South Yuba River

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=496 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Yuba_River_State_Park South Yuba River State Park is located along the South Fork of the Yuba River in the Sierra Nevada, within Nevada County, in Northern California. The park's 22 miles (35 km) portion of the South Yuba River Canyon stretches from Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park downstream to Bridgeport, where the visitor center and Bridgeport Covered Bridge are located. The park is accessed from Highway 20 west of Grass Valley or from Highway 49 north of Nevada City.

South Yuba River State Park Our Mission The mission of California State Parks is to provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. Steep, rugged canyons hide a richness of historic sites and a turquoise green river that knows few bounds — South California State Parks supports equal access. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact the park at (530) 432-2546. If you need this publication in an alternate format, contact interp@parks.ca.gov. CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS P.O. Box 942896 Sacramento, CA 94296-0001 For information call: (800) 777-0369 (916) 653-6995, outside the U.S. 711, TTY relay service www.parks.ca.gov Discover the many states of California.™ South Yuba River State Park 17660 Pleasant Valley Road Penn Valley, CA 95946 (530) 432-2546 or 273-3884 © 2009 California State Parks (Rev. 2014) Yuba River State Park is as exciting as the gold that still glimmers along its riverbanks. I n the depths of the South Yuba River Canyon, visitors to South Yuba River State Park will find a wealth of wonder and discovery. This long, narrow patchwork of lands is a treasure trove of history that includes classic bridges, toll crossings, and trails leading to historic gold rush mine sites. Add to that the canyon’s stunning scenery, the clear, cold river tumbling between massive granite ledges, and many inviting places to play, and you have something to please just about everyone. The climate varies depending on elevation, but is generally mild, with hot, dry summers. October to May can be cold and rainy. PARK HISTORY Native People The Northern Maidu people — also known as Nisenan — may have migrated to the northern Sierra about 2,500 years ago. As with other hunter-gatherer groups, the Nisenan people’s lives revolved around the changing seasons. Their lands provided them with free-running water, plentiful game and plant foods, and the basic materials needed to create homes, tools and finely crafted baskets. European contact brought a halt to the well-established Maidu way of life. With the discovery of gold in 1848 came devastating diseases and loss of the people’s traditional resources. Settlers seeking land for grazing and lumber for construction simply took over the available resources. In the process they polluted the river with mining debris and cut down many trees, including the oaks that provided food and shelter materials for the Maidu. Today, Nisenan descendants work with other Maidu groups to obtain federal tribal status, to increase youth educational opportunities, and to develop forest management programs to reestablish the forest’s natural diversity. Gold along the South Fork In June 1848 gold was discovered near Rose’s Bar, just downstream from Bridgeport. Merchant John Rose, the first European settler to build a permanent structure in Nevada County, sold placer mining supplies; by 1850 Rose’s Bar swarmed with more than 2,000 miners. Two or three miles from Rose’s Bar, Parks’ Bar — by far the richest of all the Yuba River gravel bars — was named for David Parks, who brought his family to the gold fields. family occupied a large farmhouse, where they collected tolls for use of the covered bridge. Andrew and Victoria’s son Alfred and his wife Lucy took over the ranch and made many changes at Bridgeport. By 1926 Alfred and Lucy had developed the extremely popular Bridgeport Swim Resort — several cottages and a dance pavilion — about 1/4-mile upriver from the covered bridge near the swimming hole. At about the same time they built a small grocery store and a gas station. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Kneebone family shared their good fortune. The large numbers of people who had begun to arrive in the area hoping to make a living panning for gold needed shelter, so Alfred and Lucy rented out the resort’s vacation cottages. However, when hydraulic placer mining was resumed upriver at about the same time, fouling the river with debris, the Kneebone resort went out of business. Victoria Kneebone died in 1930, and Andrew died in 1934. They and other relatives are interred in the Kneebone Family Cemetery, which is cared for by their descendants. The Kneebone Family Hard work, generosity and enterprise brought prominence to the pioneer Kneebone family. Andrew Reed Kneebone came to the U.S. in 1871 from Cornwall, England. On his family’s 400-acre farm in the Spenceville area, Andrew learned to handle large teams of horses and mules. Andrew’s future wife, Victoria Marie Cole, grew up on a farm near Bridgeport. The Cole Andrew Kneebone and family, ca. 1903 The River Crossings With activity on both sides of the river, safe crossings were vital. Ferries came first, made by either overturning wagons and connecting them to form barges, o