Back to index New York Creek Nature Area Hike
Trip Date:  03/19/2015

Distance
: 3.4 Miles

Vertical Gain: 150'

Group Size: 1
Hike Rating:  Easy   Moderate   Hard   Strenuous
New York Creek Nature Hike
Download GPX GPX for this trip
New York Creek Nature Elevation Profile
Start Coordinates:   N 38 41.160, W 121 04.638     End Coordinates:   Same as start coordinates
Car Shuttle Req'd:   No Parking Directions:   Take El Dorado Hills Blvd to Governor Dr.  Turn east on Governor and then make a quick right on St. Andrews Drive into the north end of the Community Services District (CSD) park.  At the first parking area turn left and park anywhere in this lot.  The trail starts at a bridge on the east end of the parking lot.  Cross the bridge and then turn left to start on the trail.
Hazards of Note:   Rattlesnakes, ticks, poison oak. Crowd Factor:   Moderate.  During the weekdays this can have a number of walkers and bikers, and after school hours the local high school uses this for running training.
General Notes:
Start out on this hike by crossing the bridge just at the east end of the parking area, and then turn left onto the dirt trail.  About 1/10th of a mile north you will have to cross Governer's Drive, but there is a stop sign just to your left with a cross walk which can make this easy.  Continue on the trail past the kiosk, and into the greenbelt area which the trail meanders through for the next mile and a half.  About a 3/4 of a mile north there is a branch off to the right that is a paved bike trail, which simply takes you to Silva Valley Parkway road.  There are more hikes up into Serrano across Silva Valley from here.
Continue on this trail until you get to another bridge at the far end.  If you cross this you will get out to the area where Jackson Elementary is located, or you can continue on the paved path to the east and come out in the Fairchild Village housing area.  Right across the street from the trail exit is a nice park with some historically interesting indian grinding rocks at the south end.

Just after crossing the road from the parking area, you will find this sign at the beginning of the unbroken section of trail which leads for over a mile north between housing areas. New York Creek Nature Area sign
Nice green colors in the winter and early spring along this trail.
Early trail 
On a hot day this spot provides some nice shade for a quick break on the way. Appreciated shade
About halfway along the trail is a junction to the right (east,) which leads along a short section of bike path to Silva Valley Road.  You can see the trail up the hill in the distance that can be attained by taking this junction for a longer hike. Side trail off to Silva Valley
There are just a couple of sections of the trail that narrow down to being very close to houses, but the fences keep it from being an issue for either neighbors or hikers.
Narrow passage
At the north end of the hike is this bridge which leads across toward Jackson Elementary. North bridge
At a neighborhood park found by bypassing the north bridge from the previous picture, you can find some Indian grinding rocks at the south end of the park. Indian Grinding Rock Indian Grinding Rock
Turning around and heading back, the first part of the trail past the north bridge is very lush and green during the cooler times of the year. Headed back
GPS Track of the full hike. GPS Track of Hike