near the cal expo access i had actually found two bald eagle feathers

One of our favorite trails ever. One recommendation however, don't park in the more secluded areas such as Rossmoor Bar. Our truck was broken into and vandalized and everything stolen. Highly recommend parking where there is more human activity, either in one of the parks, or in a residential area.

"I enjoy this multi-use trail often. Lately, the issue seems to be getting past pedestrians whom are taking up more lateral space than needed. "

"If you've never been to Sacramento and are wondering what there is to do here, ignore anything else you hear and just head for this trail. It's the best thing Sacramento has going for it.

While riding along the American River it's hard to believe you are actually in the midst of a major metropolitan area, especially as you head further east. The asphalt path follows the American River Canyon from the confluence of the American and Sacramento rivers, up to Nimbus Dam, then crosses the river (Hazel Ave. bridge) and continues up to Folsom Lake. There are a few hills and a general uphill grade going eastbound, but its nothing serious.

It's not uncommon to see deer along the route, and once I saw a 5-point buck all the way down at the trail's west end, in Discovery Park. I've also seen coyotes (rarely), lots of birds (hawks, quail) an occasional snake and even a skunk or two.

The trail is 32 miles long, but it can easily be extended another 20 miles by crossing the Tower Bridge on the west end, and riding west on West Capitol Ave. until it meets up with the paved bike path that parallels Interstate 80. This runs to the town of Davis. Don't expect any scenery on this section other than cars and trucks on one side and wide-open fields on the other. Lots of exhaust fumes to deal with as well. But the ride is paved and flat.

Negatives: Homeless camps near the Discovery Park (west) end of the trail. Can get somewhat crowded on weekends or holidays. Can be blistering hot in the summer (however, there's plenty of river access to jump in and cool off). No camping permitted except at Folsom Lake campgrounds (east end). Sections of the trail can flood during spring runoff when the American River rises. Also, summer weekends between Sunrise Ave. Bridge and Goethe Park the river will be full of loud, often drunk ""rafters."" This is the weekend party crowd, not to be confused with serious paddlers. They're not usually a problem other than being loud and somewhat annoying at times.

In other words, this isn't the wilderness, but it's about as close as you can get in the midst of a heavily populated area."

"This is the longest multiuse trail that I've riden. It is very isolated from any auto traffic, but quite accessible thru the park system, excellent parking. It only crosses two roads and now runs for over 40 miles and has many tributaries. There is access to Davis via a bike path over the causeways from West Sacramento. The terrain is generally flat until one approaches Lake Natoma and Lake Folsom. The trail now loops around Lake Natoma and is a beautiful loop of ~12 miles."