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California
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California State Parks

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California
Gold Country & High Sierra Region
Negro Bar State Park
Negro Bar State Park © Gary OToole
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NEGRO BAR STATE PARK
NEGRO BAR STATE PARK
Negro Bar State Park, located in Folsom, California is a historic site that was once an African-American mining camp during the Gold Rush era. The park offers various recreational activities such as hiking trails and picnic areas along with water sports like swimming or fishing on Lake Natoma's shores. It also provides educational insights into its rich history through interpretive exhibits about early miners' lives.

History of the Area
Located in Folsom, California, the park was established during the Gold Rush era. It is named after African-American miners who worked there around 1849. The area became a popular crossing point for gold seekers traveling to mines further east and eventually developed into a mining camp.

In 1966, it was recognized as part of Folsom Lake State Recreation Area by California Department of Parks and Recreation. Despite controversy over its name due to racial sensitivity issues, efforts to rename have been unsuccessful so far.



Trails
- Lake Natoma Trail: A 12-mile loop trail that offers scenic views of the lake, suitable for all skill levels.

- Negro Bar Loop Trail: An easy to moderate difficulty level hike spanning about 3.2 miles with beautiful wildflowers and bird watching opportunities.

- American River Bike Path (Jedediah Smith Memorial): This is a paved path stretching over 32 miles along the river, perfect for biking or walking.

- Pioneer Express Recreation Trails - Folsom Point Access Route: Approximately an eight mile out-and-back trail offering stunning vistas of rolling hillsides and water bodies; ideal for intermediate hikers due to its elevation gain.

- Oak Parkway Trail - Willow Creek Junction Section: A relatively flat three-mile section providing ample shade from oak trees lining up both sides of this well-maintained dirt pathway.

-Pioneer Express Recreational Trails - Beal's Point Access Route : About six mile long moderately trafficked point-to-point hiking route featuring several activity options including horseback riding besides regular hikes.

-Negro Bar Nature Area Hiking Routes : Several short trails crisscrossing through dense vegetation within park boundaries showcasing local flora & fauna in their natural habitat; length varies between half-aile to two miles each depending on chosen routes.

-American River Parkway Multi-use Paths : These are multiple interconnected paths running parallelly alongside American river throughout entire stretch covering overall distance around twenty-five plus miles catering different outdoor activities like cycling , jogging etc apart from traditional hiking .

Visitor Comments, Memories and Reviews
March 29 swimmer by chuck
park review stars; one to five anybody remember the cave at the cliff that went to the basement of the house.
March 7 Interesting Park by Sacramento Native
park review stars; one to five Named for the original 49er miners here. Watch out for rattlesnakes in summer and fall
February 16 Fun Destination by OandCsDaddy
park review stars; one to five Negro Bar State Park is a fun destination by car, horse, foot, or bicycle. It has complete facilities to have a picnic, party, or merely a resting place on your trek. The area is well kept and the automated daily pass system does not require cash or those pesky envelopes that get soaked in the rain. Give Negro Bar State Park a try.
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Area Campgrounds
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Nearby Hotels
Booking.com

Directions
Directions from Sacramento, California:

- Start on I Street towards 5th St.
- Merge onto I-80 E via the ramp to Reno.
- Take exit 12 for Madison Ave toward North Highlands/Fair Oaks.
- Use right two lanes to turn right onto Madison Avenue.

From Roseville, California:

- Begin at Douglas Blvd heading eastward.
- Turn left into Auburn Folsom Rd
- Continue straight until reaching Greenback Ln in Folsom city limits

To reach Negro Bar State Park from El Dorado Hills:

- Head west on US Highway 50 W
- Exit and turn right onto Prairie City Road
- Follow signs leading directly to park entrance

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California
70

California State Parks

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