Sailor Bar
The beautiful Sailor Bar has everything from rock piles to river views to grinding rocks to a gem of a pond.
According to legend, it was named because a sailor jumped ship to stake his claim during the Gold Rush. The rock piles, like those in other American River Parkway areas, are also a Gold Rush legacy. This park also has stark bluffs where miners used hydraulic hoses to scour out the gold. And the pond reportedly was dug to provide water for those hoses.
Today, the park has plenty of trails and varied terrain, from open areas to dense, green ravines. Along the river, you can find grinding rocks in the hardpan, once probably used by the Nisenan to grind acorns.
It is also a popular place for rafting, fishing, horsebackriding and nature watching. It has a launching spot for small watercraft and rafts with a gravel road leading to it.
Directions: From the south, take Highway 50 to Hazel Avenue and go north over the river to Winding Way. Turn left and take another left at Illinois Avenue. From the north, get to Hazel or Sierra College Boulevard (in Placer County) and take it to Winding Way. Go right and then left on Illinois. There is a $5 park entry fee. Follow the road, bearing left, to the large parking lot almost to the river.
A Sacramento County Parks link to Sailor Bar (with a map) is here.
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