Kayaking South Yuba River

Thanks to a period of heavy rain this month the South Yuba River’s flow reached a point for kayakers to get out and enjoy the classic California run from 49 Bridge to Bridgeport. Local boater Dieter King who ran the run yesterday said, “It’s a little unusual to have the river up in October, definitely a unique opportunity, the 7 mile stretch between 49 to Bridgeport is in the winter months when we get enough rain. People come from all over the region to enjoy the Class 4 plus classic California run. The South Yuba is a very scenic pristine canyon, it’s great to do a run where you don’t see any houses. We had a lot of fun.” Lillian Llacer recommends anyone interested in the river to check out the website Dreamflows. “The South Yuba River was at 80 cfs (cubic feet per second) before the storm and at the peak of the rains it was over 800 cfs, check out Dreamflows.com for a graph of the water flow,” explained Lillian. “The South Yuba is a world class kayak run, super high quality, there’s really fun drops that are challenging, but doable, with limited flat water, beautiful scenery and accessible parking and you don’t have to carry your boat in for a mile on your head.” While many think of the river for its amazing swimming holes in the summer season, there are activities for people to do year round. If you’re not a kayaker, think about going to for a hike, hire a local fishing guide or check out the wildflowers in the spring.