Day tripping is one of the many benefits of living in Elk Grove, CA. We have so many fun places to visit within two hours. Today we visited Deer Creek Tribute Trail near Nevada City. The trail head was less than one and a half hours from Elk Grove. It is a gorgeous area, but the trails are a little convoluted. There are two separate starting points. One starting point is the Angkula Seo (Deer Creek) Suspension Bridge.
We enjoyed this section of the trail more than the second area. Once you cross the bridge and travel a few hundred yards, there is a fork in the trail with three choices (too many choices!). We chose the path to the right and a short ways down the path, we discovered the site of an old mining operation. There is not much left of the operation, but it is a beautiful walk through the forest. The trail ends just a few yards further at an old road. We decided to continue up the road. It was nice and the forest lined the road. We also discovered what looked like an old, abandoned technology park.
The second trail entrance is a bit down stream from the suspension bridge. It starts off along a gravel road and then turns into a dirt path paralleled by an aqueduct. The pathway is a flat and easy to follow. We went a few miles out, then turned back. It is scenic too and, much to my wife's delight, there is a small waterfall.
All in all, we traveled about 10 miles. There are lots of options for shorter or longer hikes. We still need to go back to revisit the unexplored trails just across from the suspension bridge one day. It is a beautiful area and we are curious.
If you want to make a full day of it, spend some time in Nevada City. It is a quaint, old town with lots of cute shops and plenty of restaurants. Nevada City at Christmas time is a must. If you like fine Italian food, you might drive over to Grass Valley and try Ristorante Alloro Cucina Italiana. It is THE place to go for Italiian food. We love it! ! ! How about grabbing a tasty burger and picking up a delicious pie on the way home? IKEDA'S will make you very happy. Did I hear you say that you would like to try a local beer? Knee Deep, Moonraker and Auburn Ale House all have excellent beer selections. We have tried one after each of our Dirty Secret Trail Races. I am not sure what the dirty secret is, but the race is lots of fun and we will be back again next year to try to figure it out.
If you do not have time after the hike to explore the local area, maybe try our favorite Elk Grove restaurant, Todo un Poco instead.
What should be our next day tripping adventure? Let us know. So much to do and so little time. Happy Trails!
Raymond Henson, SRES, GRI, e-Pro
3412 Babson Drive
Elk Grove, CA 95758
RayRHenson@gmail.com
916-698-8415
