Since 2007, Placer Land Trust (PLT) has been preserving land between the Bear River and Raccoon Creek watersheds, protecting those waterways and thousands of acres of open space lands for their excellent conservation values. These lands are rolling oak woodlands, critical wildlife habitat, rangelands grazed by cattle, and a beautiful location for recreation.
Over the past several years, PLT has been working with Placer County to open 480 acres at PLT’s Big Hill Preserve in North Auburn to public access and recreation, and to eventually build a trail connecting Big Hill Preserve to the nearby Hidden Falls Regional Park. We’re excited to share with you some significant progress!
Placer County-led construction started in 2025 with repair and improvements on our existing road and trails at Big Hill Preserve; this work is wrapping up this month. The County is also building a new parking and trailhead area off of Bell Road, which is now nearing completion.
Over the next several months, the County and its contractors will move forward with building some final trails on Big Hill Preserve. As these efforts conclude, we plan to open Big Hill Preserve to public access by the end of 2026!
Concurrently, Placer County will be working on permitting and construction of new trails on both PLT and County property that will connect Big Hill Preserve with Hidden Falls Regional Park. This process will take longer, but the County is working diligently to see the final connection goals realized.
Placer Land Trust is looking forward to sharing this incredible natural place with the community, which has been a goal of ours for nearly two decades. Stay tuned for updates!
