Sacramento is a special city—It is not heavily populated, a stark contrast to big cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco. It even less people than Fresno. But that doesn’t make Sacramento “feel” any smaller—it feels like a real city in ways that Fresno can only dream of. Considering its relatively low population, Sacramento really does feel much less crowded. One of the city’s hidden gems are its bike trails, some of which go along the American river, with one bike trail even having its own bridge to cross the American River—these paths are certainly a great way to get around the city with absolutely none of the craziness (crazy drivers, traffic, excessively loud motorcycles, nasty smells).
Sacramento Northern Bikeway (South/North) is the bike path that originates in Midtown Sacramento, crosses the American River, and extends all the way to Elverta California, with the paved path terminating at “Elverta Park & Ride”, spanning 10 miles for the fully paved path! I didn’t fully explore this bike path though—after crossing the bridge, there was an option to turn onto another bike trail, the American River Bike Trail, which runs along the length of the River (East/West) although you can’t actually see the River as the path is lined by trees). If you are adventurous, there are a plethora of unpaved Bike Trails in the immediate area, including a path that goes directly to the river. Google Maps recognizes these paths if you select the bicycle navigation option, should you decide to utilize the “bike highway”.
