Gold Ridge Forest, Pollock Pines, CA

Gold Ridge Forest is the wooded hill country south of the Highway 50 strip in Pollock Pines, and what draws people is how close Jenkinson Lake, better known as Sly Park Lake, sits. Houses are scattered here, and the forest matters more than any of them. Homes are single-family places on forested lots. Streets such as Onyx Trail, Topaz Drive, Amber Trail and Jade Drive are named for stones, and the trees close in around most of the lots. With the busy highway strip off to the north, this side of Gold Ridge Forest is noticeably quieter, and the pines are the first thing you notice when you step outside. The lake is the local backyard. A trail circles Jenkinson Lake for about nine miles. The north shore is the gentler walk, while the south shore asks more of your legs with climbing switchbacks. Sly Park Campground, Spivey Pond and the Lyons Creek Trailhead are all part of the area. The El Dorado Irrigation District owns the lake and shares management of the recreation area with the Bureau of Reclamation, and riders on horseback share the trails with hikers. For food you head up to the highway in Pollock Pines. Burger Barn is the burger stop, known for beer-battered fries. Paco's Taquería covers tacos and burritos, and The Sierra Sourdough makes sandwiches to go. Sportsman's Hall, a stagecoach stop from the gold rush decades, is the sit-down dinner choice. Groceries mean Safeway on the highway strip, a short drive north, and the library is there too. Nothing in the forest itself is within walking range of a store, so every errand is a car trip. Placerville is the next stop for bigger shopping, and Sacramento sits a long highway drive down the western slope. Living in Gold Ridge Forest means depending on the car and the weather. When snow comes, chains go on before the trip down to the highway. Come summer, the lake is a few minutes' drive and the air smells of pine.