We've been cooped up in our house as of late and have needed a major family outdoors day. Being avid hikers I'm constantly on the hunt for fun trails and I'm always wanting to explore some place new. Luckily, I live in an area that is known as the city of trees and has fantastic outdoor hiking trails. We searched for places high and low and stumbled upon a little place called Pilot Hill, more specifically Cronan Ranch Regional Trails Park. Cronan Ranch Regional Trails Park is full of spectacular trails, waterfalls, and green open pastures. As soon as we got there, I set up our dogs and we headed to the loop trail. There are many different options when you get to Pilot Hill. You can go one way and head up the hills or straight and head to a house that was used in a Lifetime movie set. We wanted to check out the house so we headed the movie set way.
It was muddy with lots of loose terrain but that didn't stop us. We were determined to have a fun day filled with hiking and lots of puppy play! We started out on the Loop Trail and saw deer, geese, hawks and horses. There were not a lot of people on the trail which we actually really enjoyed. Even if there were a lot of people there is plenty of space to move around see everything which we really liked. We brought our little dog Marilyn and our Border Collie Roxy (Harley stayed home for this one) and even though the trail was quite rocky and muddy, Marilyn our little dog had no problem keeping up with us. Usually, Shane or I will carry her, but she did great on this outdoor hike. The park photographs beautifully as there is plenty of space to move around.
We arrived at the house where the movie Love Comes Softy starring Katherine Heigl was filmed. The set now is fairly destroyed, but you can still the sign where they talk about the movie and it's definitely a must-see if you visit the Coloma area. After visiting the set where the movie was filmed, we trecked on to a much harder trail filled with jagged rocks. I loved it! I felt like such a strong babe running up and down the hill with Roxy. We then found the amazing Salmon Falls River and watched as river rafters scaled down the river. I told Shane that river rafting is a must-do for Valentines Day. He did not seem to keen on the idea, but I'll get him there. After all, I'm an adventurer at heart!
Cronan Ranch Regional Trails Park is a fantastic park to go to for all skill levels. Hikers of all ages will find something to enjoy there and it's a great spot for trail runners too. I plan on doing some serious mileage on the dirt running trail they have that's rumored to be 15-mils long.
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What trails or parks do you guys love? What are your favorite hiking spots? Any specific ones in the Sac/Folsom areas I should check out?
Kristen K. says
This looks like a pretty hike! I can't wait to do snow-free hikes again.
Genevieve Jerome says
Hi Kristen! I adore hiking! Have you ever tried rock climbing? That's a lot of fun too. Hiking in the snow also sounds fun, but challenging. Thanks for reading! 🙂