Yuba Goldfields

Off Highway 20 at Parks Bar Bridge

More gold has been taken from the Yuba River watershed than any other river in the United States. Hydraulic mining activity in the Sierra Nevada washed tens of millions of tons of debris into the Yuba River, and much of it washed out of the Yuba River canyon burying the large mining camp Parks Bar and a place called Weiser’s Bar, where 100 Chinese miners reportedly drowned in a huge flood. In the 20th century, floating dredgers were used to search for gold in the debris that flattened out over 10,000 acres. The dredging activity created dozens of ponds amid a moonscape of gravel piles. The area is populated by a variety of flora and fauna and is a popular location for four-wheeling, fishing and hiking.

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