Dry Creek Greenway Regional Vision

Plan Overview

The proposed Dry Creek Greenway will provide a continuous and coordinated system of preserved lands and habitat, with a connecting corridor of walking, equestrian, and bicycle trails, from the Sacramento border to Dry Creek’s sources, and to the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area.

Greenway Area

Linkages with the American River Parkway, Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, and the Ueda Parkway and Dry Creek Parkways in Sacramento County would create the most significant natural trail loop within the greater Sacramento metropolitan area. The Greenway area consists of Dry Creek and its major tributaries such as:

• Antelope Creek
• Cirby Creek
• Clover Valley Creek
• Linda Creek
• Miners Ravine
• Secret Ravine
• Strap Ravine

Greenway Vision

The Dry Creek Greenway is envisioned as a regional open space greenway and park system that protects the natural waterways, riparian corridors, natural and cultural resources and sensitive habitat lands, and provides compatible recreational opportunities that do not impact sensitive resources and private property rights. The Master Plan includes a coordinated multi-jurisdiction management strategy to address:

• Biking
• Equestrian trails and public access
• Flood control
• Habitat preservation
• Hiking
• Water quality

Each jurisdiction in the Greenway will implement specific projects that are linked to a shared, regional vision. It provides policies and guidelines to help each community carry out Greenway goals.

Plan Goals

Primary goals include the creation and preservation of continuous wildlife habitat and vegetative corridors and connecting neighborhoods and commercial areas with trails, bikeways, open space corridors and recreational areas, where appropriate and feasible. Since the essence of Greenways is connections, a key task is building a regional web of walkways and connecting routes through the County and connecting to neighboring counties.

Trails are expanding all over Placer County, but more importantly, the typical conception of trails as contained loops within a specific property is giving way to longer regional routes that connect natural systems and nearby employment centers, retail areas, parks and schools. An ongoing Greenway challenge is to link existing trails, bikeways, and sidewalks into continuous systems, oftentimes complicated by difficult terrain and private property. In the Dry Creek Greenway, a class I trail is preferred, though may not be feasible in all areas.