Home › California › Placerville › El Dorado Trail
El Dorado Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 68 Google reviews · Running trail in Placerville, California · Open 24 hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Open 24 hours
Confirmed from El Dorado Trail's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Paved and unpaved trail that’s kid-friendly with sections for biking.
What runners say about El Dorado Trail
This trail has two sections. The more popular section is the paved section near Placerville. The unpaved section starts in Shingle Springs. The two sections, when biking, are connected by a five mile road ride. Paved section will always have traffic. I would expect weekends to be busy and some parking areas to fill up.
The trail extends so far, it is always fun to explore. Nature, train tracks, bridges, and animals are always there... Great place to take pictures too.
I love this trail!! It has shade, sun, animals, creeks, bridges, wild life, some of it is up hill for a good workout, downhill for a cool down, some exercise equipment along the way. Adequate parking, it's cleaned and paved! If I had any complaint, it's my pet peeve with some of the cyclist lately.
I love being in the woods but I ran into a creepy house about 5 miles from the main rd
Trail conditions & character
“We enjoy this trail, because it is paved and doesn't have hills, so my little one can easily use her wheels on it.”
“We did the paved portion from Placerville downtown to Smith Flat parking area.”
“It has shade, sun, animals, creeks, bridges, wild life, some of it is up hill for a good workout, downhill for a cool down, some exercise equipment along the way.”
“There’s a public restroom in the courthouse parking lot, which is near this trailhead.”
“We did the paved portion from Placerville downtown to Smith Flat parking area.”
Plan your run at El Dorado Trail
The practical stuff
- AccessOpen 24 hours — no gate to beat, so a 5am or a 10pm run both work
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
- Websiteeldoradotrail.org
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | Open 24 hours |
| Tuesday | Open 24 hours |
| Wednesday | Open 24 hours |
| Thursday | Open 24 hours |
| Friday | Open 24 hours |
| Saturday | Open 24 hours |
| Sunday | Open 24 hours |
Running trails near Placerville
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
El Dorado Trail Bridge
4.8 ★★★★★ 44 reviews
Walking and biking are popular activities on this bridge.
Lions Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 453 reviews
Recreation area featuring athletic fields, disc golf, a playground, and picnic tables.
Red Shack Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 87 reviews
Hiking destination featuring a trail that leads to a river.
