Dog-friendly Hidden Falls Regional Park

Hidden Falls Regional Park

7587 Mears Pl.
Auburn, California 95604
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IMPORTANT!: Reservations are required on the weekends and other high use days. Please visit the Placer County website to make reservations.

In spring of 2013, this 221-acre regional park was expanded from 221 to 1,200 acres. It now offer 30 miles of hiking/equestrian trails in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Acquired under the Placer Legacy Open Space and Agricultural Conservation Program, the park encompasses formerly private lands known as Didion Ranch and Spears Ranch. It includes three miles along Coon Creek as well as Hidden Falls, a 30- to 50-foot waterfall that flows year-round but is at its most furious in spring.

Trails in the park are shared by pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians, and dogs must be leashed at all times.

The rule of thumb is that cyclists yield to horses and hikers, while hikers yield to equestrians. If you see or hear a horse approaching, step off the trail on the low side to let the animals pass. Never approach a horse unannounced from the rear.

Two new bridges more than 100 feet long provide access to previously unreachable sections of the park. The hike to Hidden Falls is an easy, 5.6-mile loop.

Directions:
The park is 46 miles northeast of Sacramento. Take Interstate 80 to Auburn and exit on Elm Ave (exit 119C). Turn right on Elm and right again on Highway 49. Continue 2.4 miles to Atwood Road and turn right. Atwood will turn into Mount Vernon and make several dogleg turns...stick with it to the third right, which is Mears Road. Take the first right to stay on Mears Road and look for the park entrance on your left.

Help us keep these trails beautiful and dog-friendly:
• Always follow the posted rules as they may have changed
• If in off-leash area, keep your dog under voice command
• Respect and protect wildlife and habitats
• Pack in and pack out, leaving only paw prints

dogtrekker.com, dog friendly, hike, regional park, placer county trails, waterfalls

Hidden Falls Regional Park - Photo Credit: @lillyshertigal
Hidden Falls Regional Park - Photo Credit: @lillyshertigal
Hundreds of square miles of national forests and other public lands make Placer County a DogTrekker hotspot. Highway 49 runs south from Auburn, the county seat, to access 35,000-acre Auburn State Recreation Area hugging two forks of the American River. Hidden Falls Regional Park is delightful in fall even if the falls aren’t running, while at Cronan Ranch Regional Trails Park, you can hike to the river and watch the whitewater rafters go by. more »
Hiding in Plain Sight
DogTrekkers who have discovered the delights of 1,200-acre Hidden Falls Regional Park a few miles off Interstate 80 near Auburn have plenty to bark about during waterfall season. more »
Winding your way up Interstate 80 on the way from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe, you'll pass through or near Placer and Nevada County communities ranging from modern suburbs to historic Gold Rush-era settlements that look plucked from a Western movie set. Save time for them, by all means, but don’t pass up open-space gems such as 30,000-acre Auburn State Recreation Areamore »
If you live in Sacramento or anywhere near the Interstate 80 corridor through the Sierra Nevada foothills, Hidden Falls Regional Park near Auburn in the  Gold Country foothills should be on your “must do” excursion list, even if it’s not waterfall season.    more »
If you live in Sacramento or anywhere near the Interstate 80 corridor through the Sierra Nevada foothills, the five-mile round trip to 30-foot Hidden Falls should be on your "must do" excursion list. The falls, whose furious roar can be heard long before the wall of white water can be seen, are the centerpiece of 221-acre Hidden Falls Regional Park between Auburn and Lincoln in Placer County. Dogs are welcome, but with a caveat: Because the trail is shared by hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians, it's important to keep Rover leashed and to observe standard trail etiquette. The rule of thumb: cyclists yield to horses and hikers, while hikers yield to equestrians. If you see or hear a horse approaching, step off the trail on the low side to let the riders pass. Never, ever approach a horse unannounced from the rear. more »
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