When you tell people you live in a town called Cool, you always get a response about the name. “That's really its name? Wow, that is so cool!” If they know where it's located, they may question, “How do you deal with driving that canyon every day?” We get used to it. And some of the 4000 or so of us who live in Cool, also work here! Most of us agree upon how fortunate we are to be part of this small, unique community. It's located in the beautiful Northern California foothills, surrounded by two forks of the American River. The heart of Cool boasts stunning views, encompassing miles of open land, river and trails that can take you all the way to Sacramento and Tahoe right from our backyard. But more importantly, it is also home to a close-knit community containing our jewel, the one-of-a-kind, Northside School.

Whether resident or first time visitor to Cool, taking the descent on southbound Hwy 49 into the American River Canyon is guaranteed to leave an impression. The 6-mile journey will leave you breathless with the beauty and maybe white-knuckled on the steering wheel as you wind along the edges of the canyon, and cross the confluence where the North and Middle Forks of the American River meet. As you reach the ascent, you arrive at your destination of Cool. This canyon, the river, and the hundreds of miles of California trails connected to its surrounding areas, are at the heart of Cool.

Living in a small community, where everyone is linked somehow has its tradeoffs but are outweighed by the benefits. As a parent, you are grateful your children won’t go unnoticed and mostly everything is brought to your attention. As a child, you are grateful to have so many caring people involved and helping you figure out this thing called growing up. Northside STEAM School is like a family. People have their differences but work together, and always have the best interest for the children, our future generation. For all these reasons, community and Northside STEAM School play a significant role to the heart of Cool.

Cool, CA, population 3,972 according to 2014 census, really does exist. Offering an abundance of outdoor activities which use the river, trails and land, one will often be in awe of just how special Cool really is. Northside STEAM School would like to share just a little piece of the amazing beauty with everyone who wants to join and host our annual Heart of Cool Trail Run the first Sunday of October. Bring your hiking or running shoes, smiles and excitement to explore new or familiar trails, and support the students at Northside, as well as children with heart disease to attend Camp Taylor. The event would not be possible without you and we can’t wait to share it with you!!