Joel Parker Whitney Heritage Hike

Thursday, February 16, 2023

 

DIFFICULTY:  This hike has two options to it.  Please see the description below for full details of each option.  The longer option of the hike will be about 8.0 miles long and is rated as moderate.  The shorter option of the hike will be about 3.8 miles and is rated as easy.  The shorter option begins about 2.1 miles into the longer option.

ELEVATION GAIN and HIKE DISTANCE:

  ●       Option One - - 8 Mile Hike - Moderate - - The longer option is about 8 miles with an elevation gain of about 300 feet and is rated moderate because of distance.  The first 2.1 miles has approximately 200 feet elevation gain.  At about the 5.6 mile point there is about 75 to 100 feet of elevation gain over the next .3 of a mile.  We will be walking on paved walking trails or neighborhood sidewalks throughout the hike except for a 1/4 mile of dirt trail at the midpoint of the hike.

 ●       Option Two - - 3.8 Mile Hike - Easy - - The shorter option is about 3.8 miles with an elevation gain of about 100 feet and is rated as easy.   This portion of the hike starts with a relatively steep decline of about 75 to 100 feet.  We will be coming back up the same hill at the end of the short option of the hike so you should consider this when deciding whether this hike is appropriate for you.  This portion of the hike will be a loop returning to the short option starting point.  We will be walking on paved walking trails or neighborhood sidewalks throughout the hike except for a 1/4 mile of dirt trail at the midpoint of the hike.

GENERAL LOCATION:  Whitney Ranch area from near Whitney High School in the general area of Wildcat Blvd and Whitney Parkway to the Mansion Oaks neighborhood of Rocklin, CA near Whitney Oaks Golf Course.  The first stage of the hike starts at Whitney Community Park where we will park our vehicles.  We will hike out from there on trails through the Whitney Ranch community and return on the same trails.   About 2.1 miles into the longer option of the hike, the shorter option hikers will join in for a loop through the Mansion Oaks neighborhood of Whitney Ranch.

DESCRIPTION:  This will be a leisurely hike through an interesting part of the heritage of our community.  The Spring Valley Ranch, also called Whitney Ranch, was founded in the 1850's by the Whitney family.  The areas that are now Sun City Lincoln Hills and Catta Verdera Golf Course were within its boundaries.  We will be walking through the area that Joel Parker Whitney set aside to build his mansion called “The Oaks”, visiting his “Pyramid Tomb” and one of the twelve granite bridges he built on the Spring Valley Ranch.

 
    8 Mile Hike Option:  If you choose to do the longer option of the hike, the length is about 8.0 miles out and back.  We will park our cars and start the hike at the Whitney Community Park on Wildcat Blvd..  The hike will be out and back with a 3.8 mile loop starting at about 2.1 miles out.   The group taking the shorter option of the hike will join us at about the 2.1 mile point.  The first part of the hike is about 4.0 miles out to near the 11^th green of the Whitney Oaks Golf Course and then back to the Whitney Community Park parking lot.   We will be walking on paved walking trails or neighborhood sidewalks throughout the hike except for a 1/4 mile of dirt trail at the midpoint of the hike.

 
    3.8 Mile Hike Option:   The short option of the hike begins 2.1 miles into the longer option and is a 3.8 mile loop back to the starting point.  The starting point is the intersection of Painted Pony Lane and Lazy Trail Drive.  The first part of the hike is about 1.9 miles out to near the 11^th green of the Whitney Oaks Golf Course and then back to the intersection of Painted Pony Lane and Lazy Trail Drive.   We will be walking on paved walking trails or neighborhood sidewalks throughout the hike except for a 1/4 mile of dirt trail at the midpoint of the hike.