South Yuba River

Swimming Holes

  • Bridgeport: Located near Lake Wildwood. Home to the Longest Covered Bridge in the World. This is one of the more popular tourists spots. The shallow waters tend to lead to more kids swimming here.
  • South Fork: Located just north of Nevada City on Highway 49. Another popular swimming hole. There is an underground tunnel in the water people sometimes try to swim through. If you cross the bridge and turn right onto the dirt path, it is easy to find your own private swimming hole. If you take the path all the way to the end (about 1 mile) there is a nude beach.
  • Edwards: Local swimming hole. Very good.
  • Purdon's Crossing: One of the hardest swimming holes to reach. The path is very windy and takes awhile to get there. There is an old bridge people sometimes drive across for parking although it's starting to look a little rickety.

Hiking

  • Bridgeport: Cross the bridge and park in the dirt parking lot on the right. There is a short hike up across the river. Not very long.
  • South Fork: Independence Trail. A historic water ditch adapted to carry wheelchairs and hikers across the Independence Trail. The trail features waterfalls, scenic vistas, and a gentle switchback descent to a mountain stream on a wooden flume accesible by wheelchair. Outhouses with full wheelchair access are located at several points along the trail.

SYRCL

State Parks

  • South Yuba River

    Hiking, swimming, gold panning demonstrations available at Bridgeport on Saturdays and Sundays from late May to September.

  • Malakoff Diggins

    Home of California's largest hydraulic mine. Camping, hiking, swimming, and gold panning available (Remember: just pans and hands)

  • Empire Mine

    "Empire Mine State Historic Park is the site of one of the oldest, largest, deepest, longest and richest gold mines in California." There is a museum, living history demonstrations, and old buildings on the campus you can walk through. Once a year, the Park host the Miner's Picnic on the grounds.

    Website: http://www.empiremine.org/

Add tags