Stevens Trail

The best trail I’ve been on, it was a killer, but worth it for the view. I would not suggest this for beginners, and make sure to bring lots of water, good hiking shoes, sunscreen, and food for energy.

I have hiked this trail many, many times and it’s always beautiful! Not heavily populated, but enough hikers to feel comfortable hiking alone. The views are amazing and I am so lucky to call this my backyard! Hiking back up is a great workout on the glutes too ;)

If you’re looking for a semi difficult hiking spot, you’ve come to the right place. The hike down is easy and there is a spot to view the mountains half way through the hike. If you keep going 15 – 20 minutes down, you’ll find a small cave which the first time went didn’t go to far. And last time I went, there was a different way to go. It seemed like it would go further but my friends and I were a bit iffy about exploring it. There is a big rock blocking half of the way and support pillars on the sides. The next spot to stop is about 20 – 30 minutes down where you can go swimming and jump off the rocks. At the end, there is also a swimming spot and a pretty open space full of rocks to set up a tent or a little bonfire. Going back is the toughest part because it’s mostly incline and it’s tough. You need to bring a lot of water with you and FOOD! Have fun:)

Stevens trail offers some of the best scenic views, so even if you don’t have reception up in the mountains still bring your phone to take pictures! Lol
I’m not an extreme hiker but so far this is one of longer trails I’ve been on. Slowly working on it.
The mining cave was cool too, that made my day. I don’t know the history behind it maybe i’ll research it after.
I think the only thing this trail could use is a nice deep swimming hole area with a big cliff or rock to jump off.

THE BEST HIKE OF MY LIFE HAPPENED HERE ! OMG, I always wanted to do something like this but I never had a chance till I moved to Roseville and met new friends who took me with them. I had to wake up at 4:30 two days ago and go on this crazy hike but it was so worth it. I mean the whole way down to the river was kind of easy but then the hike back was hard but if you do it once in a week, after a while you will get used to it and you will be fine. The river was clear, I even went down the river for some more adventure. I mean the place was magical. It was a great experience !

Crazy beautiful hike that is currently littered with a ton of wild flowers (May 23^rd)! The hike is 9 miles round trip. It takes about 4.5 miles to get to the North Fork American River where the river is running quite strong. The hike back is a lot more uphill than expected but was still a breeze for me! Arrive early for the best parking. We arrived at 8am and there was 3 cars in the lot. We finished at Noon and the lot was full along with people having to park on the sides of the road before the parking lot. There is also a well kept bathroom in the parking lot and parking is free! Happy Hiking!

Such a nice hike, a great deal of shade near the start, not too taxing but good exercise. Wild flowers were everywhere (April 23) the river teases you for a long while, but it is worth the wait. There is a cavern or old mine along the trail as well if you’d like a little thrill. I will absolutely be back to hike this again.

One of my favorite day hikes ever! There is a great waterfall and amazingly deep mining shaft/​cave that goes back at least 20 feet into the rock. Scenic views of the American River right around from the corner of this cave about a 30 minute hike in. It is a gentle grade downhill until you spot the The trail crosses a few dirt roads so it’s handy that you still have cell phone/​GPS coverage in case you missed the signs, and to get off trail, which I did once. Definitely two thumbs up!

The short: An excellent easy-​medium difficulty hike that is about 9 miles round trip and 4 – 5 hrs hike time.
The long: I was looking for a new hiking spot that was reasonably close to home and ran across Stevens trail. Getting out there was really quite easy from Sacramento. Took the 80 out past Colfax and got off on N Canyon trail and followed it past the graveyard (on your right) and came to the parking area soon after. There is a vault toilet right by the trail head which was nice after a little drive out here. The trail itself is fairly easy on the up and down and there are not many extremes. For the first bit we walked through the woods under cover until we came to a fire road. You follow the fire road a little bit then the trail splits off again. Just watch the signs as some of the offshoots are for trail biker/​riders. At this point you are following this section of trail (the largest part) until you reach the river. Again it is fairly even on the up and down. You will go from wide open spaces to woodsy areas and a few rocky areas. If you keep an eye out there are a few short off shoots that take you to scenic viewpoints. About halfway you will come across a cave which it is recommended that you stay out of. We took a look inside but didn’t go back too far. there are points of the trail where it gets super narrow and you are walking on the edge of a big drop off and you have to pass people. The best thing I can say is just try to find a wide spot to get up against and let them pass. For the record we saw maybe 10 people total the entire time and half of that was hanging out at the river prospecting. When you get to the river there are plenty of spots to stop and sit while enjoying the cold water and great views. It is SUPER cold too. I actually stuck my camelback pouch in the water and looped it to my leg and let it sit in the water to get super cold for the hike back.
What works: A nice hike that is not too steep in or out. As a bonus when you make it to the bottom you can hang out at the riverside and relax.
What to improve: You will hear the highway for a little while, but once you get in it fades away. As a warning close to the river you will come to a fork (you will know you are close because you can see the river super close to you) IF you take the fork to the right it drops rapidly to the riverside. You will have to walk through what I can only assume is a homeless camp which is a little worry some because who lives out in the woods in the middle of nowhere especially where you have no resources? If you take the fork to the left you will continue to the river and it will take you just a few minutes longer and I would say a little safer.

Hike down to the river and back took about 4 hours. This includes the 30 minute break when we made it to the river. The hike down is easy and fun. The hike back can be intense, but afterwards you feel very accomplished!
Convenient restroom in the parking lot. Take the time to look around and take in the view, especially once you get out of the shaded areas. Be vigilant where the trail narrows and bring a lot of water.
I was told to be careful of rattlesnakes, mountain lions, bears and poison oak. Luckily, I only saw the poison oak.

Wonderful hike! Seriously a must for anyone in the area. Just be aware that the trail has plenty of poison oak and pricker bushes along the sides.

Great hike! When the river is high enough there are natural water slides at the bottom (about 4 ½ miles down). We also saw a UFO when snapping some pictures, pretty exciting! Bring plenty of water, the hike back up can be brutal in the heat.

We discovered this gem of a hiking trail about a year ago, and frequent it often. We go pretty much everywhere as a family, so we have hiked this trail on several occasions with our 5 year old son and 8 year old daughter. I wouldn’t call ourselves outdoor enthusiast to the point that our children are any different than any others, but we do a lot of things outdoors and our children have performed this hike with minimal complaining or difficulties. I wouldn’t recommend it in the dead of summer without a ton of water, the uphill on the way out is a doozie! My favorite time of year to do this hike is in the fall and on warmer winter days, but be careful doing this alone, the unpredictable winter weather could create flash flooding and make the trail difficult to exit safely.
Ok, now that that’s out of the way this hike is beautiful and offers a great work out. The beginning of the hike offers shade trees and streams. Once you are out of the clearing of the shade trees you walk downhill adjacent to the «Old Chinese Wall» that was built by immigrant Chinese railroad workers, you can see it up on the top of the mountain to your left. You meander through switch backs and by water falls, there is even some abandoned mines. Watch out for the plentiful poison oak and take care crossing the waters from the waterfalls, this is more difficult in the winter and summer months.
Once to the river’s bottom, you can enjoy swimming in the crystal clean water of the American River. Some people even pack down tents and stay the night. Overall a great and beautiful hike that offers the relief of a nice swim on summer days, pack lots of water and don’t go alone. I would also recommend looking up the trails historical information, it makes the hike seem magical.

This hike was fantastic! My boyfriend and I try to hike once or twice a week, so our hiking level has become a little more advanced. We were looking for a trail that. wasn’t too easy, but not extremely strenuous either. Stevens Trail was the right pick for us. The path is only trodden on by people and horses, so there isn’t a whole lot of traffic which makes the experience very peaceful. The trail is about 4.5 miles long, about 10 miles there and back. There is also bathrooms and a nice parking lot.
The only problem I have with Stevens Trail is that its right off the freeway. When you begin the trail, you can hear the freeway for a little while which isn’t so nice. But after about half a mile, it disappears and it is very quiet.
Just remember this: The trail is easy on the way down and a little more of a workout on the way back up! Happy hiking!

Great hike… easy on the way there but pretty tough climb on the way back. Pretty waterfall and view of the American River (you’re pretty high up and not close to the river). Never made it to the end, but the trail does not loop back-​hike there, hike back… overall very pretty and great hike!