Back to index Kanaka West Hike
Trip Date:  01/05/2013

Distance
: 9.8 Miles

Vertical Gain: 1300'

Group Size: 1
Hike Rating:  Easy   Moderate   Hard   Strenuous
Kanaka West Hike
Download GPX GPX for this trip
Kanaka West Elevation Profile
Start Coordinates:   N 38 44.797, W 121 01.309     End Coordinates:   Same as start coordinates
Car Shuttle Req'd:   No Parking Directions:   Take Green Valley Road to the Deer Valley road turnoff in El Dorado Hills.  Go north on Deer Valley road for a couple of miles until you reach the intersection off to the left of Kanaka Valley Road.  Take Kanaka Valley road for a couple of miles to the parking area on the west side right before a 90 degree bend in the road.
Hazards of Note:   Rattlesnakes, ticks, mountain lions. Crowd Factor:   Negligible.  There are very few people who are in the Kanaka Valley Preserve at any time, especially in the summer.
General Notes:
Following the main trail pretty much straight to the north, after a couple of miles you will reach an intersection with a wide dirt area going to either the right (toward the river) or to the left (to Kanaka West.)  This track actually went on both of them, with some heavy brush on the west side keeping me from completing a circle on that end.

Very cold start to the morning hike. Very cold in the morning
Frozen puddle of water on the trail.
Frozen Water
Looking down at Folsom Lake far below. Folsom Lake from high above
Sun shining through morning dew on a tree. Morning dew on a tree
Looking south along the South Fork of the American River.
South Fork American
Another look at the South Fork of the American River.
More South Fork
Looking west from the top of Kanaka West.
Kanaka West
GPS Track of the full hike. GPS Track of Hike