Check out the Crystal Basin Rec Area off of Highway 50. About a 1.5 hour drive from Sacramento. Great views and lots of trails. Home of the famous Rubicon Trail. If not ready for the Rubicon, it is a great place to watch others tear up their rigs. Have fun.
http://www.smud.org/about/recreation/crystal.html
http://www.smud.org/about/recreation/crystal.html