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Lake Clementine Trail Summary

We can’t get enough of the American River. With so many trails and access points it’s easy to see why we’ve done 3 different hikes on it. The Lake Clementine Hiking Trail is our latest adventure and it did not disappoint. We hiked from the HWY 49 access point to Lake Clementine Dam.

Trail head is easy to find and fairly wide. Following along the American River, the trail leads under Folsom Bridge. The views here are definitely worth stopping for. Wide, shaded paths provide a nice walk to enjoy. The trail eventually connects to a public road. Be careful here as cars will be coming and going to Lake Clementine marinas.

The trail has a nice balance of climbing and descending, but is never too challenging. Kids shouldn’t have a problem, and the trail is pet friendly. Reaching the dam promises some breathtaking views. Along with the cascading waterfall and rolling rainbows, we found some blackberry bushes that provided a nice snack. Sitting here to relax and watch the waterfall is easily worth the hike in.

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Lake Clementine Trail Details

Distance: Parking to peak round trip is 4.5 miles.

Difficulty: On a scale of easy to hard, we'd rate this trail easy

                                                           
  • Onsite Parking                                                                        
    •                                                
  • Restrooms                                                                        
    •                                                
  • Kid Friendly                                                                        
    •                                                 
  • Dog friendly                                                                        
    •                                                
  • Picnic area(s)                                                                        
    •                                              
  • Horse friendly                                                                        
    •                                               
  • Mountain biking                                                                        
    •                                                

Lake Clementine Trailhead & Parking

Lake Clementine Trail has an access point on the Old Folsom Road right off HWY 49. Cost to park is $10, but you can actually park on the Confluence side of the bridge and walk over. If you decide to do this be careful, as the shoulder is very narrow.