EL DORADO HILLS LOOP
47 MILES / 1,445 FEET

EL DORADO HILLY HILLS LOOP
47 MILES / 2,110 FEET

• Carmichael to Folsom on the American River Pkwy Bike Trail, Folsom Blvd., and Iron Point Road.   Folsom to El Dorado Hills on (1,445' route) Placerville & White Rock (photo above) Roads and on (2,110' route) Empire Ranch Road, Beatty Drive, and other short roads.  El Dorado Hills returning to Folsom on Green Valley Road, & East Natoma Street.  Folsom back to Carmichael on the American River Pkwy Bike Trail.
  
  

• SETTING

  • Gold rush country directly east of Sacramento.

  • Region immediately south of Folsom Lake (although you won't see the lake).
    
    

• START

  • Carmichael:  mile 13.5 of the American River Bike Trail, William Pond Recreation Area, Carmichael, CA

    • Travel to the intersection of Arden Way and Fair Oaks Blvd in Carmichael, CA (immediately east of Sacramento).  Park in the Five Points parking lot (SE corner of Arden Way & Fair Oaks Blvd, away from retail outlets) or on Arden Way, west of restricted parking.  Mile 13.5 is at the intersection of the American River Pkwy Bike Trail and the Arden Way access path.

  • Any portion of the American River Parkway Bike Trail can be used as the start / end point.
    
     

• RIDE CHARACTERISTICS

  • Climbing: 

    • El Dorado Hills Loop:  1,445 feet, none difficult.

    • El Dorado Hilly Hills Loop:  2,110 feet, more difficult

  • Difficulty:  not excessive, but the 2,110' ride feels significantly more difficult than the 1,445' route

  • Risks:  Inexperienced cyclists on the American River Parkway Bike Trail:  particularly on weekends there can be significant numbers of young cyclists who are utterly ignorant of the "rules of the road" and who can act entirely unpredictably.