Roseville Trails vs Rocklin Parks Outdoor Matchup

Enjoying the best in local outdoor recreation

Roseville, Calif. – South Placer County residents enjoy some of California’s best weather. Abundant sunshine, warm weather and low humidity provide the perfect environment for residents to enjoy outdoor recreation in Roseville and Rocklin throughout the year.

For outdoor recreation, Roseville and Rocklin each offer uniquely different strengths. Depending upon your preference of the day, both communities provide exceptional opportunities that allow residents to enjoy nature while being squarely in the middle of suburbia. We regularly bounce between both communities depending on the vibe of the day.

Here are our favorite picks

Winner of Best Parks: Rocklin

Both communities offer an abundance of fantastic, small neighborhood parks ideal for the younger crowd. However, for larger parks, we give the nod to Rocklin’s exceptional four listed below. For accessibility, Roseville delivers strong results for universally-accessible play.

Sunset Whitney Recreation Area

Although residents voted against Prop 68, Sunset Whitney Recreation Area has been transformed from a dilapidated eyesore to become one of the community’s crown jewels of recreation. Progress and plans continue forward as Rocklin residents flock to this suburban treasure.

Boulder Ridge Park
Quietly sitting atop Rocklin, Boulder Ridge Park offers remarkable 360-degree views. Gaze upon the Sacramento skyline, the Sutter Buttes or turn around and view the majestic, snow-capped Sierra Nevada. Peaceful and scenic, Boulder Ridge also offers easy access to Rocklin Backside which borders Lincoln and is the ultimate teen hangout and sunset viewing location in South Placer. Hike, hang or play, Boulder Ridge is one of the most chill spots in all of South Placer.
TIP: Visit during a weekday and you just might have the place to yourself.

Johnson-Springview Park
A springtime favorite, Johnson-Springview is a hub of activity for all age groups. Explore the trails, get in a round of disc-golf, cool off at the water park or sit under a cool oak tree and watch the grass grow. A fun and convenient place to explore or simply whittle away a few hours.

Whitney Park
Ballfields, towering playground and water play, Whitney Park is a community hotspot for recreation. It also connects to Whitney High via bridge trail. Now that the kids are grown, we dig the walking and bike paths, Audubon Garden and easy access to explore the paths that depart the park and allow us to explore Whitney Ranch and points beyond. TIP: Seek out getting higher and notice the scenery improves as you gain a little elevation.

Winner of Best Trails & Open Space: Roseville

If memory serves, Roseville mandates about 80 percent more open space per development than Rocklin and it shows. The trails and open space in Roseville are a treasure of the community and sit atop the list of reasons we call Roseville home. Shared-used paths for biking and hiking conveniently interconnect parks and neighborhoods in a master planned jigsaw puzzle that offers miles of exploration in all directions. New segments added regularly as new neighborhoods are built. A community treasure that makes Roseville a standout for recreation.

Fun for all seasons

Summer offers golden views and amazing sunsets, autumn provides an amazing blast of fall colors and brisk evening walks, while winter provides opportunity for solitude, vernal ponds, raging streams and splashes of fun. The magic really comes alive in early to mid-spring with an overwhelming flourish of almost fluorescent green grass, orange-yellow poppies, purple lupines and the bustling return of wildlife.

Easy access from countless neighborhoods making exploring your community and neighborhood parks a breeze.

Winning Combination

In the battle of Roseville and Rocklin, both communities come away winners for fun outdoor recreation opportunities. Choose your preferred style and start exploring some of South Placer’s best. Happy Trails!

Bonus: Wishlist

It’s fun to dream and with every scorching hot summer day, we’re reminded of one item that sits on our dream wish list. A water destination with dining and recreation that’s similar to the Boathouse at Mountain View’s Shoreline Park. Shoreline Park offers a relatively small lake for paddle boarding and kayaking with a waterside restaurant and easy access to trails. With Placer County’s summer heat, something similar would be an enormous community asset in our view while keeping more recreation dollars local. What’s on your dream list?