American River Bike Trail (Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail) is a 28.2 mile moderately trafficked point-to-point trail located near Sacramento, California that features a river and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
kid friendly
birding
hiking
nature trips
rails trails
road biking
trail running
walking
horseback riding
river
views
wild flowers
wildlife
Jedediah Smith Trail, also known as the American River Bike Trail. Is a paved trail that runs along the American River. This trail is easy, with nice views of the river. Named after Jedediah Smith, the fur trader from the 1860's. Multi-use paved trail which start at MIle 0 at Discovery Park downtown Sacramento ending on Mile 31.6 Beals Point. This trail has many entrances from main roads, neigborhoods, parks, lakes and railways.
We started at the east end near Cal Expo. Nice, well maintained trail. This part wasn't particularly scenic (we could only glimpse the river in a couple of spots), and we were mostly in full sun. But it was a great trail to get some miles in off the roads!
Did 50 miles on my hybrid on a Sunday morning. Not too crowded. Cool views.
Very good
This is the very best running trail(s) that cut right through the heart of Sacramento following the American River from the confluence at the Sacramento River (Discovery Park) and reaches Folsom in 28+ miles. You will have a well paved asphalt trail used by bikers as well as some sweet dirt trails that get you away from the crowds and into some pretty scenic forested river settings. Tons of different places to start / stop runs so your potential trail possibilities are endless based on how long you plan on running. Perfect for marathon training. Mile markers on asphalt trails. Gets crowded weekends. Light crowds midday weekdays. Check for flooding closures during rainy seasons. NOTE: Vagrancy camps are scattered throughout trails. Be fully aware of your surroundings. Cell service throughout trail.
Very nice ride... but! Flooded and impassible from downtown Sac which forces u to ride on levee trail thru tent city to get back on trail... if u r only riding part of the trail consider starting on the folsom side... otherwise very nice and cool and green this time of year!
Really fun! There is a nice river that is not deep unless u go closer to the red bridge. The small bike bridge has shallow water, but the water in the shallow water is really fasts, so don't go too far into the water. Lots of clams to find in the water and some lake creatures like a crab, crayfish and more. Overall, the bike ride was amazing! The activities you can do are swimming, hiking, site seeing, and fishing.
I particularly like the section near the Nimbus Fish Hatchery. Wonderful views of the river. Rich wildlife. Good shared access for walker, biker and equestrian.