Map of bike paths / walking paths in the Sacramento area

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Recreational trails for walking, running and cycling around Sacramento, California

Sacramento is the capital city of the State of California. It is located in the Central Valley along the confluence of the American River and the Sacramento River in Central California. Other communities in the area include: West Sacramento, Folsom, Rancho Cordova and Arden-Arcade.

This area situated to the east San Francisco, and west from Lake Tahoe, California and from Reno, Nevada. It is located near the Sierra-Nevada Mountain Range where Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park.

Sacramento has a large number of recreational trails for running, walking and cycling. The largest system of trails is the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail, also referred to as the American River Bike Trail. This is a system of 32-miles of paved trail that travels along the American River from Downtown Sacramento to the City of Folsom. There is also the Folsom South Canal Trail that travels along the canal for 16 miles to the southeast of the greater Sacramento metropolitan area. Another lengthy paved trail is the Sacramento Northern Bike Trail that is a Rails-to-Trails project that follows the abandoned rail line heading north from the middle of Sacramento to the town of Elverta. There are multiple other local trail systems that provide outdoor recreation opportunities to the residential communities.

American River Parkway - Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail

The American River Parkway - Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail is a 32-mile long paved system of trails that follows along the American River. It connects multiple parks, neighborhoods, business districts and major roadways along its route. It is the shining star of recreational trails in this area and offers a wonderful way to get through town for commuters, a lovely walk through trees and grassy parks for those going for a stroll, a mecca for bird-watchers and a excellent place for a family outing.

Read more about the American River Parkway - Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail

Folsom South Canal Trail

The Folsom South Canal Trail is a 15.5-mile long paved trail that travels alongside the Folsom South Canal.  The Folsom South Canal is located south and east of the Sacramento Metro Area. The trail extends from the Nimbus Dam at Lake Nathrop at Hazel Avenue and Highway 50 then heads south to the community of Wilton. The canal goes through wide open agricultural areas away from traffic. This is a good trail to take for a fairly straight, level and uninterrupted bike ride as there are long stretches between street intersections.

The north end Folsom Canal Trail starts at Nimbus Dam near the Hazel Avenue Bridge. This is also near the junction with the American River Parkway - Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail and the East Nathrop Lake Trail. The trailhead is near the Sacramento State Aquatic Center. There are also other access trails for getting over to the Folsom South Canal Trail. 

The trail has a tunnel for crossing Highway 50 and an underpass at International Drive. Just south of International Drive you can connect with trails in the Villages of Zinfandel neighborhood and Stone Creek Community Trails. After going under Douglas Road the trail goes by Mather Lake and Mather Regional Park. There is parking available at Jackson Road, where the trail crosses at street level.

The south end of the Folsom South Canal Road is at the Consumnes River about 1.5 miles southeast from Sloughhouse Road.

Read more about the Folsum South Canal Trail

Sacramento Northern Bike Trail

The Sacramento Northern Bike Trail is a 10-mile long paved path that extends from Downtown Sacramento to the community of Elverta north of Sacramento. The route follows the abandoned railroad bed of the Sacramento Northern Railroad. This is a route often used by cycling commuters to get from the northern neighborhoods to Downtown Sacramento or other locations along the American River Parkway.

The south end of the trail is located at C Street between 19th Street and 20th Street. The trail heads north to cross the American River on the old steel truss bridge. After passing under the Sacramento Freeway, the trail intersects the American River Parkway - Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail. Head west on this trail for about 0.1 mile then the Sacramento Northern Bike Trail takes off to the north. It takes a wide curve then heads under the Arden Garden Connector. Another wider curve takes you through the neighborhoods of Noralto along Traction Avenue and Alto Avenue. After crossing Arcade Creek, the trail heads directly north through Redding Park and alongside Altos Avenue.

There is an underpass for the Sacramento Northern Bike Trail to cross Interstate 80. After the underpass, the trail follows alongside Rio Linda Boulevard for 1.4 miles. The trail continues north when Rio Linda Boulevard heads off to the northwest. Continuing straight north, the trail goes by the Rio Linda Airport, Rio Linda Central Park and Rio Linda High School.North of Elkhorn Boulevard, the trail takes a wide curve to the northeast in the community of Rio Linda and passes through Depot Park. The trail goes on for another 1.9 miles past the park and stops at Elverta Road, just east of Rio Linda Boulevard. There is a small trailhead with parking at this end of the trail.

Read more about the Sacramento Northern Bike Trail

Two Rivers Bike Trail & Sacramento River Parkway

The Two Rivers Bike Trail is a 1.7-mile long paved path that follows the south bank of the American River between Interstate 5 and the Sacramento Freeway just north of Downtown Sacramento. The west end is located just west of Interstate 5 and is the junction with both the American River Parkway and the Sacramento River Parkway. The American River Parkway Trail heads over northwest over the river on a bridge from this point and the Sacramento River Parkway heads to the southwest through Tiscornia Park.

The north section of the Sacramento River Parkway is a 2.5-mile long paved pathway that follows along the east banks of the Sacramento River from Tiscornia Park south to Broadway, just south of the bridge for the El Dorado Freeway, Highway 50. Along its route the trail goes past Matsui Waterfront Park, the I Street Bridge and the California State Railroad Museum. The trail goes right along the waterfront of Old Sacramento. From here you can cross the river on Tower Bridge to catch trails in West Sacramento, such as the River Walk Trail.

Continuing south of Old Sacramento, the Sacramento River Parkway parallels the railroad tracks and goes the little park of Artistic Fountain located on Front Street. South of here, the trail goes under the Pioneer Memorial Bridge where the El Dorado Freeway crosses the river. The Sacramento River Bikeway stops at Broadway near Marine View Drive. You can continue traveling south on Marine View Drive where you will see the boats in the marina for 1/2 of a mile or you can turn onto Miller Park Circle to reach Miller Park and continue to the middle section of the Sacramento River Parkway.

At Miller Park, travel along the roadway from the north parking lot, past the boat ramp, to the south parking lot and then you can catch where the trail picks up again heading south. this section of the trail continues for another 1.8 miles between the east banks of the Sacramento River and Interstate 5. This middle section of the trail stops on the south end at the parking lots at the end of Captain's Table Road.

South of this area the Sacramento River Parkway trail starts and stops, with sections that are closed for travel. There is some controversy about constructing the trail along the river, and for now trail users must use local neighborhood streets and pathways to get down to the southern section of the Sacramento River Parkway. The local trails are the Seymore Park Trail and the Pocket Canal Parkway.

The southernmost section of the Sacramento River Parkway trail starts at Garcia Bend Park on Pocket Road and Windbridge Drive. The trail section follows the banks of the Sacramento River for 2.3 miles then takes a sharp loop north then south again at Freeport Boulevard. This takes you over to Bill Conlin Sports Complex where there is parking and other facilities.

There are plans to make the Sacramento River Parkway a portion of the California Delta Trail that will link five Delta counties and connect to trail systems from Sacramento to San Francisco.

River Walk Trail - West Sacramento

The River Walk in West Sacramento is a system of paved trails along the west banks of the Sacramento River. These trails are located on the north and south side of Tower Bridge Gateway. They tie into the pedestrian walkways on Tower Bridge which then connects to the Sacramento River Parkway on the east banks. The trails extend for a mile along the river.

The north end of the River Walk Trail system is located at the I Street Bridge next to the river. The trails head south from here creating a network through River Walk Park. The focus point is the geometric architecture of the State of California Department of General Services building. At Tower Bridge the trails go under the bridge or you can connect to the pedestrian walkways on each side of the bridge that take you over to the east bank of the river.

Continuing south, the River Walk paths go right by Raley Field where the Sacramento River Cats minor league baseball team plays. The River Walk continues as far south as Mill Street, just before the El Dorado Freeway bridge.

Ueda Parkway Bike Trail

The Ueda Parkway Bike Trail is a 3.6-mile long paved path that follows along Steelhead Creek on the north side of Sacramento. The south end of the trail is at Arden Garden Connector near Northgate Boulevard. The north end of the trail is at Main Avenue and Northgate Boulevard just south of Rio Linda. This is a straight no-nonsense bike trail that can take you straight into the center of Sacramento and allows you to connect to the American River Parkway trail just east of Discovery Park.

Dry Creek Parkway Trail

The Dry Creek Parkway Trail is a 2-mile long paved pathway located northeast of Sacramento and east of Rio Linda. It follows the tree line next to Dry Creek as is flows through meadows and farmland.

The west end of the Dry Creek Parkway Trail is at a trailhead with parking on Dry Creek Road just south of the intersection with Curved Ridge Road. The trail meanders to the northeast from this trailhead and crosses Q Street at street level. The north end of the trail is at U Street near the Cherry Island Soccer Complex.

Humbug - Willow Creek Trail

The Humbug-Willow Creek Trail system is a network of paved paths running through the neighborhoods of Folsom, east of Sacramento. The trails run through greenbelts and extend from E. Natona Street to Folsom Boulevard.

I-80 Bike Trail

The I-80 Bike Trail is a 3.7-mile long paved trail that follows alongside Interstate 80, west of Sacramento. You can connect to this trail off of W. Capitol Avenue. The west end of the path is at Chiles Road. You can take surface streets to get into the City of Davis.

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Resources

Following are links to official off-site resources to find out more details about the communities and trails mentioned in this article.