“The Forest Service comes to the table and they’re super open to it. “It’s such an awesome example of what we can do when everybody works together,” said Tahoe Fund CEO Amy Berry. 27 to celebrate a project that has taken years and more than 1,200 volunteer hours to come to fruition.

Major work on one of the area’s most historic and family-friendly trails wrapped up earlier this summer, giving mountain bikers and hikers improved access to the Incline Flume Trail between Mount Rose Highway and Tunnel Creek Trail.Ī group of roughly 35 riders, including members of several of the organizations involved in the trail, and also cycling legend Levi Leipheimer, rode through a 7-mile route on Aug. 27, after riding the Incline Flume Trail in celebration of the completion of major work on the route. I will definitely return, so I just might see you there.A group of riders pose on Monday, Aug. One couple we passed, frequent hikers of the trail, said that in the spring, different flowers are blooming each time they visit.

Along with a good workout, you’ll get to experience history up close and enjoy richly diverse flora and fauna. I encourage you to add the Old Flume Trail to your list of hikes to take when travel restrictions are lifted. The BLM asks visitors to park on the left facing the fence to accommodate more vehicles and to avoid parking along the busy highway. Park in the graveled lot on your right opposite The Red Shack on your left. Go approximately four miles until you come to a sharp bend in the road. From Placerville, head north on Highway 49. Situated on Bureau of Land Management property-our public lands-the trailhead is easy to find. Boulders at the water’s edge offer great spots for a picnic lunch or drinking in the view before your ascent, which can take an hour or two, depending on how fast you climb. By carefully walking along it, you can get great views of the river below. As the river comes into view, note the flume easily visible on your right. The roar of rushing water will announce your imminent arrival at your destination: The South Fork of the American River. Photographers will enjoy capturing this striking image-as well as those to come. About a third of the way down, look for a narrow path on your left worn by those eager to get their first glimpse of the flume. Along the way, you’ll be greeted by a feast of trees, shrubs, mosses, lichens, ferns, and more. Your descent will take half an hour or so. If you have them, trekking poles can be useful for braking on the way down as well as for the return climb. Because of the steep, somewhat rocky terrain, hiking boots or shoes with serious lugs are highly recommended. Standing 153 feet and stretching 750 feet between its ridges, this flume is believed to be the tallest built in El Dorado County.Īlthough this hike begins on level ground, you’ll quickly turn a corner and begin your descent of some 800 feet to the riverbed below. Water from the flume supported beef and cattle ranching, orchards, vineyards, and mining operations in the eastern Gold Hill area nearby. The Luce brothers managed the flume until 1924. This hidden historic gem has a lot to offer.Ī stone marker at the trailhead recounts the history of the Luce Ditch Flume, the name the waterway acquired in 1920 when brothers George and John Luce inherited the ranch from Izaac and Elizabeth Ober, who settled the land in 1860. We’d often driven past The Old Flume Trail, but only recently made good on our intention to hike it. Due to the current situation, my husband and I have focused our explorations close to home.

Flume trail