This hike is full and registration is closed.
Date & Time: Sunday, April 21 at 10:00 am
Location: Big Hill Preserves, North Auburn
About this event: Join us for a shorter hike to see wildflowers and learn about the Oak Savanah habitat 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 walk will be on “smelling” and admiring the beauty of the Sierra foothills vegetation. We’ll hike about 2 1/2 miles with 250 foot elevation gain while taking our time to enjoy the beauty and natural wonders of this blue oak environment. If you’d like to learn to use a couple of free nature phone apps, we recommend you download Seek by iNaturalist (plant, mushroom, animal ID) and 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: 2.5 miles+ and takes approximately 3-4 hours. It is a moderate hike with some rough terrain and an elevation gain of around 250 ft. Because of the heavy rain this spring, there are parts of the trail that may be rutted with cow and other hoof prints and sturdy hiking boots are recommended.
Who should attend: This hike is for anyone who can hike the distance at a slow to moderate pace. Children under 7 years old may have difficulty. Sorry, no dogs are 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:
- The deadline to sign up is 5 pm on Thursday before the event unless the event fills first.
- You may only register yourself and members of your household. People outside of your household must register themselves.
- 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 available here.
Please complete the online waiver by the Friday before the event. One form per adult. Parent signature is required for children under 18.
About Taylor Ranch / Big Hill Preserves:
These preserves protect critical unfragmented oak woodlands in the Raccoon Creek and Bear River watersheds and are part of one of the last relatively “wild” areas in western Placer County. The trails on these preserves meander past spectacular rock formations, the gently flowing Raccoon Creek, and panoramic views of the Sierra Nevada foothills and Sacramento Valley. Learn more about this beautiful preserve here.
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.
Directions to the Preserve will be emailed after registration. 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.
