Sacramento Area
Mountain Bike
Association

Urban Trail Possibilities

The American River Parkway holds the most promise for a quality off-road bicycle experience in the Sacramento Metropolitan area.  Currently, off-road bicycling is prohibited there due to an outdated master plan.  This plan was updated and is currently awaiting environmental review and official approvals.  Read the latest here.

SAMBA originally proposed a loop trail, dubbed the Discovery Loop, to run between Sac State and Discovery Park, on both sides of the river.  The draft parkway plan, as approved by the citizen's committee, calls for approximately 8 miles of multi-use trails in the Woodlake and Cal Expo areas.   If this pilot program is deemed successful, biking could be expanded to other areas of the parkway without going through another torturous plan revision.  

Other sites in Sacramento have off-road cycling potential:

• The old Sacramento city landfill at 28th and A streets, which is evolving into a new regional park known as Sutter's Landing.  This site already has a skateboard park.  It also boasts the tallest hill in city proper, approximately 70 feet, with a stunning view of the downtown skyline.  The hill is currently off limits, as it contains gas valves and lines and other vestiges of its not-so-glamorous past.
• Mather Regional Park, located on the old air force base southeast of town. 
• Levee corridors following Steelhead Creek (formerly the Natomas East Main drain) and other large creeks in North Sacramento.
• West Sacramento including the Bryte Bend area and the "Honda Hills" just south of the port.

Other Urban Trail experiences around the country:

• Girls getting dirty on the Tapeworm trail in Seattle
• Urban trails in San Francisco, Austin Texas, Washington D.C. and elsewhere
• Grand opening of Highbridge Park trail in New York City

Questions and Answers about off-road cycling in the American River Parkway