Auburn Lake Trails, Auburn Lake Trails, CA

Auburn Lake Trails is a gated community in the Sierra foothills of El Dorado County, set on a wooded hillside beside the town of Cool and the Auburn State Recreation Area. Locals shorten it to ALT, and a property owners association looks after the shared amenities behind the front gate. Auburn Lake Trails homes are single-family houses spread across large wooded lots, and some come with a horse pasture or room for a barn. Lots run big enough that neighbors are mostly a driveway and a stand of trees apart. Most of the recreation sits inside the gate. ALT has a golf course, tennis and pickleball courts, pools, a rec lake, a campground and stables with horse boarding. About 23 miles of riding trails wind through the property and are open to walkers as well, and they link out toward the Western States Trail. Just outside, the Olmstead Loop and Knickerbocker Trail lead into the state recreation area. There is no dining on the hillside itself, so meals happen in Cool. Stubby's is a barbecue spot known for smoked meats, Los Establos serves tacos and tamales on Highway 49, and Sierra Mountain Espresso, out on Highway 193, handles the morning coffee run. Cool Beerwerks on Ellinghouse Drive is the evening stop, with house beer next to sushi and burgers. Daily life runs on the car. A trip out the gate lands in Cool for small errands, and bigger grocery runs head up Highway 49 into Auburn. Highway 193 heads east toward Georgetown, and no bus line serves the community. Most households keep at least two vehicles, because even a quick cup of coffee means leaving the hillside. Distance is the cost of the setting, since dining and groceries are all out in Cool and Auburn and the roads are winding. Inside the gate, the sound of Highway 49 fades, and the quiet is mostly hooves, golf carts and wind in the trees.