A collection of travel and adventure stories

Stevens Trail Hiking

Description and Directions >>

Description:
The Stevens Trail is located in the foothills of the Northern California Sierra mountains. The trail follows along the northwestern slope of the North Fork of the American River, and finally descends down to the river level. Along the trail, you pass old gold mine shafts, along with oak trees, small creek waterfalls, and wildflowers in the spring. The trail length is 9 miles roundtrip.

Activities:
hiking, swimming, sightseeing

Directions:
Follow I-80 East towards the town of Colfax and exit at North Canyon Way. Travel along North Canyon Way past the Colfax cemetery to the Stevens trailhead.

Story Date 3/26/2000
Publish Date 4/15/2004

Story Perspectives >>

According to Mikala: Stevens Trail is another one of the many beautiful spots that Northern California has to offer for enjoyment. This trail descends gradually to the North Fork of the American River, where you can swim in the refreshing pools in summer.

At the beginning of this trail, we could hear the sound of the freeway, which is very close to the trailhead. As soon as we hiked just a short distance, we could no longer hear the freeway, but only the sounds of the birds and wind in the trees. The top part of the trail winds through green trees, flowers, and a couple small creeks. Further down the trail, we came upon an old mining cave. You could walk up to it and inside, but it isn't recommended due to the danger. From this point, we could see the river down below (a long distance down). The cliffs on the side of the trail get a lot steeper, so careful footing is a must.

There is a lot of shade along this trail, so even in the summer it was not too bad. We finally reached the bottom and hiked along the edge of the river. There are many nice spots to stop and enjoy the scenery. There are even a few pools of water that are good to swim in (although the water is usually cold).

It's good to rest at the river's edge, since the return involves a continuous climb back up to the road.