Alpine Beauty in the Sierras.
A two day drive with a stopover in Downieville 
or camping in the Sierra Buttes.

By Jane Haworth

Where can you spend a relaxing morning watching men dredging the river for gold whilst you take a dip in a brilliantly clear swimming hole and then dry off on a huge sun-warmed granite boulder.  After a picnic lunch, take an afternoon stroll down a creaking board-walk in an authentic Gold Rush town.  Then by evening set up camp in a setting reminiscent of the Swiss Alps.  If you travel Hwy 49 north of Nevada City on the Yuba Donner Scenic Byway you will encounter some of the best Californian activities and experience scenery to match.

This 160 mile driving loop will take you from Nevada City through incredibly varied and beautiful scenery meandering through Downieville and Sierra City, an area rich in beauty and Californian history. You then pass Bassetts, the Lake Basin and the Sierra Buttes, finally leaving the high country to drive through the surprising and majestic Sierra Valley until eventually you arrive in Truckee. To complete the loop take Hwy.80 and Hwy. 20 back to Nevada City.  A day’s drive but better appreciated by taking two!

Saturday morning we packed up the car with our camping equipment and food supplies for an overnighter and set off to explore this remote region.  With an open agenda and two days to fill we were in no big rush and so could travel at our leisure and find a suitable place to stay overnight. 

Driving up Hwy.49 there are great many places to stop where you could just have lunch or spend the whole day. Like the: The Independence Trail, a nature trail for people of all abilities, South Yuba River State Park for swimming, Bridgeport a historic covered bridge, Oregon Creek for great swimming holes and picnic area and Bullards Bar reservoir for boating, camping and house boating.

The scenery grows more dramatic as you travel further north.  With the road being slightly above the course of the North Yuba River you get magnificent views as you look down into the swimming holes and see how clear and inviting the water looks.  It is very tempting to pull the car over to the shoulder, stop for a quick dip and dry off on those smooth and rounded granite boulders.

Along this stretch of river you notice many people working the river whether fly fishing or searching for gold.  I was amazed at the number of dredgers we passed either in the river being used or hauled up on a boulder waiting for that lucky strike!  It really brings home to you the riches in this region and the history of gold mining that started back in 1848.  Since then 300 million dollars worth of gold has been taken from this area and they say, they is still more than that left behind waiting to be discovered! 

Downieville is situated on the confluence of the North Yuba and Downie Rivers.  It is a picturesque town that is steeped in a vivid gold mining history, that you feel as you walk the wooden boardwalks and wonder amongst the old brick-built buildings.  On Main St. you can visit the museum, the old foundry, quaint shops or stop at one of the many restaurants.  Downieville is a major center for outdoor activities especially mountain biking, so don’t be surprised to find the towns streets swarming with fit, sporting types! 

For those mountain bike enthusiasts Downville offers great bike trail opportunities with shuttle buses taking riders to the top of many nearby trails or into the more challenging Lakes Basin region.   Due to its great location and access to many old mining trails, ideal for mountain biking, Downieville now hosts a major annual racing event every September.  For more information look on the web-site: http://www.downievilleclassic.com

There are a variety of places to stay in Downieville whether you wish to stay in town at a hotel overlooking the river. Like the Durglan Flat Inn, formly the Downie River Inn, where rooms start at $79 midweek or they have a 3 bed cottage starting at $179 a night. Or if you wish to stay in a resort adjacent to the river which offers cottages or log cabins you could choose the Lure Resort or down the road, the Shangri-La Resort.

Another quaint gold mining town located 9 miles up the highway is Sierra City which is surrounded by the magnificent Sierra Buttes.  Again this town is located overlooking the North Yuba River and is an excellent base for hiking, cycling, fishing or boating in the Lakes Basin.

For those camping enthusiasts [as we are], we traveled 15 miles further up Hwy. 49 to Bassetts and the turning for the Sierra Buttes on Gold Lake Hwy.  This area is dotted with numerous lakes and over 15 picnic sights and campgrounds.  As reservations cannot be made ahead of time, we headed straight for Sardine Campground, which offers 29 sites but this was already full.  We then tried Salmon Creek Campground, one mile away, and despite a sign saying “Campground full” we toured around, found an excellent pitch and of the 31 sites others were also unoccupied.  Due to the remote nature of this area the facilities at these and other campgrounds and picnic sites are pretty limited.  They offer vault toilets and piped water but no washing facilities and no flushes in sight!  So if you like a hot shower to clean off in or bathroom conveniences, this is not the place for you.  But we found for a night it was no problem and even the kids could handle it!

The Sierra Buttes are a very picturesque mountain range, 8591ft tall.  With snowy peaks, pine forests, rocky crags and beautifully clear water in the lakes, the whole area has an Alpine feel about it.  It was not surprising to hear that back in the 1850’s not far away in Sierra Valley Swiss settlers arrived here and decided to make it their home.

Upper and Lower Sardine Lake are situated in a bowl directly under the Sierra Buttes.  Lower Sardine is a regularly stocked fishing lake and with only rowing boats and kayaks allowed on it, it is a truly tranquil scene. More suitable for all the family is Sand Pond, a very popular swimming hole, which has small sandy beaches dotted around its edge. Great for family gatherings and Kid’s love it!  Sand Pond was created as a result of a gold mining process and as a result is very shallow with a sandy bottom.

A great opportunity from here is to hike part of the Pacific Coast trail up to the Sierra Buttes Overlook.  You start out at about 7,000 ft and climb up to 8591 ft at the top, which is a 3 mile hike one way.  As you reach the top the overlook point is accessed via a series of 3 metal ladders that were constructed back in the sixties.  They look rather ominous but the view is definitely worth it as on a clear day you get to see Mt Lassen, Mt Rose and Mt Shasta.

We set out the next morning to continue our exploration of Hwy. 49’s scenic drive.  Leaving Bassetts and the Salmon Creek, [which is a good river for dabbling for trout as they hide in the little rock pools] we turned left on 49 and followed the road up to its peak at 7,000 ft.  The views of the North Yuba are less impressive now as the rivers course is much more overgrown, rambling and has definitely seen the work of many resident beavers!

Suddenly as the road headed downwards we got glimpses of a huge, hazy valley floor that seemed so out place as we were just emerging from the high, pine forests.  At the view point we were able to pull off the highway and take in this magnificent view.  We learned this was Sierra Valley the largest and highest sub-alpine valley in North America.  It was discovered in the 1850’s as gold miners and European settlers and headed across the Sierras.   Many decided to stay and farm this fertile area as reminded them of home.  Originally this area had been home to Washoe Indians.

This land is still farmed but also plays a major role for our migrating birds as it is part of the Pacific Flyway.  This expansive area of high desert includes wetlands, grazing land, sagebrush and pine areas and is ideal for al those migrating Canada geese, mallards, tundra swans, sandhill cranes, and herons to name just a few.  So for Ornithologists this is a great spot.

As we came down to the valley floor at Sierraville we left Hwy. 49 and switched to Hwy. 89 which would take us to Truckee.  Driving across the valley you see this is a thriving farming community and even see many of the original farm buildings and relics.  From here it is about 30 minutes or less to Truckee, another fascinating historic town, which is a timely break or lunch stop.

To round up the driving loop you need to head West on I. 80 until you reach Hwy. 20. From Truckee this will take you about an hour to reach Nevada City the start of our adventure.  It is hard to imagine a more pleasant and scenic drive that encompasses gold mining history and beautifully, varied scenery. Go get Driving!

For more information:

Yuba River Inn
# 530 862 1122
http://www.yubariverinn.com/

The Lure Resort
# 530 289 3465
http://www.lureresort.com/

Sierra Shangri-La Resort
530 289 3455
http://www.sierrashangrila.com/

Durglan Flat Inn
530 289 3308
http://www.donnievilleriverinn.com

Other useful websites:
http://www.sierracity.com
http://www.yubaexpeditions.com
http://www.historichwy49.com
http://www.sierracountychamber.net/