Effie Yeaw Nature Center

AMAZING ! Our family visited on President Day Weekend & it was absolutely amazing ! The nature center is a small quaint walk through where you can learn about some of the insects and animals and then you head out to the trails. The trails are nice medium length distances for our kiddos. We walked alongside the American River, skipped rocks and stopped for a quick snack (we brought). If you are lucky enough you will come across birds, deers and even a coyote on your walk through the trails. Very fun experience for the family would recommend.

Didn't know they had a summer camp for kids- my daughter attended the camp for teen kids and had a lot of fun. Pleasantly surprised. They did cool games and activities (sorting through owl pellets, leaving out a canvas to capture animal prints overnight) and even had a morning of kayaking on Lake Natoma. I didn't know what to expect, other than Effie Yeaw being such a nice oasis right on the river to learn more about it and the surrounding wildlife. My daughter really liked the counselors (Sara and Jacob) and I appreciated the daily recaps that Sara sent. It would be great if they offered full-day camps (it runs from 0900-1200 currently).

Still one of the best natural hidden gems in Sacramento. Today alone, we saw deer galloping across the trail, wild turkeys that came right up to us, and a rushing river. I saw a group of friends picnicking, some people drinking a couple of beers by the water in a secluded spot, and one man fishing. That nature park really has it all! What a fun day with the family! A sunny Californian day in January is my favorite time to visit!

Very nice! The nature center was a cool reprieve from the hot day. It had lots of information. Apparently, I'd just missed the kestrel, so I did a 3.6 mile hike and even walked out to the river. Beautiful day! I loved the informational signs along the hike and the "warning rattlesnake was seen here" signs. I looked for the snakes, but didn't see one. I did see lots of birds making beautiful noises, a few squirrels, bumblebees, and black and orange butterflies. I recommend this nature preserve!

I've returned several times over, now with a kid in tow, and I'm here to say I appreciate this preserve more and more every time. Long winding trails, beautiful river vistas, plenty of wildlife and education for adults and children alike make this a local treasure. I finally got a chance to see inside the visitors center. They have a ton of interesting things going on, from a live owl you can look at upon entering to a bunch of history and interactive exhibits. My 5-year-old son especially loved looking at the snakes and touching anything he could get his hands on. Afterwards, we took a long walk through the paths that lead down to the river. It was a perfectly pleasant winter's evening and we had the chance to spot several animals. We came upon a group of deer and got rather close to them - an experience he still talks about. Unbelievably, this is all in the heart of the suburbs, with a river on one side and houses and businesses on all others. It's nice to see a city so forward thinking to set aside such a large area for people to enjoy. Check hours and make a donation in the visitors center! They are always needing funds and run with the help of volunteers.

This was a nice place for a short hike. Lots if families there which is always nice.Didn't take pictures as the signs said mot to. But, lots of open space and a gorgeous babbling brook. My wife thought it sounded just like those meditation recordings.Will come again, a nice place to relax.

We hiked this simple piece of peaceful land on New Years Eve 2016 with 4 adults and 8 kids ages ranging from 4-13 years old. Suffice to say we all enjoyed it, it was easy considering none of us are hard core hikers/physically fit. We didn't pay anything to get in. 5 stars for it being mostly flat with a few small ups and downs and big rocks to walk on. The grade here is nothing a 4 year can't handle too bad. There were some hills of rocks the kids really loved to climb on, King-of-the-Hill style. There's also a place where you can skip rocks in the fast moving lake. And if you look carefully along the trail you may see a rope that hangs from a tree where you can swing on like Tarzan. I suggest wearing layers because it gets warm quick. A good eye should be kept on kids, the water moves fast and rough due to all the recent storms. The undertow may sweep the littles away.4 stars for the bathrooms being open and having toilet paper.5 stars for the close proximity from parking lot to the hike and the bathrooms. 5 stars for that cool wooden structure in the middle of the grassy area. 5 stars because although there's lots of dogs and owners in the parking lot, I seen zero on the paths. Privacy is nice! I can see myself coming back here for nice picnics and more easy hikes when the rain eases and as it gets warmer. Especially to give the kids a good easy workout. This place is also great for photos. About 4 years ago we took professional family pix here. We spotted 1 homeless tent which made a good opportunity to have a "teaching moment" for the kids.

Now I must start by admitting I'm impossibly biased here. I'm 35 years old, and I've had a couple of memories of this place from when I was a child, but I couldn't remember the name of this location or where the memories were from. Just two random memories of me holding a tarantula and playing some educational computer games. Imagine my surprise when my mom randomly suggests we visit the Effie Yeaw Nature Center. The second I walked into the center, I recognized the place from my child hood. Very nice to finally be able to itch that memory scratch.Aimed at children/families, the center is essentially a nature walk with a small building containing turtles, birds, snakes, and other fun little creatures. There is an educational room where kids can learn about practices of native American Indians, such as hunting techniques, how they tracked animals, building small huts, basket weaving, ect... Lots of little interactive games/puzzles to play that'll keep the kids entertained for a while. Some stuffed animals that are actually a little scary, very realistic. The staff said they change up the exhibit every couple of years.You can go for a walk down to the river and watch people on paddle boats and canoes go down the stream, or even throw rocks in the river, of which they are in abundance. They had a bunch of turkey's walking around the main path too when we were there.Great place to take your kids for an hour or two, highly recommend. I can tell you that the little kid in me who remembers this place absolutely loved it!

Sacramento has its own Hundred-Acre Wood! No bears, piglets, kangaroos or Tiggers though, but really could pass as bits of Pooh's world based on descriptions: Enchanting Place, A Nice Place for Picnics, An Area with Big Stones and Rocks, Owl's House, Rabbit's House, Thoughtful Spot. Just use your imagination.Had heard about this place from one of the local TV channels. A great place tucked away in Carmichael inside Ancill Hoffman Park. $5 parking, Nature Center opens at 9am, open until 4pm or 5pm depending on the season. The Center itself has a recreated Maidu Village with replica shelters and other structures, which are used in culture heritage programs for schoolkids. The landscaping and butterfly garden is also done with native plants/wildflowers. Inside the center, the American River Natural History Association run the Discovery Shop with apparel, books, games, jewelry and other gifts. There are also a bunch of resident animals. We were able to see the Saw-whet owl, Sophia, the Great Horned Owl, Echo, and the kestrel, Rocky that morning -- they also have two hawks, reptiles and amphibians if you like lizards and frogs. They also have taxidermied animals (turkey, beaver, otter, jays, toads, etc.) and a fun exhibit/interactive display where you can try on a pair of wings that demonstrates the wingspan of a California Condor! This would be a great place for kids to visit and learn about animals.Three self-guided trails (3/4 mile long) in the preserve area with awesome watchable wildlife opportunities. Trails are easy to walk, pedestrians only (no bikes). The trails are indicated by signage, either the Discovery Trail, Observation Trail, and Riverview History Trail as well as signs directing you back to the Center. Map can be found here: http://www.sacnaturecenter.com/images/Nature_trail_map_Effie_Yeaw.pdf. We saw deer drinking out of the pond and grazing (just mere FEET away from you!), including three young bucks! Squirrels and woodpeckers roam the trees, wild turkeys and waterfowl including ducks and egrets, and vultures overhead. There are also coyotes, snakes, and mountain lions to watch out for, and poison oak so keep kids close. When you reach the riverbanks, great views and relaxing sounds of the water passing by await you. Will definitely be back.

Nice accessible trails. It seems fairly used. Not super crowded but people around. The center has some great stuff to check out.