{"id":299022,"date":"2026-05-04T11:47:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T11:47:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/299022\/"},"modified":"2026-05-04T11:47:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T11:47:28","slug":"folsom-designates-itself-as-paddling-capital-of-the-west","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/299022\/","title":{"rendered":"Folsom designates itself as \u201cPaddling Capital of the West\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Alex<\/p>\n

Alex LoRussa, 18, and his golden retriever Kalani ride a paddle board for the first time at Folsom Lake in 2014.<\/p>\n

JOS\u00c9 LUIS VILLEGAS<\/p>\n

Sacramento Bee file<\/p>\n

Folsom is launching its new destination brand, calling itself the \u201cPaddling Capital of the West.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMore than a tagline, the initiative recognizes Folsom as the premier hub that it is for stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, and a broad diversity of on water paddling experiences \u2014 unmatched by any other destination in the west,\u201d Visit Folsom and Choose Folsom wrote in statement announcing the new slogan Thursday.<\/p>\n

The campaign is a collaboration between Visit Folsom and Choose Folsom, the city\u2019s chamber of commerce. Folsom has Lake Natoma, which the campaign says caters to beginners, families and competitive paddlers, citing the lake\u2019s 5 mph speed limit. It also has Folsom Lake, which offers opportunities for distance and open-water exploration.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a natural evolution for Folsom,\u201d Visit Folsom Chief Executive Officer Joe Gagliardi wrote in a statement. \u201cWe have two incredible waterways, experienced outfitters, and a growing paddling community with a long and distinguished history. With this launch, we\u2019re telling that story in a bold, unified way that inspires visitors to come experience it for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Folsom Lake was near capacity heading into peak paddling season, and was at 94% of capacity Friday morning, according to the California Department of Water Resources. That\u2019s 127% of it historical average, sitting six feet below capacity.<\/p>\n

Lake Natoma hosts the Powerhouse Ministries Dragon Boat Festival each spring, where teams race at Black Miners Bar. This year\u2019s event is scheduled for April 25<\/a>. The Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championship Regatta also brings collegiate athletes to the city, set for May 29 to 31 this year<\/a>.<\/p>\n

These activities bring tourism and economic activity to Folsom, increasing the city\u2019s sales tax revenue.<\/p>\n

\u201cFolsom\u2019s waterways are one of our greatest natural assets,\u201d Mayor Justin Raithel wrote in a statement. \u201cThis initiative not only celebrates recreation, it strengthens our local economy \u2014 supporting small businesses, increasing tourism, and encouraging visitors to stay longer and explore more.\u201d<\/p>\n

This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 10:16 AM.<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Corey Schmidt<\/a><\/p>\n

The Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n

Corey Schmidt is a watchdog reporter for the Sacramento Bee, focusing on Folsom, El Dorado Hills and Sacramento County\u2019s eastern suburbs. Previously, he was the government watchdog reporter for the St. Cloud Times in Minnesota. Schmidt received his bachelor\u2019s degree from DePaul University in Chicago and his master\u2019s degree from Yale University.\u00a0\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Alex LoRussa, 18, and his golden retriever Kalani ride a paddle board for the first time at Folsom…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":299023,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[121,123,122],"class_list":["post-299022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sacramento","tag-sacramento","tag-sacramento-headlines","tag-sacramento-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=299022"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299022\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/299023"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=299022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=299022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=299022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}