When: Saturday, May 3 at 8:30am
Where: Harvego Bear River Preserve, North Auburn
Join us for a rambling hike to see wildflowers and learn about the Oak Savanah prevalent in the Sierra foothills. Spring is gorgeous in the foothills with bright green grasses, new growth and abundant wildflowers. The focus of this slower paced hike will be on “smelling” and admiring the beauty of the Sierra foothills vegetation. We’ll hike about 3 – 3.5 hours while taking our time to enjoy the beauty of these natural wonders while learning about the flora and fauna, take in the amazing views from Bald Rock and overlooking the Bear River.
If you’d like to learn to use a couple of free nature phone apps, we recommend you download 1. Seek by iNaturalist (plant, mushroom, animal ID) and 2. Merlin Bird ID from Cornell Labs (bird and bird call ID). We can use those apps to identify plants and bird sounds as we hike
Distance and difficulty: Approximately 3.5 – 4 miles and will take approximately 3-4 hours. It is a “moderate” difficulty hike with stretches of uphill climbs and downhill jaunts on uneven ground with some rough terrain and an elevation gain of around 700 ft. Trailhead is at about 1,000 ft.
Who should attend: This outing is for hikers who can hike at a moderate pace. This hike is not recommended for children under 12. Sorry, no dogs allowed unless they are service animals due to the potential conflicts with livestock and wildlife.
This is a free event; however, donations help make these activities possible! We suggest a donation of $10 per person or $25 for a family. You can donate during registration, and we’re happy to accept cash or a check at the event in an envelope with your name written on it.
Registration:
- You may only register yourself and members of your household. People outside of your household must register themselves.
- The deadline to sign up is 5pm on the Thursday before the event unless the event fills first.
- Space is limited! Please only register if you will be attending so that you don’t take a spot away from someone else.
- If you signed up and can no longer attend, please contact Elia by email.
Participants must sign a release of liability. Please complete it by noon the Friday before the event. One form per adult. Parent signature is required for children under 18. Please note, this does not register you for the hike. To register please scroll down. Link to waiver:
This activity is a wilderness outing in a natural setting. PLT reserves the right to cancel an event in cases of extreme weather, bad air quality, rain, or other conditions beyond our control.
About Harvego Bear River Preserve
This 1,778 acre preserve, which includes a working cattle ranch, protects critical unfragmented oak woodlands in the Bear River watershed and is part of one of the last relatively “wild” areas in western Placer County. It includes over three miles of Bear River frontage and features spectacular views and an amazing diversity of wildlife. Learn more about this beautiful preserve here.
Directions to the Preserve will be emailed after registration is complete. Check your spam folder if you do not receive the email within 15 minutes of registering.
Important Note: Our Big Hill, Harvego, and Laursen Preserves, including the roads surrounding them, are not open to the public. Please help us respect the neighborhoods around these preserves by only visiting during scheduled guided activities that you are registered for. Trespassers will be prosecuted.
