Where to run in Sacramento?

The American River bike trail. It's 31 miles long and goes from Old Sac all the way to Folsom Lake. There's a fee to use the parking lots but it's easy to find free parking on nearby streets.

SDSU Aztec wrote:

The American River bike trail. It's 31 miles long and goes from Old Sac all the way to Folsom Lake. There's a fee to use the parking lots but it's easy to find free parking on nearby streets.

Thank you. Pretty much paved the whole way? Or some dirt also?

tea wrote:

SDSU Aztec wrote:

The American River bike trail. It's 31 miles long and goes from Old Sac all the way to Folsom Lake. There's a fee to use the parking lots but it's easy to find free parking on nearby streets.

Thank you. Pretty much paved the whole way? Or some dirt also?

The trail has shoulders on both sides that are just about perfect running surfaces. There are some dirt trails that are parallel to the bike trails, but a lot of them dead end at the river.

SDSU Aztec wrote:

tea wrote:

Thank you. Pretty much paved the whole way? Or some dirt also?

The trail has shoulders on both sides that are just about perfect running surfaces. There are some dirt trails that are parallel to the bike trails, but a lot of them dead end at the river.

Super, thanks for the information.

The trail's pretty good but be wary of transients. Generally it gets safer the further upstream you go. Downstream past Campus Commons Golf Course can get pretty sketchy.

Also here pedestrians run o the left shoulder towards bike traffic, rather than with it on the right which I think is pretty unique compared to other places.

SacNative wrote:

The trail's pretty good but be wary of transients. Generally it gets safer the further upstream you go. Downstream past Campus Commons Golf Course can get pretty sketchy.

Also here pedestrians run o the left shoulder towards bike traffic, rather than with it on the right which I think is pretty unique compared to other places.

Thanks. I stay on the good side.

Any other locations worth checking out?

Agreed, the American River trail is fantastic.

Where are you staying?

Bike trail is great-- theres a 11 mile loop of it that goes around Lake Natoma with nice rolling hills too. That stretch of it is paved, but you can find good shoulders all the way from the Nimbus Fish Hatchery downstream to Sac State at Guy West Bridge. Best access points are at Guy West Bridge, William Pond Park, catch a 3-mile stretch of gravel Levee from Sutter's Landing (can continue on past 3 miles and connect to paved part of bike path ), and then the fish hatchery. Other good spots are around Land Park (can make 3 mile dirt loop), Lagoon Valley in Vacaville is a 35 minute drive with great soft surface hills and trails along with flat options, Auburn, nearby, is notorious for excellent trail running. If you have the time go run in Marin/Mt. Tamalpais, the views are incredible. Hills up there are very challenging. Enjoy Sacramento, it's a great place to train.

Don't know where you'll be at, but I always liked running around William Land Park when I was there for meets at Sac City College.

tea wrote:

Any other locations worth checking out?

if you want some hills. Drive to Folsom, park at Folsom Bike and head up the trail from there. Once it ends, you hit a levee that eventually turns into some rolling hills. Great running out there.

Staying in Rancho Cordova.

Lots of helpful suggestions, thanks

If you hit the ART up by Rancho (Nimbus, Gold River area) your transient encounters will be low. The Johnny Cash Trail in Folsom is nice too.

Thanks again.

One more question. I live in a small town and run in remote areas so masks aren’t an issue, I just wear a buff and pull it when needed.

On these trails will foot traffic be so busy that I need a mask for the entire run?

The trails near Folsom lake are nice. Drive to Cavitt middle school and walk through the gate into the school. You should see some trails after that and head north. Good out and back. Other than that, just hit the bike trail. I've been on almost all of it and it is pretty pleasant

nobody in that area runs with a mask on. nobody will give you any grief for it but there's usually plenty of space to go around people.

if staying in Rancho cordova, easiest place to drive to for parking (opens at 7am, closes at one point) is the Nimbus Fish Hatchery. free parking and right on the bike trail. there's probably closer locations but that's where most people go to start because you can go three directions easily, and there's easy parking. no bathroom right there though, but there's one or two within a mile if you head east on the south side of Lake Natoma.

tea wrote:

Thanks again.

One more question. I live in a small town and run in remote areas so masks aren’t an issue, I just wear a buff and pull it when needed.

On these trails will foot traffic be so busy that I need a mask for the entire run?

Really? For the one second when you're passing someone? LOL

reed wrote:

nobody in that area runs with a mask on. nobody will give you any grief for it but there's usually plenty of space to go around people.

if staying in Rancho cordova, easiest place to drive to for parking (opens at 7am, closes at one point) is the Nimbus Fish Hatchery. free parking and right on the bike trail. there's probably closer locations but that's where most people go to start because you can go three directions easily, and there's easy parking. no bathroom right there though, but there's one or two within a mile if you head east on the south side of Lake Natoma.

Thanks, very helpful.

But up ART this morning for seven miles starting at Nimbus Fish Hatchery.

Very nice.