Sacramento County trail is getting a $7.7 million expansion. This is what’s in store

Chris Biderman
·2 min read

A new multi-use project to expand the trail along Dry Creek in northern Sacramento County is in the works.

The Sacramento County Regional Parks department recently announced a $7.7 million project for a new trail connecting the Dry Creek Bikeway north to the Placer County line. The trail is expected to run alongside Dry Creek and be used by bicyclists, walkers, joggers and wheelchair users.

Construction is expected to begin in 2025, according to a county news release.

“This project is so important to us because it will provide a much-needed off-road facility that improves safety and comfort for all ages and abilities in a part of the County that has historically lacked such amenities,” Director of Regional Parks Liz Bellas said. “By extending the Dry Creek Parkway Trail, we are also closing some key gaps in the regional active transportation network.”

The trail will be created in multiple sections. The first will begin at the intersection of 24th and U streets in Rio Linda along Dry Creek, adjacent to the Cherry Island Golf Course, and run northeast toward Placer County. The other side of the project will connect the Sacramento Northern Bike Trail to the Dry Creek Trail near Elkhorn Boulevard in Rio Linda.

“The goal of this is to create an overall larger bike (path) network,” Sacramento Parks spokesman Ken Casparis said.

A long-term goal is for the new Dry Creek trail to help connect a 70-mile loop for bicyclists in the area that would connect Placer County to the American River Trail. The loop, which would be years in the making, is conceptual but officials are optimistic the plan is possible, Casparis said.

The plan for the trail was recommended by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments as part of the California Transportation Commission’s 2023 Active Transportation Program, which is designed to encourage more walking and biking. Sacramento Parks has $992,000 of the cost approved for the project in addition to the $7.7 million funded by the state’s transportation commission.