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Horse Campgrounds/Trail riding
Eldorado National Forest / 1-800-280-CAMP
The following campgrounds offer facilities for horsetrailers and stock, and offer access to hundreds of miles of trails on which equestrian use is permitted.
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DRU BARNER PARK (G) - Elevation 3,000'. 16 Units for equestrian and/or single family use. No fee, no water, no toliets. From Wentworth Springs Road, five miles east of Georgetown, turn left on Bypass Road. Go 1 1/2 miles on gravel road to the park. No motorcycles. Equestrian Trail Nearby. No reservations. ·
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Pacific Crest Trail - The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail extends 2,600 miles from Canada to Mexico. It passes through 23 National Forests, including several Wilderness areas, 7 National Parks and other numerous portions of government and private lands. From the North, the Pacific Crest Trail enters the Eldorado National National Forest in Desolation Wilderness. It continues south jogging back and forth between the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and the Toiyabe and El Dorado National Forests. The entire Pacific Crest Trail is closed to all types of vehicles, including bicycles. For more information and specific trailhead information, please visit the Pacific Crest Trail Association Web Site at: www.pcta.org
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LOON LAKE EQUESTRIAN GROUP (Pac) - Elevation 6,500'. Access to Desolation Wilderness. 5 Units. $35 Fee, 25 people, piped water, vault toliets, picnic tables. Located on Loon Lake in the Crystal Basin, approximately 29 miles north of HWY 50 via the Ice House and Loon Lake Roads. Reservations are required through the National Forest Reservation Company from 05/24 through 09/10.
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TELL CREEK HORSE CAMP (Pac) - Elevation 6,300'. Access to Desolation Wilderness, Primitive equestrian camping available. Narrow paved road, no water, no toliets. Stream water available. From HWY 50 about 20 miles east of Placerville, turn on Ice House Road, Travel north about 20 miles to Robbs Saddle, turn right (east) on Tells Creek Road (signed as Tells Creek Horse Camp/Desolation Wilderness Trail Head, forest road #13N22). Travel six miles to the parking area on the right. A corral is available just before reaching the parking area.
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WRIGHTS LAKE (Pac) - Elevation 7,000'. Access to Desolation Wilderness. Campground, picnic units and equestrian camping. No motor boats. Equestrian camping is available in the horse meadow, with no facilities and no fee or reservations. Reservations for the family campground will be required 07/12 to 09/02 and may be made through the National Forest Reservation Company. Weather permitting, the campground is available on a first come, first served basis before and after these dates. Located 34 miles east of Placerville and 8 miles north of HWY 50 on Wrights Lake Road, in the Crystal Basin.
Equestrian use is permitted on most Eldorado National Forest Land, including trails into the Desolation Wilderness and Mokelumne Wilderness. In the wilderness areas, use is restricted to hikers, horses, llamas and the like. Bicycles and motorized vehicles are not permitted. In forest areas outside of the wilderness, hiking trails may also be shared with mountain bikes and/or motorized vehicles. Free permits must be obtained for wilderness entry.
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South Fork of American River, Cronin Ranch Trail - Pilot Hill
This 1,414 Acre Ranch was acquired in 2004 for a tentative opening late spring 2005. This trail system includes 440 acres of river frontage in Pilot Hill area, off Hwy 49 and Pedro Hill Rd. Overall this is part of a 20-mile regional trails park including an eight-mile river trail from Highway 49 to the Salmon Falls Bridge at the upper ;end of Folsom Lake.
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Traylor Ranch Nature Preserve
Placer County (Penryn)
88 Acre Nature Preserve with 3.5 miles of trails, 3 picnic areas with tables and portable toilets, horse tie posts and horse watering troughs. Previously it had been a small cattle ranch for 42 years. Located in Penryn in Placer County. All 11 trails are marked. Some trails closed during wet times. No motorized vehicles. Trailers and cars may park at the Humphrey Road Lot near English Colony Way
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Auburn-Cool Trail (ACT)
The shortest distance between the two points of Auburn and Cool follows the direct route across the 1/2 mile-long tunnel at the former Auburn Dam site. This route has been in use since the early 1970's when construction of the tunnel diverted the North Fork American River from its natural bed. It opened officially in 1996. There are three miles of 30-foot-wide paved road and two miles of gravel road built for dam construction and now seldom used. One reason for the low official use is that the gravel portions were built to low standards for temporary use, and these portions often wash out in winter. This seldom preclude its use as a trail, however. The route provides the only crossing of the river canyons above Folsom Dam besides Highway 49.
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COOL STAGING AREA - OLMSTEAD LOOP
Olmstead Loop Trail is a gorgeous 9-mile loop on Knickerbocker Flats with a Staging Area behind the Fire Station in Cool, off Hwy 49,
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The Auburn end starts at Maidu Drive, just across from the buildings once used for construction offices. The road has a green gate with open field to either side and a faded sign that still says, No Public Access, as if the land were privately owned, and Construction Vehicles Only, though dam construction stopped in 1976. The way around the gate is built to the right, near the small Shirland Canal. The road goes up slightly, then downhill to intersect with the road over the abutment to the Fairgrounds area. Turn right past a fenced storage compound to go down to the river. There is a dirt road shortcut to the left just past the compound, and this is marked as the officially open route, but bikes may prefer to stay on the pavement around the curve. At the outside of the sharp bend to the left on the paved road, the trail to Oregon Bar and Rattlesnake bar comes close to the pavement but is not marked here.
The scenery from the trail is very interesting. Small waterfalls fill each gulch in spring. Remnants of stone walls, barriers to nothing, remain from the Gold Rush. Views to the south and west down the canyon show large expanses of the lower foothills with few interruptions. The falls of Knickerbocker Creek can be seen across the canyon.
Further down the trail, occasional washouts in winter may allow hikers, bikers, and horses, but not vehicles, around them. In 1986, a large segment on the Auburn side slid into the river after the 250-foot-high coffer dam just upstream broke, and the road was later rebuilt higher on the slope. In 1992, washouts required $400,000 in FEMA funding to repair.
The scene at the river bed is of a large-scale washout and dam construction, but native vegetation is gradually growing back. The river bed is a boulder garden and bikes may need to be carried a short distance until is is regraded in summer. At extreme flood flows, the river reclaims its river bed and rearranges the rocks in the channel, but soon settles back into the tunnel.
After crossing the riverbed, the trail goes up the hill to the south and below the concrete abutment of the would-have-been dam. The trail winds up and past the boat ramp site that was built 700 feet above the river bed, where Salt Creek is channeled in concrete and falls into a growing chasm of erosion. It continues up a branch of Salt Creek, crosses the Olmstead Loop Trail, and meets the paved road in the pastoral countryside of Knickerbocker Flats. Turn left on the 30-foot-wide paved road, and Cool is only 1.5 miles away. (To the right, the paved road goes to the south dam abutment, then its surface is unmaintained dirt down to the river.)
There is a route built around the gate at Cool where the ACT ends near the Northside Fire Station. This trailhead provides ample parking, water, and signboard. It is very popular for parking horse trailers. However, most visitors take the Olstead Loop and other trails from this point, not noticing the route around the locked, intimidating gate on the paved road.
The ACT is quite suitable for all trail uses. Hikers can find tennis-shoe comfort even on wet days. Horses can have wide road shoulders to themselves. On the Cool side, the paved road might just be the best roller-blading around, if anyone knew about it. Bikers can save time on the pavement and the long downhill cruises, and either walk or get a challenging workout on the climbs. Beginning bikers can go there to avoid conflicts on the narrower and more crowded trails. The trail is also the best way to simply get to the other side of the canyon, since other trails are closed to bikes and Highway 49 has increased its vehicle traffic several fold in recent years, while remaining a substandard mountain road since before the dam project started.
Light traffic on the ACT near Cool
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California
Foresthill to Auburn
The ADT descends from Foresthill on the Western States Trail to Fords Bar on the Middle Fork of the American River. The trail then follows the river downstream to the Ruck A Chucky Campground. From here the ADT leaves the Western States Trail and goes upgrade on the Drivers Flat Road to the Foresthill Loop Trail, a few miles on this trail to Foresthill Road, downgrade on the road and the Confluence Trail brings the ADT to the confluence of the north and middle forks of the American River. After rejoining the Western States Trail and crossing the American River on the No Hands Bridge, an historical abandoned railroad bridge, the ADT goes upgrade to Robie Point and then to the Pacific Avenue Trailhead for the Western States Trail in Auburn.
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American Canyon Trail
Trailhead / Parking
Trailhead is on Pilgrim Way east of Cool. Take Hwy 49 south to Cool. Turn left on Hwy 193 at blinking red light and drive six miles. Turn left on Pilgrim Way and look for the trailhead on right side just above the gated entrance to Auburn Lakes Trails development. Ample curbside parking is available along Pilgrim Way on both sides of trailhead.
Distance
2.4 miles to river / 1 hour down, 2 hours up (hiking)
Difficulty
Easy down, moderate up
This well maintained trail has everything you need for a great day of exploration – rugged mountain canyons, a beautiful stream with waterfalls, a wide variety of plant and animal life, gold rush-era history, and panoramic views of the Middle Fork American River. This is an excellent hike for bird lovers and picture takers – even artists with drawing pads and paint boxes. Remember your binoculars and camera, and don’t forget a lunch tucked into your backpack to enjoy while you savor the scenery.
The trail is densely treed along the first half, mostly with various species of oak and pine. Laurel, blackberry bushes, and poison oak can also be found along most of the trail. After the first mile, the trail gets more sunlight and will be hot in the summer – early morning hikes are recommended.
This trail joins the historic Western States Trail (WST) for a short distance about ¾ miles from the trailhead (see sidebar). Take a right at the first trail intersection with the WST, and a left at the next intersection to stay on the American Canyon Trail. About halfway down the trail is a plaque and shrine erected by friends and fellow joggers to the memory of Barbara Schoener. The plaque describes the 1994 tragedy when Barbara was attacked and killed by a mountain lion while jogging alone on this trail. Many joggers now wear a small bell or whistle when they run on mountain trails, or they run with a friend.
About 1¾ miles from the top, a small, very steep and unmarked side trail on the left leads down to some very nice falls and a great pool where you can escape the heat on a hot summer day. Returning to the main trail, just before it crosses American Canyon Creek, the terrain levels out at the site of an historic gold rush town, once home to thousands of miners but now almost completely reclaimed by mother nature. If you look closely, you may spot a 30-foot high rock dam, hidden behind a pile of tailings, which was built by hand during the gold rush. Nearby, the confluence of the American and Hoboken Creeks offers a beautiful place to cool off while you watch numerous California newts (a.k.a. Firebellies) on the trail and in the pools.
Caution should be exercised throughout the hike due to ankle-high Poison Oak that creeps onto many parts of the trail. And don’t forget sunscreen and ample water.
Sidebar:
The Western States Trail (WST) originally stretched from Sacramento to Utah. The Sierra Crest portion of the trail, blazed by Paiute and Washoe Indians and later used by miners and Pony Express riders, is now the route of two world-famous endurance races: the Tevis Cup Ride for horses and riders, and the Western States 100-mile Endurance Run. Both races begin before dawn at Squaw Valley in the Lake Tahoe Basin and end in Auburn after nightfall, traversing roughly one hundred miles. This part of the WST (from Ruck-A-Chucky campgrounds to the Route 49 crossing) is different for runners and riders. Endurance Runners hug the canyon wall on a narrow, winding trail about 600 feet above the river, while Tevis Cup riders take a wider, flatter trail closer to the river, following the route prospectors used to get from bar to bar along the river. The American Canyon Trail crosses the higher WST for runners and ends at the lower WST where Tevis Cup riders cross the river at Poverty Bar.
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Day TRAIL RIDES
Penobscot Ranch, off Hwy 49 & Hwy 193 in Cool, --15 minutes from Auburn, Trail Rides, boarding facilities,
Summer Camp, lessons, Farm Tours
CALL: Ranch Foreman,
530-888-7800
Also, sunset BBQ rides, lessons, summer horse camp for kids, birthday parties, pony parties, and corporate events.
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