THE STORY
When the entire world shut down in March of 2020, I left my job to care for our boys, ages three and five. The preschool had closed, the playgrounds were off-limits, the museums, the friends, the babysitters – all gone. When my eldest started climbing out of the windows and rummaging through the garage in search of power tools, I knew I had to find a wild space to explore for my sanity and their safety. Thus began my discovery of the American River – this incredible urban river that runs right through Sacramento County.
MY FIRST INSTINCT
Was to pick up a book of hikes to get us started. I grew up in a family of travelers and hikers. My bookshelf is full of guidebooks like the Lonely Planet series, and 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Sacramento. The first step to any adventure—especially as a group leader or parent—is to buy the book and do some research.
I found several books about the American River Parkway. While interesting and valuable, the information in those volumes was largely focused on the history, the wildlife, and navigating the (absolutely gorgeous) paved bike path. What about places to splash in the river or have a picnic? What about the network of dirt trails? Most of those trails listed in hiking books took Sacramentans far away from the urban area, requiring an entire day set aside. At their ages, my kids couldn’t last more than about 20 minutes in the car before losing their minds. I needed wild space close to home.
FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS
I took the boys out in the mornings and was home for naptime. We logged 60 days on the river, keeping a journal of the places discovered. For us, the four-hour adventure from 9am-1pm was just the right amount of time to get the wiggles out by tree climbing, swimming, or rock throwing, have a picnic lunch and then ride out the warmest part of the day with some downtime at home.
IT BEGAN IN THE SPRING
So in the beginning we were looking for butterflies, and mucking around in rainboots. By summer, it was all about the swimming spots and shady river banks. One day we might find ourselves on the north bank of the river, and we’d look across the way and spot a stretch of river that looked fun; the next day, we’d be on the south bank. And so it went – repeating the adventures we loved best, and noting how the seasons and the river flow altered our experiences.
BEING A RUNNER
I started running the trails on Saturdays. I’d park in the same spot I took the kids during the week and piece together the many trails that wind along the river and into the natural spaces of the American River Parkway. This became the second type of adventure I wanted to share: walks and runs under five miles.