GRANITE BAY to FOLSOM MARINA
Granite Bay can be reached from Auburn-Folsom Road or Interstate 80.
Take Interstate 80 to the Douglas Boulevard Turnoff at Roseville. Go east on Douglas Blvd and you will cross Auburn-Folsom Road and eventually arrive at the entrance of Granite Bay Park. There is a Granite Bay Sign here and just before it a crosswalk in the road.
This crosswalk is the trailhead to Rattlesnake Bar if you go to the left (north) or Folsom Dam Road if you go to the right (south).
Going to the right, there will a "Granite Bay Trail/Multi-use/100 yards" Sign. Go pass the sign and you come to a "Y" on the trail. Go right and you will come to a white steel gate.
Follow the trail that goes pass the gate to the top of the hill.
There will be a large tank within an enclosed structure to the right.
Go to the left and take the trail that goes strait down the hill...
...and ends in a wider trail.
Go right on the wide trail. You will see two "Caution Steep Slopes 10-15 degrees" Signs and a "Y".
Stay on the wide trail. The trail will come to where a levee (Dike 4) with a gravel road on it starts at the left of the trail.
Past the levee is a narrow trail. Take this trail to where it crosses a wider trail.
At this point you can go to the left onto a narrow trail and around the hill there. If you go straight across the wide trail and then follow a narrow trail to the right you will come to an open walkway in a fence.
Take the trail to the left that is just before it. Go over the hill to where this trail will join the trail that went around the hill.
Go to the right and the trail will go onto the gravel road towards the second levee (Dike 5).
Here you can cross the levee or take the trail in front of the levee. At the other side of this levee, the gravel road becomes a paved bike trail. Take the trail that is to the right of the bike path. This takes you past the Pioneer Express Trail Monument.
Continue on the trail to the third levee (Dike 6).
Here again you can cross the levee or take the trail in front of it. When you reach the other side of the levee you will be at the Beale's Point Campground. Continue along the bike trail until you reach the beginning of Folsom Dam Road.
To complete this segment there are two alternatives:
1) You may continue the hike down the bike trail to the Negro Bar Campground on Greenback Lane to complete 10 miles.
2) With prior arrangements, you may use a vehicle to shuttle the troop to the Folsom Point Boat Launch Area and continue the hike to Folsom Marina. From Folsom Dam Road take Folsom Blvd south to Blue Ravine Road and turn left. Go on the road until it becomes Green Valley Road. Continue on to East Natomas Road and turn left onto it. Go to Folsom Point and turn right there. Go pass the entrance and you will see the parking area and the restroom to the left. To the right of the road the trail begins.
The trail will go into a "Y" three times.
Go to the right at each "Y". Shortly after this, the trail goes across the Mormon Island Dam (MID).
The trail resumes on the left side of the end of the dam. From there the trail is easy to follow to Folsom Marina.
This page revised December 31, 2006