HELPFUL STUFF

KID FRIENDLY HIKING AND SWIMMING:

DEER CREEK MINER'ER TRAIL:  Nevada City near Broad Street, Boulder Street and Sacramento Street.  15-30 minute walk.

ROCK CREEK:  Off Hwy 20 on Conservation Camp Road.  6 miles east of Nevada City.  About 1 mile hike.

SIERRA DISCOVER TRAIL:  Hwy 20 north out of Nevada City to Bowman Lake Road.  PG & E community service project, about a mile loop.  Interpretive signs, waterfall, restrooms and picnic area with BBQ on the Bear River.  A couple miles past this is Fuller lake, a small quiet fishing lake owned by PG & E.  A Watanda favorite.

BRIDGEPORT:  Off Hwy 20 out of Grass Valley to Penn Valley, then 8 miles to Buttermilk Trail.  1 1/4 mile hike each direction.  Access to swimming holes.  You can access Bridgeport Park off Hwy 49 as you go to Downieville, road is windy.  The park has bathrooms and great swim area for hesitant and advanced swimmers.

INDEPENDENCE TRAIL: Off Hwy 49 towards Downieville.  6 miles from the intersection of the traffic light and North Bloomfield road.  Easy to miss, watch your odometer.  This is a 5 mile trail that is stroller and wheelchair friendly.  Features waterfalls, Yuba Canyon views, gentle switchbacks to a mountain stream on a wooden flume.  Outhouses at several locations.

OREGON CREEK-A McNitt Favorite!  Where the Yuba River and Oregon Creek meet.  Has the old covered bridge.  Vault toilets, picnic tables and handicapped parking.  Spaces fill early on the weekends.  Slow current with crystal clear water.  Easy access for hesitant swimmers and 100 feet of water smoothed rocks for kids to slide on.