Explore the best rated trails in Fair Oaks, CA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the UC Davis and Russell Boulevard Paths and Elk Grove Creek Trail. With more than 46 trails covering 324 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The Browns Valley Road Trail is an excellent commuter trail that parallels its namesake road from Vaca Valley Parkway to Brown Street in Vacaville.
Marsh Creek Trail follows the sinuous course of Marsh Creek through the outskirts of suburbia and among the rich farmland of Contra Costa County. The 8.5-mile paved extends between Concord Road in...
Although most area residents (and Google Maps) consider the Lake Natoma Trail part of the American River Bike Trail, it is a separate trail in its own right. The Lake Natoma Trail dips and dives...
The popular Bannon Creek Parkway runs through Jefferson Park and Bannon Creek Park, utilizing a scenic greenbelt throughout most of its length. South Natomas residents can use the trail and Natomas...
The Laguna Creek Trail takes users from a trailhead and equestrian staging area on Waterman Road to parks, retail centers and residential neighborhoods both north and south of Camden Lake. The scenic...
The Foulks Ranch/Laguna Greenbelt is a neighborhood trail that winds through the Laguna Creek West and Foulks Ranch subdivisions in Elk Grove. The scenic route provides access to several parks,...
The Alamo Creek Bikeway is a shaded path along Alamo Creek in Vacaville. The trail connects residents with several parks, including Nelson Park, Patwin Park and Beelard Park. The trail is not just...
The Elk Grove Creek Trail is open in two disconnected segments along its namesake waterway in the cities of Elk Grove and Sacramento. Both portions offer a smooth paved surface and scenic views of the...
This is a short neighborhood trail in Stonewood, northwest Stockton, California. The trail starts on Thornton Road next to the Jehovah Witness church and travels for one block until Davis Road. Once...
The winding Natomas Westside Path provides a connection from Sacramento's growing North Natomas community to South Natomas and the American River Bike Trail, largely facilitated by the installation of...
The McCoy Creek Path begins near Carl E. Hall Park, which contains a playground and is next to a library and community center. The path runs through a grassy corridor along McCoy Creek. It ends at the...
The college town of Davis is famous for its bikeability, due in part to the network of neighborhood greenways planned into the community as it grew. This series of bike paths crisscrosses the eastern...
The Old Highway 40 Bike Path parallels the Union Pacific Railroad and Amtrak's Capitol Corridor line through eastern Davis. Running on the former US 40 right-of-way, the trail is primarily a commuting...
The Southside Bikeway connects downtown Vacaville via a former Sacramento Northern Railway corridor to the city's southern neighborhoods near Al Patch Park. The route is a nice, short path, ideal for...
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Roseville’s Dry Creek Greenway is planned to one day span 4.25 miles through the southern neighborhoods of this central California town. Currently, just shy of a mile of the paved pathway has been...
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The Bear Creek Trail is an 8 mile-long paved trail in Stockton, California. The trail has connections to neighborhoods as well as parks and schools. The trail begins on Lower Sarcamento Road...
The Central County Bikeway begins at Suisun-Fairfield train station, which is used by Amtrak and Capitol Corridor trains. The station is in a commercial area between Fairfield and Suisun City. The...
Davis is a bike town, and they love the trails that connect to the UC Davis campus. For a little excursion, take the scenic trail out of town and through farmland on the straight shot along Russell...
What do you do when you have a disused railroad, and a nearly impassible highway? Rail-trail advocates in Rancho Cordova recognized the potential to solve these challenges as well create new...
The Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues Trail skirts the Folsom State Prison, which Cash sang about in his well-known 1955 song "Folsom Prison Blues." The trail—formerly known as the Folsom Lake Trail...
The Laguna Creek Trail takes users from a trailhead and equestrian staging area on Waterman Road to parks, retail centers and residential neighborhoods both north and south of Camden Lake. The scenic...
The Western States Pioneer Trail runs for 34 miles between Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail and Auburn Equestrian Staging Area near Gum Lane in Auburn. The trail, open to hikers and horseback riders...
The Folsom Parkway Rail Trail extends from historic downtown Folsom to a connection with the Lake Natoma Trail north of US 50. The trail provides a direct connection to three light rail...
This is a short neighborhood trail in Stonewood, northwest Stockton, California. The trail starts on Thornton Road next to the Jehovah Witness church and travels for one block until Davis Road. Once...
Davis is a bike town, and they love the trails that connect to the UC Davis campus. For a little excursion, take the scenic trail out of town and through farmland on the straight shot along Russell...
The Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues Trail skirts the Folsom State Prison, which Cash sang about in his well-known 1955 song "Folsom Prison Blues." The trail—formerly known as the Folsom Lake Trail...
Located in a quiet residential neighborhood, the Natomas Westlake Path runs along the shoreline of its namesake lake in the growing Natomas section of Sacramento. While the northern stretch of trail...
The Two Rivers Trail runs adjacent to the American River and connects Jibboom Street and State Route 160 in the redeveloping northern reaches of downtown Sacramento. It provides a connection to the...
Follow the Sacramento Northern Bikeway for a tour of Sacramento and its surrounding communities, weaving through historic neighborhoods and parks and finishing in a scenic rural area. The paved trail...
The Sutter Bike Path follows a short portion of the old Sacramento Northern Railroad and runs a straight line between Hooper Road and Acacia Avenue. The trail links to bike lanes at Hooper Road, which...
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The American River Bike Trail (a.k.a. the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail) hugs the banks of the American River as it flows through riparian habitat preserved by the American River Parkway. The trail...
The paved trail at the heart of the developing Ninos Parkway uses a utility corridor to connect Sacramento's Northgate neighborhood with city parks, schools and the American River Bike Trail. Plans...
The East Bay Municipal Utility District Right-of-Way, as its name suggests, is a trail open on a utility corridor in Stockton, although that city is generally considered to be outside the informal...
Hugging the eastern bank of the Sacramento River, the Sacramento River Parkway Trail travels through Sacramento in two disconnected segments. The older and longer northern stretch passes through Old...
The Browns Valley Road Trail is an excellent commuter trail that parallels its namesake road from Vaca Valley Parkway to Brown Street in Vacaville.
The Foulks Ranch/Laguna Greenbelt is a neighborhood trail that winds through the Laguna Creek West and Foulks Ranch subdivisions in Elk Grove. The scenic route provides access to several parks,...
Coursing alongside one of Stockton's levees, the Calaveras River Bike Trail services many neighborhoods and provides access to many amenities in the San Joaquin Valley city. The east–west corridor...
What do you do when you have a disused railroad, and a nearly impassible highway? Rail-trail advocates in Rancho Cordova recognized the potential to solve these challenges as well create new...
The Elk Grove Creek Trail is open in two disconnected segments along its namesake waterway in the cities of Elk Grove and Sacramento. Both portions offer a smooth paved surface and scenic views of the...
The Southside Bikeway connects downtown Vacaville via a former Sacramento Northern Railway corridor to the city's southern neighborhoods near Al Patch Park. The route is a nice, short path, ideal for...
The Folsom Parkway Rail Trail extends from historic downtown Folsom to a connection with the Lake Natoma Trail north of US 50. The trail provides a direct connection to three light rail...
The Old Highway 40 Bike Path parallels the Union Pacific Railroad and Amtrak's Capitol Corridor line through eastern Davis. Running on the former US 40 right-of-way, the trail is primarily a commuting...
The winding Natomas Westside Path provides a connection from Sacramento's growing North Natomas community to South Natomas and the American River Bike Trail, largely facilitated by the installation of...
The McCoy Creek Path begins near Carl E. Hall Park, which contains a playground and is next to a library and community center. The path runs through a grassy corridor along McCoy Creek. It ends at the...
The Alamo Creek Bikeway is a shaded path along Alamo Creek in Vacaville. The trail connects residents with several parks, including Nelson Park, Patwin Park and Beelard Park. The trail is not just...
The UC Davis Arboretum and Putah Creek Trails are a bike path often used by the residents of Davis. As its name suggests, it begins at the beautiful UC Davis Arboretum and runs alongside Putah Creek...
The Dry Creek Parkway is an enjoyable cycling and walking corridor through northern Sacramento County and southern Placer County that includes trails, parks and open space along Dry Creek. Currently,...
The Miners Ravine Trail winds its way through the city of Roseville, following the course of Miners Ravine and Dry Creek through a wooded greenway and among suburban neighborhoods and business...
The Foulks Ranch/Laguna Greenbelt is a neighborhood trail that winds through the Laguna Creek West and Foulks Ranch subdivisions in Elk Grove. The scenic route provides access to several parks,...
The Folsom South Canal Recreation Trail provides a useful connection from southeast Sacramento County to the American River Bike Trail. The canal was constructed in the 1970s as part of the Central...
The Clarksburg Branch Line Trail in West Sacramento runs between Jefferson Boulevard at S. River Road and Gregory Avenue where S. River Road loops around and returns. The surface is crushed concrete...
Marsh Creek Trail follows the sinuous course of Marsh Creek through the outskirts of suburbia and among the rich farmland of Contra Costa County. The 8.5-mile paved extends between Concord Road in...
The Two Rivers Trail runs adjacent to the American River and connects Jibboom Street and State Route 160 in the redeveloping northern reaches of downtown Sacramento. It provides a connection to the...
The Laguna Creek Trail takes users from a trailhead and equestrian staging area on Waterman Road to parks, retail centers and residential neighborhoods both north and south of Camden Lake. The scenic...
The Sutter Bike Path follows a short portion of the old Sacramento Northern Railroad and runs a straight line between Hooper Road and Acacia Avenue. The trail links to bike lanes at Hooper Road, which...
The Southside Bikeway connects downtown Vacaville via a former Sacramento Northern Railway corridor to the city's southern neighborhoods near Al Patch Park. The route is a nice, short path, ideal for...
The East Bay Municipal Utility District Right-of-Way, as its name suggests, is a trail open on a utility corridor in Stockton, although that city is generally considered to be outside the informal...
The Yolo Causeway Bike Path follows a portion of the Yolo Causeway, which carries busy Interstate 80 over the Yolo Bypass floodplain. Beginning in West Sacramento, the path immediately parallels the...
One of the newest trails in Elk Grove's impressive system, the Franklin Creek Trail provides extensive recreation and active transportation options to residents of the city's southern neighborhoods....
The American River Bike Trail (a.k.a. the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail) hugs the banks of the American River as it flows through riparian habitat preserved by the American River Parkway. The trail...
Trail surface is good, but most of trail is amid homeless encampments with accompanying refuse. Most folk were friendly, but definitely not a scenic route.As previous reviewer stated, east end is very busy road with no bike lane or shoulder. Not for the faint of heart!
Definitely a cool trail. Goes over the freeway with its own bridge, shady, good path across town!
Started 7:00am on trail and it was a challenge through some of the obstacles... freeway construction zone, Saturday Farmers Market, Gold Rush festival but that was the easy stuff. Problematic areas began after Missouri Flat Road / Walmart. Here the trail was either rocky, on an edge next to tracks or on the tracks. At least the worst was riding on tracks which is ok if you have good dual suspension and are dialed in. Views were awesome, no loose dogs, trails were challenging at times. We eventually abandoned the rails due to low air and low water I’d do it again but start in Camino and end in Walmart.
The main problem with the trail are the folks that cannot figure out the little stick figures (and text) painted on the pavement surface at most major crossings.
The pedestrian figure and the bicyclist figure are obviously travelling in the same direction of travel---pedestrian limbs and leaning into the walk, bicycle sitting on the bicycle facing forward. Pedestrian is on the left side of the trail as you read the right-side up text, "Left", and the bicyclist is on the right side of the trail as you read the "Right" text.
All the clues are there, but so many people don't seem to figure it out, so it is a bit annoying to have to go around them as they walk towards you on the trail.
I hope this helps.
I’m making this my favorite local bike path. It’s quiet, clean for the most part, and it’s long enough to get a good ride in.
I am new to the Yuba City area and found this trail. It was not far and even though it was a Sunday it was pretty quiet. It is a good short trail with a great view.
Beautiful scenery and an easy walk. We didn't see anyone on the trail the whole day we were there until we were walking back. There were lots of people in the campgrounds and on the lake though.
The Traillink information is a little dated. The official Folsom site lists this trail as being 50 miles long, which is accurate but misleading. There are at least 50 miles of trails but it's a bunch of interconnected short trails and not one long route.
These trails are the craziest maze of paved trails I've ever been on. There are very few signs telling you where you are or which way to travel to get to a particular section or street, so if you decide to ride this trail take your GPS with you and a copy of the bike trail map or you will get lost. I took my family during the summer of 2017. We had a GPS and a printed map and we still took several wrong turns.
Even though you're probably going to get lost, it's well worth the trip. The trail meanders through apartment complexes from time to time, but you're generally surrounded by great scenery. We passed several ponds and creeks, and crossed over several scenic bridges. Folsom is a bike friendly community, and is safe enough that we weren't nervous after dark. If you can figure out where you are, there are plenty of places near the trail to get a meal. We found a few restrooms along our route and used the GPS to find food. Restaurants with outdoor tables and bike racks are a common sight in Folsom.
There aren't any towering hill climbs, but there were a few segments that were steep enough that I had to tow my five year old. If you're traveling with toddlers you should talk to a local bike shop to find an easy section. We didn't encounter anything that our nine year old couldn't handle.
I live near Discovery park, which is where the American River / Jedediah Smith bike trail starts. That trail connects to this trail system somewhere around mile marker 25. I usually pedal from Discovery park with my kids, so I don't think I've pedaled more than half of what's currently available in this trail system. As a result I can't vouch for every inch of it. However, the sections I have traveled are good enough that I would not hesitate to drive for three hours to come ride this trail if I wasn't local.
I tried this with my young kids in 2016. We started in Discovery park on the Jedediah Smith (American River Bike trail) , biked down to old Sac on the Sacramento River Bike Trail where we had some ice cream cones, and on the way back to Discovery park we decided to take this trail to 12th street, take the 12th street bridge (N Sacramento FWY) over to Northgate blvd and get back on to the Jedediah Smith trail.
The trail itself is in good condition and connects up to several other glorious area trails. It's paved the whole way with a few dirt spurs that go down to the river's edge and fairly open.
However,
I don't know where the photo that's featured for this trail was taken as I didn't see anything remotely similar on our route. There were a lot of homeless folks camped out along the route, and very few of the regular bikers and hikers that you normally see on the other trails. Getting off on 12th street was hair raising with little kids in tow, and there isn't a connector to put you back on the American River bike trail on the other side of the bridge, so if you don't know where you're going you might get lost and end up in a homeless camp.
If you're with a few buddies and it's still broad daylight, then it might be worth doing. Unfortunately, the trail gets very little traffic right now (so the police rarely patrol it) and it really doesn't go anywhere. If they ever build the trail out to the University it will might probably become a great trail. As of spring 2018 it's really not worth riding this trail even if you live here.
This is a great trail that is a smooth ride with many benches and stopping points along the way, even a few restrooms as well. People are decently considerate on the trail but you will have the occasional "tour de Sacramento" guy going way too fast.
Also if you are a mountain biker steer clear, the Park Rangers do not mess around here and you don't want to be caught off the paved trail, there are many off road paths along the route but strictly no bikes on that part.
If you are looking for a smooth ride without a lot of traffic, this is your trail. The first half near lake Natoma has been freshly repaved and is billiard table smooth. The two street crossings have signals but other than those, it's a great path for fast riding.
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