South Yuba River State Park

By: DogTrekker Staff
Senior black lab stands in lake with stick floating nearby
Photo by Jeremy Perkins.

We’d love South Yuba River State Park even if its many trails and swimming holes weren’t dog-friendly, and we bet you will, too. This isn’t a contiguous park, but a patchwork of lands in Nevada County along the scenic Yuba River, which changes personalities according to the season.

In summer, you’ll find idyllic, dog-friendly swimming holes at Kneebone Beach near park headquarters in Bridgeport and at Jones Bar alongside the wheelchair-accessible Independence Trail, constructed along a series of old mining ditches and flumes. More than a dozen trails with river views and varying degrees of difficulty will have both you and Sparky working up a pant, and you’re free to try your hand at gold-panning anywhere along the shore. Only one place in the park, the shoreline just south of the park’s landmark covered bridge, is off limits to canine companions.

Combine a visit to this tucked-away park with a weekend getaway to nearby Grass Valley or Nevada City, and you’ll discover the essence of Gold Country.

 

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