Auburn Folsom Road unites past and present

Once a pioneer path, Auburn Folsom Road now is a trail to new subdivisions, a vintage shopping district and outdoor recreation.The two-lane backroad generally parallels Interstate 80, connecting south Auburn to Sacramento County. Along the way it cuts through the unincorporated areas of Newcastle, Loomis and Granite Bay before reaching the city of Folsom.One of the oldest paths in the territory, Auburn Folsom Road developed from animal tracks following the course of the American River as it churned down granite canyons to spread across the valley floor. The trampled traces were used by mountaineers and gold miners, later widened by pack mules and horses, then buckboards and stagecoaches.The paths linked the delta city of Sacramento to the train town of Folsom and an encampment at Captain John Sutter's mill site near Coloma, where gold was discovered in the winter of 1848. Newcomers to the territory often stocked up on provisions, got the low down on mining news and headed out from Sutter's Fort in Sacramento following the American River.The original route passed by mining camps perched on the banks of the river at Mormon Bar, Granite Bar and Beal's Bar, before veering north to meet the Pioneer Trail. Eventually, the trail linked the largest mining settlements on the waterways.One of the numerous paths following the river became the Pioneer Express Trail. From 1849 to 1854, riders on horseback rode from camp to camp, delivering messages to the mining villages and taking mail on to Auburn. It was replaced a few years later by the Pony Express, a route that followed the southeast side of the in El Dorado County.One of the earliest commercial establishments along the Auburn-Folsom trail was the Allen Ranch. Built in 1863 near Miner's Ravine Creek by Hiram and Elizabeth Allen, the spread included a store catering to travelers. As was the style of the era, the area became known as Allentown. Farther up the road were inns and stagecoach stops, more flowering mining villages and a few seeds of sophisticated civilization, like the Long Valley School, which was established in the late 1860s. When the gold mining industry died out and agriculture took over as Placer County's economic backbone in the late 1800's, most of the original mining villages were deserted.When the Folsom Dam plugged the American River in the early 1960s, the remains of the early river settlements and oldest trails either were submerged beneath the man-made reservoir or locked within the boundaries of the 18,000-acre Folsom Lake State Recreation Area. Wedged between Folsom Lake and I-80, Auburn Folsom Road became a rural artery pumping traffic between Folsom and Auburn.Today, this thoroughfare reaches some of the county's most expensive properties, where gates and guards guarantee privacy. Several new developments in south Auburn such as The Outlook and Granite Bay Vista hold hillside homes with views of Folsom Lake.There is access to the Folsom State Recreation Area at several points off Auburn Folsom Road: At Shirland Tract below Auburn; Rattlesnake Road in Newcastle; Horseshoe Bar Road in Loomis, although there is no public parking available; and at Beals Point in Granite Bay where there is an equestrian staging area for the Western States Pioneer Express Trail. There also is access to the American River Bicycle Trail which leads westward.Auburn Folsom Road also accesses the Miner's Ravine Wildlife Preserve, a 24-acre nature sanctuary operated by the Placer County Parks Division. Open daily from dawn to dusk, the refuge has a half-mile interpretive loop guiding visitors through native oak and cottonwoods with descriptions of acorn woodpeckers, squawfish and even shellfish that were native to the stream and woodlands. If you're in Auburn, the signpost reads Auburn Folsom Road. If you're in Folsom, its name is Folsom Auburn Road. No matter where you start, this two-lane byway unites two counties and their common history. To comment on this story please visit our Web site at www.theloomisnews.com.