, wheels and a zipline soaring above.

The park also has a cable wakeboard section for those at least 10 years old, with lessons available. Other water parks include Folsom’s Steve Miklos Aquatic Center, with three pools, interactive water features and a giant inflatable obstacle course; Roseville’s Golfland Sunsplash, with waterslides, a wave pool and lazy river; Wackford Aquatic Complex in Elk Grove, with an inflatable obstacle course, waterslide and interactive splash playground for the littles; and the North Natomas Aquatics Complex with its 25-yard pool.

Yolo and Solano counties

A road trip along Interstate 80 west of Sacramento leads to the 16,000-acre Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area near the causeway, at the heart of the Pacific Flyway. Visitors can expect to see migratory birds, shorebirds, raptors, turtles, toads and bats in these wetlands. It’s a prime spot for bird watchers. Fishing is allowed, and strictly regulated hunting takes place as well.

For early risers, Yolo Ballooning Adventures lifts off from Turkovich Family Wines in Winters, floating passengers in a colorful hot air balloon above vineyards, alfalfa fields, nut orchards and summer sunflower blooms. Shared flights cost $299.

Farther west, in the hills near Benicia, breezes blow in off the Carquinez Strait, making for a cool respite from hot Sacramento summer days. At Benicia State Recreation Area, off Highway 780, trails for walking, cycling and horseback riding traverse grassy hills sometimes thick with wildflowers, affording excellent views from Dillon’s Point — a prime fishing spot. Near the picnic grounds, the Forrest Deaner Native Plant Botanic Garden has interpretive signs helping visitors identify what’s growing. Also in Benicia, near W. K Street and Military West, hikers can pick up the San Francisco Bay and Bay Ridge trails, which include some horseshoe-shaped offshoots into the hills and alongside the water.   

Foothills

The Sierra Nevada foothills provide a plethora of opportunities for outdoor recreation, including the Auburn State Recreation Area, with some 40 miles of trails for running, hiking and mountain biking near the Confluence (of the Middle and North forks of the American River), just outside Auburn’s downtown. The river flows beneath the iconic Foresthill Bridge — the highest bridge in California at 730 feet above the water. The Lake Clementine Trail, approximately 4 miles out and back, takes users to a vantage point for the falls cascading from North Fork Dam — a spectacular sight.

About 15 miles south on Highway 49 from the Confluence, Coloma and Lotus are home to several companies that lead whitewater rafting expeditions on the American River. Rafters can choose from a variety of half-day, full-day and overnight campout trips with or without meals provided, with rides through rapids ranging from the most challenging (with names like Meatgrinder, Troublemaker and Racehorse Bend) to milder currents fit for families with younger children. Places to check out include OARS, American Whitewater Expeditions and WET River Trips, among others.

For a different kind of adventure, Rail Explorers Amador in Ione runs tours from pedal-powered rail-riding vehicles. They have two- and four-seat combos for the two-hour Gold Country Express excursion. (See this month’s Off The Beaten Track.) For a similar outing closer to home, River Fox Train runs tandem railbike excursions alongside the Sacramento River in Yolo County.    

Lake Tahoe

The Lake Tahoe area thrives during summertime, with recreation-seekers flocking to the clear-blue alpine lake to swim, boat, water ski, parasail, paddle board, hike, cycle and climb. Several ski resorts, including Palisades, Heavenly and Northstar, operate adventure parks during warm-weather months, typically opening in May and June (weather permitting). At Palisades in Olympic Valley, between Truckee and Tahoe’s North Shore, Tahoe Via Ferrata (operated by Alpenglow Expeditions) brings an exhilarating combination of hiking and rock climbing high above the valley floor.

Via ferratas, Italian for “iron paths,” originated during World War I, when metal rungs and cables driven into stone aided soldiers in crossing the Alps. Tahoe Via Ferrata has applied this concept to the imposing Tram Face granite peak at Palisades, giving adventurers a pathway to scale the mountain, admire the panoramic views while staying safely harnessed (and helmeted) to the mountain the whole time. Tours can be two, three or four hours, in guided groups or private, and anyone 3-feet, 11 inches or taller can climb. Rates start at $170 per person.

Also near Truckee, at Northstar (a Vail resort), a mountain biking park famous for its dusty, rocky trails serves riders ranging from beginner to very advanced. The park has lessons, rentals, lifts and lots of challenging “black diamond” runs that require solid technical skills and plenty of verve for the downhill plunge. “While Northstar has historically been a destination for gravity-loving riders and bike park pros,” says Ashlee Lambert, senior communications manager for Vail’s Tahoe region, “we’ve been expanding to welcome more beginner and intermediate bikers with progression-focused zones and new beginner/intermediate-friendly races and events.” Single-day tickets are $95 for adults.

At Heavenly (a Vail resort on South Shore), Epic Discovery has a variety of family-friendly thrills: gondola rides with stunning views, the Ridge Rider gravity-powered mountain coaster for two (through forests, between rocks), a climbing wall, 250- and 500-foot tubing surfaces, gemstone panning, a ropes course and a zip line that soars high above the lake. Prices vary, depending on activities chosen. “We’re seeing more creative uses of our resorts every year,” says Lambert. “Corporate offsites that mix meetings with mountain recreation; weddings where the whole party goes hiking or biking before or after the big day . . . our summer venues make for memorable group experiences.”

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