Community News · North Auburn, CA
531-Acre Big Hill Preserve Opens Wednesday, Nov. 4 in North Auburn
Placer County and Placer Land Trust will open Big Hill Preserve in North Auburn on Wednesday, providing hikers, bicyclists and horseback riders access to more than 9 miles of trails across 531 acres. The preserve features restrooms, a paved entrance road, horseback-rider facilities, a viewing platform overlooking Raccoon Creek, parking for vehicles and horse trailers, two helicopter landing zones, and vegetation clearing to reduce wildfire risk. Placer County Supervisor Shanti Landon spoke at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday marking the project's completion after years of collaboration between the county and Placer Land Trust. The preserve is the first phase of a planned connection to Hidden Falls Regional Park via a roughly 3-mile trail funded by a $500,000 Sierra Nevada Conservancy grant, expected to open in late 2027. Big Hill Preserve will be open Wednesday through Sunday from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset; parking reservations are required.