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South Yuba River State Park, Penn Valley, CA

Photo: Michael Nevins, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sports & Outdoors

South Yuba River State Park

River canyon park in the Sierra Nevada foothills with swimming holes, historic bridges, and Gold Rush-era trails.

17660 Pleasant Valley Road, Penn Valley, CA 95946 · Penn Valley, CA

About South Yuba River State Park

A roughly 20-mile stretch of river canyon in the Sierra Nevada foothills, running from Malakoff Diggins to the Bridgeport covered bridge. Visitors can swim, watch birds, pan for gold, and hike trails of varying difficulty. The park contains bridges from the Gold Rush era through the mid-20th century. The Bridgeport covered bridge reopened in 2021 after a multi-year restoration. Spring brings wildflowers, and late summer brings swimming holes along the river. Part of the Independence Trail is closed after damage from the 2020 Jones Fire.

  • #river
  • #swimming
  • #hiking
  • #covered bridge
  • #Gold Rush history

What's around here?

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