Mildly Recommended: Fall Favorites
Fall is in the air, which means the mornings are crisp and the afternoons are warm. We can shift our gaze from the swimming spots along the river, and instead look for the cool morning runs, the afternoon strolls, and the scenic spots to spread out a blanket and nature-bathe (yep, diving into nature has a term — take the plunge!).
Here are three mildly recommended bite-sized adventures along the Lower American River:
#1: Sailor Bar’s Turtle Pond
Adventure 19C in Mildly Scenic: Short Walk
0.5 mile, $6 parking or Parks Annual Pass, dirt trail, partial shade
The trail that circumnavigates Turtle Pond makes an easy loop for little legs or nature gazers who like to take their time. You’ll surely see signs of beaver activity on the gnawed trees surrounding the pond, and the sloping trails surrounding the pond are home to wildflowers, insects, and happy birds surrounding this watering hole.
Park at the eastern entrance to Sailor Bar at Illinois Avenue, just after the kiosk. This gravel parking lot is 20 steps from Turtle Pond, a small body of water and home to beaver, turtles, birds… and I’m guessing fish!
#2: El Manto Clay Banks
Adventure 15A in Mildly Scenic: Picnic Spot
0.1 mile, $6 or Parks Annual Pass, clay mesa, full sun
This spot can feel like exploring the surface of Mars with its wide red clay banks along the river. Downriver is an eddy great for wading or even swimming, while the middle flats along the clay banks create a six foot cliff excellent for setting down a picnic blanket and listening to the ripples of water rush around the bend.
Enter El Manto River Access along El Manto Drive and park in either the main parking lot, or the farthest parking lot downriver. The clay banks are directly below the main parking lot.
#3: Bannister Park
Adventure 17C in Mildly Scenic: Longer Loop
3.0 miles, Free Parking, Sun/partial shade, Dirt trails
This is a fun trail—partially under the shaded canopy of the trees, partially along the flat, wide maintenance roads, with some small trails along the bluff. There are several ways to make variations on this loop.
Start at the Bannister Park parking lot on Bannister Rd. and head down the paved trail toward the river. After crossing over the creek at the bottom of the hill, take the dirt trail to your left that parallels the paved walking/biking trail. When you reach the parking lot by the river (accessible via Pennsylvania Ave.), take a right along the maintenance road that heads downriver. Follow the wide path in a large loop around Sacramento Bar until it passes San Juan Rapids and returns to the paved bike path.
Variations:
Take any of the multiple maintenance roads that intersect Bannister Park.
Find a little more adventure by heading off on the many foot trails along the water. The trails can be rocky in this area.
