2. TRAILS by Locations, Miles, and Difficulty, and Other Related Articles

TABLE  OF CONTENTS

If you don't see something you are looking for, try using the search box.  Some posts may not show in this list, but searching by a specific lake or waterfall name may find the article you are looking for.  In my articles, some images were removed by Google, without notice to me.  All the photos are mine or are used with permission, so my apologies for missing images.

Miles are estimates
Pack for a fun and safe hike   2015-07
Auburn State Recreation Area (ASRA) and Surrounding Areas
Date	Trail	Miles	Difficulty
2016-02	Training Hill in Auburn, CA-WST	2.4-4.7 mile keyhole	Moderate
2016-02	Training Hill up and down	4.8	Very steep with poor footing.
2011-09	Training Hill in Auburn, CA	3 miles	Moderate-Strenuous
2011-05	Western States Trail (WST) from Confluence to Auburn	1+ miles	Easy trail with minor creek crossing
2010-04	Quarry Trail and Browns Bar	About 10 miles	Moderate due to distance and unclear markings
2011-05	Black Hole of Calcutta	3-7 miles	Easy with a minor creek crossing
2012-11	Olmstead Knickerbocker Trails	3+ (I did 9) miles	Easy
2012-08	Codfish Creek Falls	2.8 miles	Easy-Moderate
2012-08	Cardiac Bypass North Fork	5.75 miles	Mod-Strenuous
2012-07	Hidden Falls	Up to 19 miles available trails	Easy +
2011-06	Ruck-A-Chucky Towards Ford’s Bar  Paradise Falls	4.5 miles	Moderate
2012-04	American Canyon and Waterfalls	4.3-18.9 available miles	Easy - Strenuous
2011-04	Mossy Rock Trail (starts at Stagecoach)	Under 2 miles	Easy
2011-07	Harvego Bear River Preserve	5.21 mile loop on that day	Moderate
2013-06	Stevens Trail in Colfax	7.5-9 miles	Moderate-Difficult (steep canyon wall scares some people)
2011-04	Windy Point (wildflowers!) Colfax Iowa Hill	5.6 + or -	Steep canyon bugs some hikers, easy overall.
2012-11	Rocklin Miners Ravine Reserve	.5 miles	Easy
2012-08	Roseville Miners Ravine	As far as you go; 5.9 posted tracks	Easy, fun for kids too.
Coloma
2013-06	Lower Dutch Creek Falls	Aprox 2 miles	Moderate
2012-08	David Moore Nature Area	1 mile loop	Easy; picnic tables too. Some WC & stroller accessibility.
2013-06	Upper Dutch Creek Falls and Johntown Falls	5 miles	Strenuous-Difficult
2010-04	Upper and Lower Dutch Creek and Johntown Falls	5 miles	Trail unmaintained, skills needed.
Placerville
2014-06	El Dorado Trail Section 1	6+ miles	Moderate
2014-06	El Dorado Trail Section 2	4.5 miles	Easy
2014-06	El Dorado Trail Section 3	5.7 miles	Easy
El Dorado National Forest                            Restrictions
	University Falls~Nature's Unbelievable Wonderland	No longer open to the public.
2012-11	Canyon Creek Falls	5 miles	Easy (forest roads)
2013-08	Silver Lake, Hidden Lake, Amy Lake Loop	Aprox 8 miles; many other options	Easy
2012-07	Old Rubicon Trail Part A	4-20 or to Hell Hole Reservoir	Easy to Moderate
2011-06	Balderson, Dru Barner; Little Silver Loop	7 miles more or less; your choices; Dru Barner req. permits now.	Moderate
2011-06	Ruck-a-Chucky Towards Ford's Bar and Paradise Falls!	4.5 miles, again, you choose.	Easy
2011-06	Grizzly Flat in El Dorado National Forest	7.5 miles	Moderate
2010-06	Traverse Falls, CA	3 miles	Difficult
2014-06	Stifle Claim Trail (Traverse Botanical Special Interest Area)	0+ miles	Easy +
2010-04	Rock Creek Falls via One Eye Creek Trail	7 miles with closed road, 6 when it is opened	Moderate
2012-11	Canyon Creek Falls	5.1 miles	Moderate
2013-07	Cedar Park Trail near Sly Park	1 mile paved	Easy; Stroller and WC friendly
Grass Valley
2015-07	Alta Sierra Biblical Garden	Short, meditative	Easy
South Yuba River
2013-07	Independence Trail	Aprox 5 miles	Wheelchair friendly, not paved!
2010-05	Backpacking South Yuba Trail	Up to 25 miles	Moderate
Coastal
2015-08	Pillar Point Tidal Pools	Your choice	Stay safe!
2013-07	Muir Woods	.5-2 accessible and longer for hikers	Easy
2013-04	Grizzly Island Wildlife Reserve	Your choice	Easy, great for taking kids!
2012-06	Montgomery Woods State Reserve (Redwoods)	3+ mile loop with options and benches	Easy
Desolation Wilderness
2015-07	Lyons & Sylvia Lakes	10+ miles	Strenuous
2014-08	McConnell Lake Loop	30 miles	Moderate to Strenuous/Difficult
2014-07	Rockbound to Doris, Lois & Maud Lakes	18 miles	Moderate-Difficult
2014-06	Lyons Creek Trail to Lake Sylvia	12+ miles	Moderate to Strenuous
2013-06	Lawrence Lake	13+ miles	Moderate to Strenuous
2012-09	Umpa Lake & Enchanted Pools	8+ miles	Cross country ~ Moderate
2012-08	Horsetail Falls via Pyramid Creek TH	Aprox.  10 miles to lakes at the top of the falls	"Difficult, and potentially dangerous" miles
2012-07	Rockbound Trail to Maude Lake	10 miles	Moderate
2012-07	Twin Lakes Trail to Island Lake	8 miles	Moderate-Strenuous
2012-06	Lyons Lake via Lyons Creek Trail	10+ miles	Strenuous
2012-08	Lyons Creek Trail to Lake Sylvia	9.2 miles	Moderate
2012-06	Grouse, Hemlock, and Smith Lakes	6+ miles	Strenuous
2011-07	Lyons Creek Trail with melting snow	9+ miles	Moderate
2011-02	Grouse Lake	3.8 miles	Moderate
2010-09 We hiked 12 days.	Tahoe Rim Trail	167 total	Moderate to Strenuous
Trinity Alps
2011-08	Coffee Creek Loop ***Best hike ever!	40 miles, give or take	Moderate-Strenuous-testy at Doe/Granite
2011-07	Castle Lake to Mt Bradley	12 mile day hike	Strenuous
2010-06	From Hobo Gulch	You decide/ conditions matter	Moderate - Difficult
Tahoe National Forest 2014-07 Loch Levin Lakes 6+ miles Moderate (kids do it though) 2012-12 Snowshoeing PCT at Donner’s Castle Pass 9.3 mile loop Strenuous 2012-12 Snowshoe PCT to Flora Lake 3.5 miles Easy 2014-07 Crooked Lakes Trail at Grouse Ridge 1+ miles with many lakes and options Easy to Moderate 2011-06 Carr and Feely Lakes Under Snow 5+ miles this trip Variable 2013-07 Sugar Pine Reservoir Whatever you choose Easy 2012-11 Sierra Big Trees and Grouse Falls Overlook 1 mile each location Easy 2012-09 Pioneer Trail near Spaulding Lake Up to 25 miles; I did 5.7 Easy to Moderate 2012-10 Sierra Discovery Trail with Bear Creek Falls ½ mile est. interpretive loop & picnic area Easy 2012-09 Sierra Discovery Trail .7 mile Stroller and WC friendly 2012-09 Mosquito Ridge Antique Bridge 3+ miles Easy - Moderate 2012-08 Azalea & Flora Lakes near Donner 6 miles Easy 2012-08 North Fork Middle Fork American River Mining Trail 4 miles Easy - Moderate 2014-05 Grouse Ridge Glacier Lake Trail Milk and Downey Lakes are closest. .5+ many optional miles to many lakes, all pretty close to each other! Easy to Moderate Car camping available near the trailhead. 2018-07 Mount Rose Summit 10.5 miles round trip Moderate to Strenuous
Other:
The Botany Song  for folks who love botany!
SURVIVOR NIGHT-TRUE STORY!
Poison Oak-Besides Preventing Rashes
Hiking Shoes or “Losing Your Sole”  Really happened!
Poison Oak Information, Treatment, & Photos
Deer Attacks Child and Poodle   True story!
2013-06	Indian Grinding Rock State Park	North Trail 1 mile; South Trail .5 mile	Easy
2012-04	Spenceville Wildlife Refuge & Fairy Falls	5 miles + or -	Easy-Moderate

My guidelines for rating difficulty:

If I rate a trail from "one level - another" it is because you can make the choices that will determine the difficulty, such as whether to go farther or not.

Easy means no real technical skill or fantastic fitness required, good for beginners and kids.  May be up to 5 miles.

Moderate usually refers to added distance, adding elevation changes, and requiring a little experience for climbing over tree falls, small or short rock scrambles, maybe shallow creek crossings, or hiking along steeper areas.    May be up to 10 miles, or terrain issues.

Difficult requires technical skills like using already installed rope or cable to ascend and descend steep areas, navigate safely over and around obstacles like snow banks, wider and deeper creek crossings, and be prepared to hike along open views on steep hillsides and canyon walls.  It may require some rock scrambles, or navigating poorly maintained trail conditions.

Strenuous means it will be more of a cardiac challenge, steeper hills, more difficult rock scrambles, more miles, not necessarily requiring trail skills, but more determination and better fitness!

LINKS for current fees:

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=23294 for CA park fees for day use and camping.

http://www.fs.fed.us/passespermits/rec-fee.shtml for National Parks map and fees

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/Recreation/recreation_national/recreation_fees__/blm_recreation_fee/recreation_fee_policy.html  for BLM fee structures

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:California_State_Recreation_Areas  has a list with links for CA State Recreation Areas.

Updated list of articles 6/2/2016

Park fees links added 10-9-2015
New articles added 6-10-2014