BEN
DAVIDSON/GOLD
COUNTRY
VISITOR'S
ASSOCIATION;
MARIUSZ
S.
JURGIELEWICZ/SHUTTERSTOCK
.
OPPOSITE:
SHIPPEE/SHUTTERSTOCK
The Great Outdoors
From May to mid October, the American
River is California's top venue for white-
water rafting. The river flow is controlled
by releases from upstream reservoirs, so
rafters are assured of good conditions.
Outfitters offer both half-day and full-day
trips through Class III whitewater, ending
up at Marshall Gold Discovery State His-
toric Park or Folsom Lake. In the northern
Sierra, the town of Downieville has
become a center for mountain biking.
Local bike shops offer rentals and shuttles
on old mining roads and single tracks
from the casual to the technical,
including a 15-mile ride with a 4,000-foot
descent. Houseboaters flock to vast,
sprawling Gold Country reservoirs such as
New Melones Lake, Don Pedro Lake and
Lake McClure.
MOANING CAVERN, a lime-
stone cave near Vallecito,
below; hiking in the giant
sequoia forest, right; sun-
flower field in the Central
Valley, opposite.
