Off Highway 174, at the Placer/Nevada County Line, sits the Old Bear River Bridge.
Now a pedestrian walkway over the Bear River, the historical bridge is a landmark. The 1924 span was the first concrete bridge built using the Roman-style single-arch design constructed in a continuous pour method. It's a handsome bridge, best appreciated from under the new bridge that is part of Highway 174.
The monument to the bridge sits at the back of an ample parking lot, upriver on the Nevada County side of the bridge. From the parking lot you walk under the new bridge, over a wooden footbridge to the trail that runs downriver. The trail is well shaded, uneven, sloped and filled with rocks, roots and ruts.
To get down to the river below takes some rock hopping skill. There are several spurs, none are easy to lower yourself to water level. But once you are there it is lovely. Sitting on a smooth boulder, with your toes dangling in the cold water, with a view of the tall pines covering the hillside and granite boulders scattered along the river's edge ... it is a nice way to spend some of our precious time.
The trail is less than a mile and half. Rock outcroppings are a challenge the further along you go. It's a challenge but that is why it's popular with locals in summer. Not everyone can get down to the water to appreciate the Mighty Bear River from this vantage point.
Mary West is author of the book series Day Hiker – Gold Country Trail Guide I, II and III (second edition available on Amazon). The books are a collection of the Day Hiker columns where West shares her longtime love of the outdoors, favorite hikes in Northern California’s Gold Country and beyond. West was the recipient of the 2017 and 2019 Craft Award for Best Outdoor Column and the 2020 Craft Award for her second book in the Day Hiker series by the Outdoor Writers of California. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
To see the original article and photo, visit Gold Country Media here:
https://www.mtdemocrat.com/prospecting/day-hiker-old-bear-river-bridge-trail/article_8c963dc0-a80f-11ee-a5f2-4b924fbcdf07.html
Now a pedestrian walkway over the Bear River, the historical bridge is a landmark. The 1924 span was the first concrete bridge built using the Roman-style single-arch design constructed in a continuous pour method. It's a handsome bridge, best appreciated from under the new bridge that is part of Highway 174.
The monument to the bridge sits at the back of an ample parking lot, upriver on the Nevada County side of the bridge. From the parking lot you walk under the new bridge, over a wooden footbridge to the trail that runs downriver. The trail is well shaded, uneven, sloped and filled with rocks, roots and ruts.
To get down to the river below takes some rock hopping skill. There are several spurs, none are easy to lower yourself to water level. But once you are there it is lovely. Sitting on a smooth boulder, with your toes dangling in the cold water, with a view of the tall pines covering the hillside and granite boulders scattered along the river's edge ... it is a nice way to spend some of our precious time.
The trail is less than a mile and half. Rock outcroppings are a challenge the further along you go. It's a challenge but that is why it's popular with locals in summer. Not everyone can get down to the water to appreciate the Mighty Bear River from this vantage point.
Mary West is author of the book series Day Hiker – Gold Country Trail Guide I, II and III (second edition available on Amazon). The books are a collection of the Day Hiker columns where West shares her longtime love of the outdoors, favorite hikes in Northern California’s Gold Country and beyond. West was the recipient of the 2017 and 2019 Craft Award for Best Outdoor Column and the 2020 Craft Award for her second book in the Day Hiker series by the Outdoor Writers of California. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
To see the original article and photo, visit Gold Country Media here:
https://www.mtdemocrat.com/prospecting/day-hiker-old-bear-river-bridge-trail/article_8c963dc0-a80f-11ee-a5f2-4b924fbcdf07.html
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