Bridgeport (South Yuba River State Park):

Noted primarily for the Bridgeport Covered Bridge, the park also stretches in scattered parcels more than 20 miles up the South Yuba River Canyon. In all, four bridges and trails access the beloved South Yuba River, cherished for swimming and kayaking thrills.

Bridgeport’s photogenic bridge was built in 1862 and is listed as the longest single-span, arch-truss, covered bridge in North America. Stroll across the historic bridge or take longer hikes along the scenic river, but don’t pass up the chance to visit and walk across this world-class, historic bridge.

Wildflowers on the Buttermilk Bend Trail are identified by placards and the walk has become a kid-friendly, adult-favorite, family ritual each spring. A free trails pamphlet is available at the Visitors Center.

The location is also a popular take-out point for whitewater craft to either side of the river above the modern concrete bridge and the Pleasant Valley Road.

Upriver near the Highway 49 crossing the Independence Trail follows the Gold Rush era Excelsior Ditch and is considered one of the premier wheelchair-accessible, and universally used, trails in the Sierra Nevada. Several flumes have been rebuilt for use as hiking bridges and are attractions in their own right.