Cronan Ranch

Horseback riding, mountain biking, off leash dog hiking, river access and upland game hunting all at the same time. Great example of how mixed use land can work.

Great winter hike or run. Wide trails but few trees where you want them. I imagine kids would hate it. I ran 3 miles down the South Fork American River Trail on a 6 mile loop. I may check out the maps and plan a through run next time.

Nice wide trails! Beautiful rive access for picnics! Went through the old movie set and found a beautiful spot for lunch by the river

Very nice walking/​hiking roads — most are pretty wide and easy to walk/​hike/​jog on. I would NOT want to do this hike in the summer — it would be SO HOT. Today was pretty mild, but since there isn’t very much shade you can still get pretty warm, but there were sweet breezes and of course you can cool yourself a bit in the American River. The trails were well marked, and as someone else mentioned, beware of Poison Oak (it’s not on the trail but is close, and when you are down by the river in single track walking area there are places where you could easily brush into a bush.) We also saw a snake today. This is a multi-​use trail and it seems to be used heavily by equestrians (always yield to the horses). Mountain bikes and dogs are allowed on the trails as well. Overall, very nice park system of trails. Enjoy!

A great place to explore when weather is cooler. I’ve taken a few different trails here lately & feel there just isn’t enough shade for a summer hike. It is really pretty & a good workout, though I wouldn’t consider any of the trails I’ve taken so far to be strenuous.
There is an old looking structure that apparently was built for a Hallmark movie called Love Comes Softly. And it’s none of your biz if I’ve seen the movie & liked it. (I did.)
There are also a couple good spots to access the river & enjoy a picnic. As another reviewer mentioned, the trails are east of the hills so if you’re hiking with only an hour left before sunset (like I did last I was there), you will run out of light & warmth sooner than you think.

Gorgeous are and many, many trails and loops to take. We went in the later afternoon and came back up the hills in the early evening when it was still light out. We saw a deer, gopher snake and a rattlesnake. And FYI, there are snakes everywhere this time of year, and I mean everywhere! I grew up hiking around here frequently, so I have seen my fair share of snakes, but be aware of where you are putting your feet here, and stay away from the sides where there is tall grass.

Beautiful terrain, hard hikes with big hills and valleys but worth the effort. There are areas that intersect the river and areas that go by old western movie sets. Trails for all types of that enjoy the outdoors: horses, bikers, runners, hikers, etc.
Parking is free off of Pedro Hill entrance and there is a bathroom there. There are portajohns inside the park as well. Clear signage and there is a giant map at the start. Make sure you bring water, sunscreen, food and whatever else you might need out there as the place is huge! Definitely go with a buddy — don’t get lost!

Gorgeous. Came here for an early evening stroll on a Saturday in November. Took a path through the hills instead of by the river, but I’d love to try a different route sometime if we ever get back to Gold Country.
Be warned that the paths are to the east of a fairly sizeable hill range, so the western sunset means it got darker and shadowy sooner than we were expecting.

«The land for this park and river trail corridor was purchased by the American River Conservancy, BLM and other partners over a period of 16 years and placed into public trust to be used for recreation and wildlife conservation. «
Beautiful rolling green hills, 16 miles of trails for hiking, horseback riding, and biking, picnic tables down on the American River, watch the rafters go by, and an old rustic movie set.
There is lots of Poison Oak, so don’t touch the 3 leaf bushes!
There are rattlesnakes here, but they prefer not to tangle with you, keep your eyes open, and prepare to give them the time and space to move along.