Explore Outdoors: Paddling to Mississippi Bar on Lake Natoma

BAR. TODAY WE ARE PADDLING ACROSS LAKE NATOMA TO A SEMI-HIDDEN BUT POPULAR PLACE TO EXPLORE BY KAYAK AND PADDLE BOARD. PADDLE IN HAND LIFEJACKET BOARD. READY TO GO. WE’RE GOING TO HEAD OFF DUE NORTH FROM THE BEACH HERE AND HEAD JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THAT HILLSIDE OVER THERE, AND THAT’LL GET US INTO MISSISSIPPI BAR. AFTER A TEN MINUTE PADDLE ACROSS THE LAKE, WE COME TO A LARGE CULVERT THAT PASSES BENEATH THE BIKE TRAIL AND INTO MISSISSIPPI BAR. THIS AREA WAS DREDGED FOR GOLD ALL THE WAY UP TO THE 1960S. IN THE PATH OF THAT DESTRUCTIVE BUT LUCRATIVE INDUSTRY WAS LEFT A LABYRINTH OF CANALS AND LAGOONS, PERFECT FOR EXPLORING. THIS IS THE AREA THAT MY FAMILY AND I CALL THE JUNGLE. AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, WE’RE SURROUNDED BY GREEN PADDLING UNDER BRANCHES AND OVER LOGS JUST A REALLY COOL GEM RIGHT IN OUR BACKYARD. AS MY PADDLE BOARD GLIDES ACROSS THE FLAT WATER, THE AIR IS FILLED WITH THE SOUND OF SONGBIRDS AND FROGS. ONLY INTERRUPTED BY THE OCCASIONAL DIP OF THE PADDLE. ALL YOU SOMETIMES GET A LITTLE DEER HERE AND THERE, AND SOME BEAVERS. UM, A LOT OF TIMES THAT’S EARLY IN THE MORNING OR LATE AT NIGHT. BUT YEAH, IT’S JUST GORGEOUS. AND ALAN IS A REGULAR HERE, SHARING THE SPACE WITH FRIENDS FROM PENNSYLVANIA. IT’S REALLY PEACEFUL. IT’S CALM. AND YOU DO SEE ALL THE WILDLIFE. THE WATER IS EASY FOR PADDLING. IT’S JUST RELAXING. OH, IT’S BEAUTIFUL. BEAUTIFUL, VERY CALM WATER. ONE OF THE COOL THINGS ABOUT BEING ON A PADDLE BOARD WITH POLARIZED GLASSES THAT YOU CAN SEE THROUGH THE WATER. I’VE SEEN SO MANY FISH, BASS, CARP, EVEN SMALL TURTLES YOU CAN WIND YOUR WAY THROUGH THE CHANNELS FOR HOURS, WEAVING AROUND THE ISLANDS, BUT SAVE SOME ENERGY FOR THE PADDLE BACK ACROSS THE LAKE FOR EXPLORE OUTDOORS. UNLIKE NATOMAS MISSISSIPPI BAR, I’M BRIAN HICKEY STAY THERE IF YOU DON’T OWN A KAYAK OR PADDLE BOARD, YOU CAN ALWAYS RENT THEM AT THE SACRAMENTO STATE AQUATIC CENTER FOR AS LITTLE AS 15 BUCKS AN HOUR. STUDENTS AND STAFF OF THE SCHOOL DO GET A DISCOUNT. YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS ADVENTURE AND ALL OF OUR EXPLORE OUTDOORS AT THE KCRA DOT COM. JU