I went bikepacking in the Sierra foothills to trade city noise for oak shadows and river echo. The plan was simple: start in Auburn, stitch together quiet lanes and gravel connectors to Coloma, climb into the pines toward Sly Park, then roll back through vineyard country and blue-oak savanna. The route felt like a geography lesson taught by gradient.
Day 1 — Auburn → Coloma (≈ 38 mi / 3,900 ft)
Morning light slides into the American River canyon as I roll out of Auburn. The day starts with the hush of oak woodland—acorns ticking off the tires, dry grass whispering on the verge. I skirt the river on backroads and dirt spurs, the smell switching from dust to bay laurel when the grade pitches into the shade.
Coloma is all river gleam and soft grass. I refill bottles, eat an apple on the bank, and let the water noise clear out the day’s remaining city thoughts. Camp tucks into a stand of oaks; dinner is tortillas, peanut butter, and the last of the bakery stash—low effort, high joy.
Day 2 — Coloma → Sly Park / Jenkinson Lake (≈ 41 mi / 4,600 ft)
It’s a stairs-kind-of-climb out of the valley: short ramps, tiny plateaus, repeat. The oaks thin into pine and cedar; the air cools, then smells like rain even when it isn’t. Gravel appears in friendly chunks—forest roads that ask for patience more than skill. The cadence finds itself and so do I.
I camp near the lake, the tent tucked behind a curve of manzanita. A loon call stitches across dusk and makes the last pages of my journal better than they are.
Day 3 — Sly Park → Placerville Ridges → Back to Auburn (≈ 44 mi / 3,200 ft)
Dawn snaps cool; I chase sun patches along the ridge. Vineyards start to dot the hills, and the road swings between pine shade and open gold. The last big climb is the kind that just asks for a smaller gear and a calm head. From the top, the foothills step away in ripples, blue on blue.
I point the bike toward Auburn on a string of quiet connectors. The last miles are all downhill hum and the soft shock of radio stations returning. Coffee tastes louder at the end of a loop like this.
Route Sketch
Auburn → river-side backroads/dirt to Coloma → long climb into the pines toward Sly Park/Jenkinson Lake → ridge rollers and vineyard country near Placerville → quiet lanes back to Auburn. Build days around climbs, not miles—the foothills will set your tempo.
