By Sara Beth Williams–
The Citrus Heights City Council earlier this month adopted key environmental documents for an extension project to the Arcade-Cripple Creek Trail, allowing the city to move forward in the next phase of the project.
The Arcade-Cripple Creek Trail—Sylvan Road to Stock Ranch Extension is the next phase in the city’s vision to create a citywide trail system that will connect trails located in the Stock Ranch Nature Preserve to Sylvan Road, and eventually, the broader Arcade-Cripple Creek trail.
The Sylvan Road to Stock Ranch trail extension project proposes to build a new .45-mile trail that is 10 feet wide, with two-foot-wide soft shoulders, and also includes the addition of a new signalized crossing on Sylvan Road, creek crossings where appropriate and creek embankment repairs, trail lighting, connections to existing trails within the Stock Ranch Nature Preserve, ADA-compliant curb ramps, drainage improvements, and some landscaping and fencing.
The trail project is primarily funded by a federally funded Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) grant of $1.189 million, which was awarded to the city in 2024. The grant program is administered by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) and covers the preliminary and final engineering phases of the project but not the construction phase, the city said. In October 2025, the city entered into a $1.175 million contract agreement with Dokken Engineering for the completion of the preliminary and final design phases.
The city has additionally submitted an Active Transportation Program (ATP) grant application this summer in hopes of obtaining funding for the final construction phase of the project.
The final design is expected to be completed by December 2026, the city said. If sufficient funding is obtained, the city anticipates beginning construction in about one year. No cost estimate was available before press time.
According to a map shared by the city, the proposed route will begin behind Walmart in the Stock Ranch plaza and travel east, then veer north for a short distance before crossing the creek. The trail then continues east, following the creek behind the Huntington Square Apartments, until it reaches Sylvan Road, just south of the Huntington Square Apartments.
The proposed signal will be on Sylvan Road, just north of the bridge at the southern end of Huntington Square Apartments property. The crossing will be just under 1,300 feet north of Woodside Drive.
“The project will extend the existing trail network to additional neighborhoods for improved access to retail centers, schools, public services, community centers, and open spaces,” the city said.
No right of way acquisition is proposed for this trail extension, the city said in the agenda packet for July 8. The city is anticipating obtaining a 20- to 30-foot-wide easement from the Sunrise Recreation and Parks District and also said there is an existing easement on the Huntington Square Apartments that they are able to utilize.
Recently, the city held a community workshop for the project, which Citrus Heights Civil Engineer Daniel Kehrer said was well attended. Some concerns expressed were regarding a different proposed section of trail extension on the eastern side of Sylvan Road that is not yet being designed, Kehrer said. Currently, the city is focusing on the Sylvan Road to Stock Ranch trail extension.
Other concerns from residents included the increased use of e-bikes speeding along recreational trails, long-term bridge maintenance plans for all planned extensions, and the potential for flooding on the trail. Concerns were addressed one-on-one via email communication with residents, and correspondences were included in the July 8 agenda packet.
Other residents who submitted written comments to the city wrote that they were “very excited” for and looking forward to the proposed trail extension.
To date, the city has conducted several community and stakeholder outreach meetings, including a community workshop and a visit to the Neighborhood Area Association meeting in June, coordination meetings with the Sunrise Recreation and Parks District, and one-on-one meetings with various property owners directly impacted by the project, including residents of the Huntington Square Apartments and Stock Ranch Commercial Center property owners.
Environmental findings, required by the California Environmental Quality Act, included an initial study and mitigated negative declaration, along with a Mitigation Monitoring Plan, and were adopted unanimously by the Citrus Heights City Council at the July 8 City Council meeting.
Caltrans has also approved all necessary studies to document a National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) Categorical Exclusion in July 2026, following the adoption of the CEQA finding. For reference, all environmental technical studies are available to view on the city’s website or in the July 8 City Council agenda packet.
In May 2024, the city officially opened the first segment of the Arcade Cripple Creek multi-use trail located between Sunrise Boulevard near Arcade Creek Park Preserve and Wachtel Way.
A subsequent community workshop to discuss the city’s second proposed trial extension to Mariposa Avenue is scheduled to take place on Aug. 18.
