Outdoor recreation near Sacramento (Folsom, Pollock Pines: houses, neighborhoods, camping)

[rae-c]

I have searched, but have not been able to find posts by people who enjoy outdoor activities (hiking, camping, boating) in the Sacramento area and nearby National Forests. Are there people who live in Sacramento for that reason and find it worth it?

[Inthesierras]

Sacramento is close to MANY outdoor recreational activities. Too many to list. Within an hour you can drive in any direction for camping, hiking, etc. Tahoe and Donner are within 1 1/2-2 hours for skiing, be aware of insane traffic on Fridays. Sacramento has many bike trails and walking areas. Many local park districts have their own trails and outdoor use areas. There are also alot of local clubs and meet ups for just about everything, kayaking, biking, power walking, etc.

Here is an outdoor activity resource I use frequently:
MountainZone.com (http://www.mountainzone.com/trails/FindArea.asp?State=CN - broken link)

[rae-c]

Thanks for the link. My message must not have been clear. I wasn't asking if there are outdoor activities near Sacramento. I was hoping to hear from people who enjoy outdoor recreation and are living in Sacramento for that reason. My questions is, does anyone find the beautiful scenery worth all the negative aspects of Sacramento?

[Fat Freddy]

One of the advantages of living in Sacramento used to be that it was close to the mountains and and many beautiful spots for camping and fishing.

But, the huge population increase of the last 25 years has turned that into a negative.

We have given up camping or even going into the Sierras because of the huge crowds and the impact they have had on the environment.

[rae-c]

The small number of responses to my thread supports my suspicion that there are few people on this site who are interested in outdoor activities. I expected to see many responses telling me that the parks are too crowded to enjoy, but it appears that city-data doesn't attract many nature enthusiasts.

I appreciate the responses I did receive, however.

[moovin]

I don't think you need to ask people what to do for outdoor activities in or near Sac. All you have to do is look at the land and decide for yourself what activities you want to do. It's foothills, lakes, rivers... and the mountains with Tahoe is right nearby. Just get out there and do it. Hiking, camping, and boating abound.

[loopymcgee]

Its beautiful here and I would think most of the "nature enthusists' are probably out in nature...... not at their computers.

I love hiking in the Sierras, riding my horse out near Folsom Lake. We trailer the horses all over to ride but where ever we are there are always cyclists, joggers, people walking the paths and woods.

[justducky2]

We moved specifically to the foothills to enjoy outdoor activities.

Is it "worth it?" I don't find anything negative that bothers me enough about the Sacramento region to make it "not worth it." I mean, coming from SoCal, it has its problems, as does Sacto. But "negative aspects?" I don't live in Meadowview/South Sacto, if that's what you mean! If I did live there, I might not have the transportation or the financial abilities to enjoy the recreation that I do, and so I might not feel that it is "worth" the negative aspects. But heck, if I didn't have a kid, I'd live in midtown, enjoy its funky vibe, and still not feel that there were negative aspects.

We specifically enjoy whitewater rafting in El Dorado County, bicycle riding and canoeing at Lake Natoma, hiking in the Crystal Basin and at Lake Tahoe, my daughter snowboards 1 hour from home, we take a 30 minute drive for lunch or dinner and are in the snow at Pollock Pines.

[unhookt]

I think that access to outdoor activities is a definite plus for Sacramento. The American River, the American River Bike Trail, the numerous mountain bike and hiking trails in the foothills and the cross country and downhill skiing around Tahoe are all contributors to my decision to live around here.

Being a densely populated "sprawl" type city, Sacramento itself isn't a nature preserve, per se. Some might call it downright ugly. But there is definitely an abundance of natural beauty within close proximity.

[bks15]

I've been checking out Sac as a place to live, as one who needs nature daily. I fing most of Sac to be hot, flat, dry, and boring. The only place I could bring myself to live is in one of the neighborhoods that are right along the River. Houses have yards and streets have trees, so it is not a city devoid of nature, but it is far from a nature preserve. Folsom lake, though looking large and surrounded by green on a map, is a dried up lake that is, well...hot, flat, dry, and boring. I don't know how it would be living in Sac and traveling to the mountains, etc, that seem within an hour or so from town...someone did mention terrible Friday traffic. I'm still checking out the city myself...