SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Outdoor enthusiast Ashley Shult Langdon is on a mission to help residents find new ways to discover and enjoy Sacramento’s wild and scenic river with her upcoming trail guide, “Mildly Scenic: A Trail Guide to Sacramento’s Lower American River.” The first-of-its kind book will be released on May 14.

"What began during the pandemic as a way to keep my preschool-aged boys from climbing out the windows soon turned into delightful daily discoveries along the Lower American River," said Langdon. “It’s the guide I wished I’d had at my disposal in 2020.”

Langdon wanted to provide closer, easier doorways to nature for more residents.

“There’s no need to drive far or wait for the weekend – there’s a little slice of wild, natural beauty running right through Sacramento County,” said Langdon. “Spotting river otters on a run between work calls or finding wildflowers during an after-school outing is entirely possible.”

In researching her book, Langdon became Sacramento’s local expert for the vast network of trails, many of which have never been published in a trail guide or on a county map. So Langdon reached out to Sacramento State University’s Geography Department to set “Mildly Scenic” at the center of the upper division coursework last fall. In just a few short months, the students and their professor, Dr. Anna Klimaszewski-Patterson, churned out 18 original maps prominently featured throughout the trail guide…