This is an official event of Saturday Davis Mosaics and Sunday Sacramento Fellowship of Mosaics. We will not gather at the classrooms on both July 7 (Sat) & 8 (Sun) to enjoy nature.

• Who: Anyone in all ages and pets
• Where: Quarry Trail, 150 CA-193, Auburn, CA 95603
• What to Bring: Your Own Lunch, Snacks and Water

• We will meet at Davis Community Church Staff Parking Lot, 421 D Street, Davis, CA 95616 (next to Fellowship Hall) at 8:45 am for carpooling and/or meet directly at the trailhead parking lot at 10:30 am.

• Direction: 50.6 miles via I-80 E, 52 min without traffic from Davis Community Church. From Sacramento take Interstate 80 to the Elm Avenue exit in Auburn. Make two lefts onto Highway 49. Drive 2.5 miles down to the American River Confluence. Turn right at the confluence to stay on Highway 49. Make a quick left into the Quarry Trailhead parking lot. Cost is $10 per vehicle. At your own risk, you can go back down hill a hundred yards or so, and will see very wide shoulders along the highway where you can park for free. Trailhead is beyond the parking area at a green gate. (N38-54-713; W121-02-095)

• Description: It is easy 1-2 hours walk along the river where the historic railway once traveled and end up at a stunning amphitheater of carved limestone. This wide, level trail can be used for a half-day walk and a pleasant picnic along the Middle Fork (MF) American River. It goes through some of the best scenery available in the American River Canyons, and picnic tables are provided along the first 1¼ miles of the trail.

• For more information, please visit our group page at: https://www.facebook.com/events/282231592317655/ or  contact Dr. Stephen Moon at 916-217-5470 or visit following sites:

http://www.norcalhiker.com/quarry-road-trail-to-american-canyon/
– http://goldenhillsrealestate.com/2012/05/03/dont-fret-ive-scouted-auburns-quarry-trail-and-you-wont-get-lost/
– http://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/quarry-road-out-and-back
– http://www.norcalfamilyadventures.com/northern-california-famil/2011/05/quarry-trail-hike.html
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Overview: Quarry Trail is a 6.7 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Cool, CA that features a waterfall and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.

Walk along the river where the historic railway once traveled and end up at a stunning amphitheater of carved limestone This great hike along the Middle Fork of the American River ends in a spectacular amphitheater of sheer limestone walls rising around you. Enjoy the natural beauty of the American river canyon and also pass by an enormous cave that was the site of both paleontologic excavations and more mining activities.

Learn about the plants and animals present today in the canyon environment as well as the mining history of the region. The trail is wide and smooth (some people even push baby strollers on it) and is mostly level in grade with the exception of the last bit up to the quarry. The trail follows the path of the old railway that was used to carry out the limestone. When it existed, the railway had standard gauge sized tracks and the cars were actually backed down the path 4 times daily to be filled with limestone and taken 7 miles to Auburn for cement production.

In 1942 the railroad tracks were taken out for scrap iron for WWII. The state charges a day-use fee for every car parked in the parking area. This mixture of dirt road and singletrack trail is not always clearly marked, especially as it passes through the old quarry. Trail is great year-round but April -June is best for wildflowers.