Consumnes River Gorge (El Dorado County, California)

Each April, the wineries in El Dorado County put together a tasting event called Passport. It generally spans the last two weekends in April and is quite the destination weekend. I've attended the last four or so years and it has been a fantastic experience. This year, I decided to include a short hike while in the area. With all of the snow and rain we have had this winter, the snow melt is powering the rivers running out of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to amazing levels of flow. One of these, the Consumnes, happens to flow right through wine country. Along this mighty river is a section popular among rock climbers, known as the Consumnes River Gorge. It seemed like an interesting place for a short hike.

Parking along the side of the road where I believe the trail started, I made my way past the barricade and found a well-worn trail heading down towards the sounds of the raging river below. Passing through manzinitas and small oak trees, the tall granite cliffs start to come into view and the raging river below starts to echo off of the walls of the narrow gorge. 

It's not much of a hike to get to the edge of the cliffs. Though it is steep and somewhat treacherous, it's probably less than a half a mile from where I parked to get my first views from above the river. The trail continues to snake in and around the cliffs. I can only imagine what this would look like during a storm, with the thunder creating an echo chamber and the rain sliding down the steep slopes of these nearly smooth granite cliffs.

After just a little exploration, I decide to head back to the jeep. With more time, I would enjoy exploring this area a great deal more, but given the wine in my system and the approaching sunset, it's probably best to call it a day.