Meadow Vista, CA

Meadow Vista sits in the Placer County foothills between Auburn and Colfax, and it works more as a scattered foothill community than a town with a center. Roads connect the pockets of homes along Placer Hills Road and Combie Road, and both larger towns are a drive away on Interstate 80. The setting is oak and pine foothill, split by creeks and canyon edges, with the Bear River country close by. Lake Combie and Halsey Forebay give the area its water, and Sugar Pine Ridge Park and Applegate Park fill in as nearby open space. Hikers, riders and mountain bikers share the trail network, and Winchester Country Club is the golf draw. The community's identity comes from its trails and its volunteers rather than a downtown. The Meadow Vista Trails Association maintains miles of multi-use paths, including the Sugar Pine Mountain loop through the hills nearby, and volunteers helped build the public arena and dog park on Combie Road. Evenings bring people to The Tin Lantern, the area's best-known sit-down restaurant, and The Local Café covers the morning coffee run. Applegate Park and its public library sit a little beyond the edge, and Halsey Forebay is the spot for anyone after a view of the water. Houses vary widely. Many sit on generous lots, some are custom-built, and horse property is common. Long private driveways and room between neighbors are the norm. Getting around is simple but car-bound. Holiday Market handles basic groceries in town, bigger shopping is in Auburn, and commuters head down Interstate 80 toward Roseville and Sacramento. Nearly everything beyond a basic market takes a drive, and that is the main cost of the place. What you get back is quiet, space and wooded scenery within reach of a freeway, and a trail system built largely by volunteers.