April 22, 2025 - - written and photo by The Union Staff Writer Marianne Boll-See
The Buttermilk Bend Trail is one of Nevada County’s best places to take in spring wildflowers, and the entire trail reopened recently visitors to enjoy. Fifteen months ago the public was notified of the trail’s closure due to a winter storm washout that made the trail unstable and impassable.
It was not a simple fix, according to Rob Griffith, the district superintendent for California State Parks Sierra District, which includes South Yuba River State Park, where the Bridgeport Buttermilk Bend Trail is located as well as 16 other parks across six counties.
“About a year ago storm damage caused a slight landslide-type failure,” Griffith said. “It was right down to where the bedrock was.”
The Buttermilk Bend Trail is accessible according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
“We had to make sure whatever the repair, it was going to be safe and sustainable for the long term,” Griffith said. “We did bring in a geotechnical engineering firm to give us advice on how to anchor whatever we were going to do on the trail.”
The new “bridge will be great for decades to come,” Griffith said.
The new bridge has been installed at approximately a half of a mile into the Buttermilk Bend Trail, a gentle and nearly level path winding its way along the river for approximately 1.2 miles.
This trail starts across the river from the visitors center next to the Bridgeport Covered Bridge with a separate parking lot and kiosk.
More than 100 wildflower species are seen on the trail featuring California poppies, lupine, larkspur, fiddlenecks, popcorn flowers, the white globe lily, and lace pod. The spectacular explosion of color begins in early March and lasts until mid-May. The large black and blue Pipevine Swallowtail butterflies may also be seen fluttering from wildflower to wildflower by visitors, hikers, and day-picnickers.
The signage at the trailhead states the level of difficulty for the trail, and the first .7 miles of it can be accessed with a wheelchair. The information shows a 3% to a maximum of 9% slope on portions of the trail, and also the surface of the trail, which is soil. The width of the trail ranges from three to four feet wide and it looks down to the boulders and river below.
There are other beautiful areas to explore at the South Yuba River State Park including the Point Defiance loop and Cemetery loop at Bridgeport, the Independence and Hoyt trails at the Highway 49 crossing, and the South Yuba Trail that heads upstream from Purdon Crossing.
“For those who don’t happen to already have a park pass or don’t want to pay the daily pass fee, they can go to their local public library, just like checking out a book, they can check out a California State Parks pass and come to the park for free,” Griffith said.
To see the complete article and more photos in The Union Newspaper, CLICK HERE.
The Buttermilk Bend Trail is one of Nevada County’s best places to take in spring wildflowers, and the entire trail reopened recently visitors to enjoy. Fifteen months ago the public was notified of the trail’s closure due to a winter storm washout that made the trail unstable and impassable.
It was not a simple fix, according to Rob Griffith, the district superintendent for California State Parks Sierra District, which includes South Yuba River State Park, where the Bridgeport Buttermilk Bend Trail is located as well as 16 other parks across six counties.
“About a year ago storm damage caused a slight landslide-type failure,” Griffith said. “It was right down to where the bedrock was.”
The Buttermilk Bend Trail is accessible according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
“We had to make sure whatever the repair, it was going to be safe and sustainable for the long term,” Griffith said. “We did bring in a geotechnical engineering firm to give us advice on how to anchor whatever we were going to do on the trail.”
The new “bridge will be great for decades to come,” Griffith said.
The new bridge has been installed at approximately a half of a mile into the Buttermilk Bend Trail, a gentle and nearly level path winding its way along the river for approximately 1.2 miles.
This trail starts across the river from the visitors center next to the Bridgeport Covered Bridge with a separate parking lot and kiosk.
More than 100 wildflower species are seen on the trail featuring California poppies, lupine, larkspur, fiddlenecks, popcorn flowers, the white globe lily, and lace pod. The spectacular explosion of color begins in early March and lasts until mid-May. The large black and blue Pipevine Swallowtail butterflies may also be seen fluttering from wildflower to wildflower by visitors, hikers, and day-picnickers.
The signage at the trailhead states the level of difficulty for the trail, and the first .7 miles of it can be accessed with a wheelchair. The information shows a 3% to a maximum of 9% slope on portions of the trail, and also the surface of the trail, which is soil. The width of the trail ranges from three to four feet wide and it looks down to the boulders and river below.
There are other beautiful areas to explore at the South Yuba River State Park including the Point Defiance loop and Cemetery loop at Bridgeport, the Independence and Hoyt trails at the Highway 49 crossing, and the South Yuba Trail that heads upstream from Purdon Crossing.
“For those who don’t happen to already have a park pass or don’t want to pay the daily pass fee, they can go to their local public library, just like checking out a book, they can check out a California State Parks pass and come to the park for free,” Griffith said.
To see the complete article and more photos in The Union Newspaper, CLICK HERE.
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