Granite Bay is a spectacular place to live. Granite Bay is an unincorporated community with a population of about 24,000 residents. The community boasts of a very high quality of life due to its terrific location on the shores of Folsom Lake, sound community plan, first-rate schools, numerous churches, low crime rate and excellent natural environment.
With an abundance of shopping, dining, arts, entertainment, business and recreation opportunities, Granite Bay offers something for everyone.
Location
Granite Bay is situated on the Northern shore of Folsom Lake, which is located northeast of Sacramento on the eastern edge of the Sacramento Valley and at the base of the Sierra foothills. Granite Bay is a close neighbor of Sacramento and within a two-hour drive of San Francisco. The community of Granite Bay lies between the Town of Loomis, the City of Folsom and Folsom Lake. Granite Bay is arranged along the historic Auburn-Folsom Road.
Geography/Terrain
Granite Bay sits at an elevation of 480 feet above sea level. The community covers an area of approximately 25 square miles. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 56.1 km˛ (21.7 mi˛). 55.9 km˛ (21.6 mi˛) of it is land and 0.2 km˛ (0.1 mi˛) of it (0.32%) is water.
The main feature of Granite Bay’s geography is Folsom Lake, which sits in Granite bay’s backyard. The lake has 11,950 surface acres and 75 miles of shoreline. Folsom Lake and its shores are a haven for wildlife and native plants. In the spring, there are a variety of colorful wildflowers including Indian paintbrush, California poppy, larkspur, lupine, bordicaea, fiddleneck, dutchman's pipe and monkey flower. Black-tailed deer, ground squirrels, raccoons, skunks, opossums, gray foxes, rabbits and coyotes are live around Folsom Lake. Canadian geese usually winter at Folsom Lake. Year round residents of the area include blackbirds, scrub jays, quail, wrens and towhees. Red-tailed hawks, kestrels, eagles and other raptors can often be seen soaring over the lake.
Distance to 3 closest major cities
Folsom, California is about 5.5 miles from Granite Bay, Sacramento is about 24 miles away, and Citrus Heights is about 8.5 miles away.
Jobs
Industries providing employment in the community of Granite Bay are as follows: Educational, health and social services, finance, insurance, real estate, and rental and leasing, professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services. Granite Bay and Roseville work together at the economic level to support their local businesses. Granite Bay residents can work in nearby Roseville, or they can make the short commute to Sacramento for all of the opportunities there.
Housing
Granite bay is truly a premiere location in the greater Sacramento area. The community is home to some of the Sacramento area’s finest and most exclusive homes. Prices range from approximately $405,000 to $3 million plus with an average sales price of about $832,000.
Parks/Sports/Recreation/Golf
Granite Bay is situated in a beautiful location on the shores of Folsom Lake. From beaches to parks and trails, Granite Bay has it all. Those with a sense of adventure love Granite Bay for all the recreational activities available at Folsom Lake and along the American River. Boating, water-skiing, rafting, hiking and biking are popular pastimes of Granite Bay residents who can enjoy these sports nearly all year due to the area’s warm climate.
Folsom Lake State Recreation Area is the east border of Granite Bay. It features water skiing, hiking, horseback riding, nature studies, camping and picnicking. Recreation at Folsom Reservoir is managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Facilities include 3 public campgrounds, 2 with showers, 60 miles of equestrian trails, 10 miles of paved bicycle trails, 8 miles of advanced mountain bike trails, and excellent year-round bank or boat fishing. Several launch ramps provide continuous boat launching access throughout the lake fluctuation zone. At capacity, there is good fishing for both cold- and warm-water species including rainbow trout, brown trout, black bass, catfish, crappie, and bluegill.
Granite Bay Beach is a wonderful, sandy beach with a buoyed swim area and lifeguard services during the summer season. Barbecue pits, shade areas and large grassy knolls can accommodate family picnics and other activities. During years with normal precipitation the main water recreation season is May through Labor Day in September.
The Community of Granite Bay also has several neighborhood parks. Granite Bay Community Park offers BBQ pits, a pavilion, picnic areas, tot lots, two baseball and soccer fields, restrooms, a snack bar, and bicycle/pedestrian trails. Treelake Park in Granite Bay has a family picnic area, tot lot, baseball field, soccer field, large sports court for tennis and basketball. Miners Ravine Nature Reserve in Granite Bay is a passive park, with open spaces and a self-guided interpretive nature trail. Douglas Ranch Park provides granite bay with a baseball diamond, picnic area, and tot lot.
Several fantastic golf courses are in close proximity to Granite Bay. Nestled among granite outcroppings and mature oaks, Granite Bay Golf Club is one of Northern California’s premier golf facilities. Members and guests can enjoy a championship golf course along with a magnificent clubhouse. The 9-hole "Rolling Greens" course at the Rolling Greens Golf Course facility in Granite Bay, features all the hallmarks of California golf. Designed by Jack Fleming, the Rolling Greens golf course opened in 1952.
Equestrian activities are also very popular in the Granite Bay area. In fact, there are seven different equestrian centers serving Granite Bay. Lessons, stables and training courses are offered at the various facilities. Horseback riding is also allowed on many of the trails in the Granite Bay area. Riders can even ride on a trail once used by the Pony Express.
Special Attractions/Events
Granite Bay High School is a highly-ranked school offering students specialized computer technology courses, which provide useful skills to students for future endeavors in the workplace. A program unique to Granite Bay High School is Granite Bay Information Technology, or GBiT. This program, scheduled as a class during the school year, provides students with the opportunity to engage in real-world technology support, web development, and management. This student-led and student-run group maintains all technology on campus and performs updates and upgrades to this technology, builds the school's award-winning web site and websites for outside customers, and provides faculty with technical training. Conceived and sponsored by Intel, this one-of-a-kind asset has benefited the school and the local community since 1999.
The City of Folsom is Granite Bay’s neighbor, and it offers wonderful amenities in its Historic District and Sutter Street, which is home to restaurants, galleries, antiques stores and specialty shops. Sutter Street is also the site of several cultural events, such as Folsom Live, Thursday Night Market, antique street fairs and an art walk on the Second Saturday of the month.
Folsom Premium Outlets features upscale, designer labels for the most discriminating tastes. Folsom Outlets has 80 stores including Bebe, Brooks brothers, Calvin Klein, Gap Outlet, Guess, Kenneth Cole, Nautica, Nike, Off 5th-Daks 5th Avenue, Waterford Wedgwood, Tommy Hilfiger, Liz Claiborne and more.
A favorite July Fourth tradition for the entire Sacramento region is the Folsom Pro Rodeo. The All-American celebration features cowboys, bucking broncos and massive bulls topped off with an explosive, nightly in-arena firework show designed especially for rodeo fans.
Interesting Facts/Historic Buildings and Places
Granite Bay's roots lead back to the early 1850's, when gold miners first settled the banks of the American River. In its earliest beginnings, it was known as "Granite Bar", a small mining camp just below Horseshoe Bar. The North Fork Ditch, built by the Natoma Company between 1852 and 1954, allowed miners to surface mine gold, and also it continued to supply water to the area and attracted settlers who planted olive and almond orchards. Remains of the ditch can still be seen in places along the trail leading up the lake from Horseshoe Bar and along the water's edge above the dam at low lake level. The sides of the ditch were concreted in 1925, which has helped to preserve its visibility.
Auburn-Folsom Road has a long and unique history. Starting out as little more than ox-cart tracks linking 49'er mining claims along the American River in the 1800s, it served as a supply line between Auburn and Folsom.
The community was officially recognized as "Granite Bay" in 1987. As an unincorporated community, the Placer County Board of Supervisors is the local governing body, and a local Municipal Advisory Council provides input and advice to the Supervisors.
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