Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail

The Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail (or American River Bike Trail) is a paved multi-use pathway that runs between the confluence of the Sacramento River with the American River, just north of downtown Sacramento, CA, and Beal's Point at Folsom Lake, north of Folsom, CA. The trail is 32 miles long, and is used as a major recreational destination, as well as a commuter artery for cyclists. The trail is considered one of the longest paved purpose-built bike trails in the country. The trail is maintained by the County of Sacramento and is painted with mile markers placed at every half-mile increment.

History

In the early 1800s, the famous fur trapper, Jedediah Smith, explored the area east of Sacramento, between the settlement at the confluence now known as Old Sacramento, and Folsom. The area follows the course of the American River, and is rich in a diversity of wildlife. In the late 1800s, the trail was marked out by a prototype cycling organization, The Capital City Wheelmen, but was soon abandoned as a viable commuter artery with the onset of automobiles in the early 1900s. The trail fell into disrepair until it was reexamined as a transportation route by cyclists in the 1970s, when the pathway was paved. A section of the trail has been added in the last few years that runs up the South side of Lake Natoma and takes you into Downtown Folsom

The Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail, now more commonly known as the American River Bike Trail, is used by approximately 5 million people annually.

Notable Landmarks & Attractions

The trail passes several places of interest between Sacramento and Folsom. The recreational areas of Discovery Park, Sutter's Landing Park (the point at which John Sutter, founder of Sacramento and notable area entrepreneur, first arrived), the Guy West Bridge (a scaled down reproduction of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge), California State University, Sacramento (or, more commonly, Sacramento State), Goethe Park, Ancil Hoffman Park and the adjoining nature centre dedicated to local activist Effie Yeaw, the Fair Oaks walking bridge, the Nimbus Fish Hatchery, Lake Natoma and Folsom Lake.

ources

http://www.discovergold.org publication Sacramento Visitors Guide Spring/Summer 2006, pp18-20.

Additional Information

[http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=105990635611814430241.000441895adb1735c71b3&ll=38.644227,-121.263657&spn=0.171615,0.32135&z=12 Google map showing the trail]

http://www.sacparks.saccounty.net/our-parks/american-river-parkway/

http://www.arpf.org/

http://www.sacparks.net/our-parks/american-river-parkway/docs/jedediah-smith.pdf

http://activities.wildernet.com/pages/area.cfm?areaid=CASAJS&cu_id=157

http://www.saccycle.com/bikewaymaps/map6.htm