Travel Column: The Sacramento River Parkway

     Sitting on the convergence of two rivers, Sacramento is uniquely blessed with scenic trails. Sacramento State students are well aware of the American River Trail that winds past their school.

     A less well known but equally scenic trail runs along the Sacramento River through the Pocket neighborhood. An easy access point to this hidden jewel can be found at the intersection of Riverside and Captain’s Table Road, near the Fruitridge/ Seamas exit off I5.

     The trail picks up behind the La Riviera Hotel and runs north towards Old Town. The trail runs along the top of the levee separating the river from I5. Walking the trail offers a juxtaposition between the urban frenzy of the freeway and the bucolic, slow-moving river. The freeway is screened off by trees for the most part, but is still visible off to your right as you walk north. Not to worry however, the traffic noise is muffled and you are more likely to hear the honk of migratory birds than the bellow of truck horns.

     The glass and steel office buildings downtown can be glimpsed though the trees as the trail winds along with the river. Unfortunately for would-be commuters from the Pocket /Greenhaven neighborhoods, the trail does not quite reach downtown. The trail peters out at the marina at the foot of Broadway.

     A lack of commuters doesn’t mean a lack of traffic however. Those wishing to enjoy a leisurely stroll along the path need to be aware that the Spandex-Boy Bike Brigade uses the trail for time trials. Thankfully, the trail is wide and both groups seem to be able to co-exist.

     For those left footsore and weary after exploring the trail to the north, respite may be had back at the hotel at the foot of the path. La Riviera Hotel is home to Scott’s Seafood, an upscale restaurant and bar overlooking a marina built into a bend in the river. Be forewarned that if you’ve been working up a sweat on the trail or have been splashing around at the water’s edge, The Maitre’d at Scott’s may not give you the best table in the house.

     For the adventurous, or those too dirty and sweaty to be seated at Scott’s, an old-school neighborhood bar can be found nearby. If you continue south along Riverside from the La Riviera Hotel, you can pick up the trail again in about a mile or so at 35^th Ave. As you walk south along the top of the levee, you can look down on the river flowing to your right and Riverside Blvd on your left. At the end of the trail, about a mile from 35^th Ave., lies The Trap.

     The Trap is an institution in the Pocket neighborhood. It’s a clapboard shack that seems to lean away from its foundation. Inside is a short wooden bar and a lone beer cooler. Nothing’s on tap and don’t bother asking for a mixed drink. Bud longnecks are $2. A 24oz can of Pabst Blue Ribbon costs $3. The patrons favor longhair and tattoos; mind your manners around the pool table.

     The Sacramento River Parkway remains in the shadow of the contiguous American River trail because it is segmented and forces users onto city streets for blocks at a time between access points. This might be it’s strength however; because it weaves back and forth between the levee and surface streets, it connects the Greenhaven, Pocket, and Land Park neighborhoods. The Sacramento River Parkway provides an easy way to explore some of Sacramento’s oldest neighborhoods.