Sacramento

Old Sacramento comprises about five blocks of restored late 19th Century buildings, shops, a theater, museums, restaurants, and a public market. The Delta Queen, an unusual hotel and restaurant, is a restored paddle wheel steamer which is permanently moored to the dock.

How to Get There

(a) by train

Board the Amtrak train in one of the East Bay stations; from Oakland, the train ride takes approximately 2 1/2 hours to Old Sacramento. Exit from the station and turn left; walk or ride through the parking gate barriers and proceed to 5th and I Streets. Turn right and follow I Street under the I-5 Freeway to its end (Railroad Museum). Turn left on 2nd Street, and right on J Street. Go straight toward the water and cross the railroad tracks to find the path bordering the river; turn right to go up river. After about 1/2 mile you will come to Discovery Park; at the intersection of Jiboom and Richards Streets look for a bridge with green metal superstructure. Cross this bridge to enter Discovery Park. Enter the park and follow the path, keeping the river on your right.

(b) by car.

Go West on I-80. Pass West Sacramento and follow signs for Downtown Sacramento/Capitol Mall. I-80 ends at Capitol Avenue; on Capitol, cross 3rd and 4th Streets. Turn left on 5th and go three blocks where it ends at the train station.

General Train Information

AMTRAK operates trains weekdays and weekends between Colfax and San Jose. These trains travel along the "Capitol Corridor, and go through Sacramento. The first westbound train leaves Colfax at 6 AM on weekdays and at 7 AM on weekends. The first eastbound train leaves San Jose at 7:40 AM on weekdays and on weekends. The frequency of trains is about every two hours. The Amtrak station in downtown Sacramento is 1/2 mile from the trailhead of the American River Trail. These trains are fun to ride: the cars and commodious and comfortable and the train personnel are friendly. There are three bike racks on each car and there is a snack bar. Amtrak's telephone number is 1-800-872- 7245. You can buy tickets at the station on the day you are riding or on the train. The schedule (effective May 16th, 1999) shows trains leaving Oakland at 6:20 AM, 7:25 AM, and 8:43 AM. From Sacramento, there are five trains daily; the first one leaves at 5:15 AM and the last one leaves at 5:45 PM.

Accommodations: In Sacramento, there are low-cost motels near the entrance to Discovery Park and there is camping at Folsom Lake.