Placer Land Trust believes that spending time in nature improves our quality of life by creating opportunities to improve our physical and mental health, and deepen connections with loved ones and with the natural world around us. That is why in 2013, we set out to raise $750,000 through our Trails & Recreation Capital Campaign to build 20 miles of new trails, creating access to nearly 3,000 acres of permanently protected Sierra Nevada foothills wilderness. Through a combination of private, foundation, and corporate contributions, plus in-kind services, and the generous support of Placer County, we exceeded our goal by raising over $780,000. We are forever grateful for this community support!
This grand vision of an expansive regional trail system just north of Placer County’s Hidden Falls Regional Park, connecting Raccoon Creek and the Bear River, has now reached the next phase of its development. Placer Land Trust has permanently protected five preserves in this area, which make up our Big Hill and Bear River Preserves. We have also built and continue to maintain new trails that, when connected to those at Hidden Falls, will help create a continuous 50-mile plus trail system. Placer County is pursuing its responsibilities to create the connections from our preserves to its regional park, and to provide the infrastructure to make public access possible.
Our view of outdoor recreation is one that balances the benefits the public experiences from spending time in our beautiful landscapes, with the reason we protected the land in the first place—to make sure it continues to function as a healthy home for all living things for generations to come. To learn more about how we envision balanced public access to our lands, check out our public access webpage. We believe that Placer County can make the connections between our preserves and their park happen in a way that respects the conservation values of the land.
We can’t wait to see our grandchildren taking in the beautiful oak woodlands, exploring Raccoon Creek, watching local wildlife in their protected habitat, and learning all about the natural world around them from land and trails made possible by our public and private supporters!
And don’t forget to enjoy Placer Land Trust trails now! Sign up for one of our monthly docent-led hikes – and bring your family and friends. Check out our event calendar and sign up for the next hike. We’ll see you on the trails!
