Day Hike (1B) Cronan Ranch (Placer Group)

Join the Sierra Club Placer Group on Sunday, March 22, 2026, for a Day Hike at Cronan Ranch. We’ll be hiking the Down and Up Trail Loop, a moderately challenging hike near Pilot Hill. This multi-use trail is popular for fishing, hiking, mountain biking, trail running and horseback riding. The loop will take us near the South fork of the American River and includes a wide variety of terrain, including some moderately challenging hills, poison oak, wildlife, and beautiful oak woodlands. Well-behaved dogs on leash and under control at all times are OK. We estimate the hike will take 2.5 to 3 hours at a moderate pace. Hike stats: 4.4 miles, elevation gain 646 ft. Optional lunch at a local restaurant after the hike.

Bring: Sturdy Boots or hiking shoes are recommended. Bring the essentials, including water, snacks, sunscreen, insect repellant, and layers for changeable temperatures. Also $ for carpool. (Note: Recommended carpool reimbursement rate is up to $7.00 per hour per carpool participant, or whatever you and your driver agree to.)

Sierra Club Medical/Waiver Forms: Fill out and bring this emergency medical form: [https://tinyurl.com/ycy985mt](https://tinyurl.com/ycy985mt). Leader will check to make sure you have a completed form, then you'll carry it with you in your pack. Each participant will also be required to sign the Sierra Club Sign-In & Waiver Form at the trailhead or meetup location.
The hike is limited to 30 participants.

Leaders: Aileen Allison-Zarea, Kathy Verrue-Slater, and Trish Kness. Please communicate via the MeetUp app with any questions.

Carpooling: Meet at 7:45 AM at Taylor Road Park-n-Ride (adjacent to Golfland-Sunsplash). Vehicles will depart by 8:00 a.m. Note: Carpools are arranged by attendees. Recommended reimbursement rate for drivers is up to $7.00 per hour per carpool participant.

Trailhead: Free parking is available at the parking area on Pedro Hill road in Pilot Hill just off Highway 49. For those meeting at trailhead, meet at approximately 8:45 AM. Follow the AllTrails directions via the link below to the trailhead.

Link to Hike:
[https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/down-and-up-trail-loop ](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/down-and-up-trail-loop)

Signup Restrictions: If you are feeling sick or have been exposed to someone who has recently (within the past 5 days) been sick from or tested positive for COVID-19, please do not join this trip.
Note: Please do not RSVP for this outing if you: (1) are not committed to attending or (2) have disabled your Meet-Up email, in whole or in part. (We need to be able to communicate with RSVPs collectively and individually.) If your Meet-Up settings do not allow us to use the Meet-Up email system as indicated, your RSVP will not be accepted.