Folsom Lake Dam was built in 1955 to provide flood control, hydroelectricity, recreational opportunities, and drinking and irrigation water. Activities include hiking, camping, biking, fishing, boating, water-skiing, and horseback riding.
We camped in the non-hookup section of the campground. The sites vary greatly. Many are primary for tents with tables located downhill or uphill from the parking pads. These sites are generally large. Four of the sites are designated as accessible. We camped in site 13 and site 20. Site 13 is the best of the four with a large flat parking pad and a table with an extended top. It’s also close to a restroom. Site 15 is close to a restroom but it’s dug into the hillside and not very scenic. Site 20 is narrow and down a steep hill from the restroom. Site 10 is large with a dirt parking area that is downhill from the road and a good distance from the rest room. The full hookup section has two accessible sites. They’re wide and level. This section is newer so there isn’t as much shade but it’s popular and may fill especially on weekends.
The park is a good place to access the
American River Bike Trail however you must climb a hill in the campground first. This can be avoided by driving about a mile south and parking at the Parks and Recreation Dept lot on Old Folsom Road. The trail is 32 miles long, completely paved and in good condition. It runs from Beal’s Point to Old Sacramento.
A half mile loop trail follows the lakeshore at the picnic area. Getting there from the campground involves a climb uphill and then a downhill roll but the parking lot is large so driving works too. The trail is paved but some sections are in poor condition. The lake level is high now that the drought has broken.
Park 38.72076, -121.17167
In my OLD backyard now...we should be there by Friday, but I am sure you all will be north by then. For "relaxation" I use to ride a motorcycle around the lake back in the last '70s...way before all them homes were built. Senior Cut day from High School was at the lake, as was the party after graduation (which I never did find). Still a lot of primitive area around the lake, but back in those days, it was 99% primitive.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm so far behind. We're in Santa Rosa and are heading to Calistoga today then north in a few days. Free camping is hard to find around here. The disabled pass has made the campgrounds reasonable so I'm really glad we got it.
DeleteWe'll be in Oregon and Washington in a month or so. Let us know if you take any trips up north and maybe we can meet up!
We can't escape Sacramento until at least mid-June unless a very big hot spell comes. Mom and dad celebrate their anniversary on June 5th, so we MUST stay through that for sure. I know we will be up in the Brookings / Gold Beach area again, might go further north...also need to get to Salt Lake to see my daughter sometime, not sure when though.
DeleteYou were close to our neck of the woods (but I'm behind in reading, also). We haven't spent any time a'tall at Folsom Lake, but we've biked and walked the American River Trail. Pretty neat trail.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize that we were so close to you! We're been zigzagging across the state seeing things we've missed on other trips and looking for the best weather.
DeleteThe American Trails does seem neat. We'll have to do some more of it next time.