Yuba River South Fork Edwards to Purdons

This is one of the most scenic class IV runs in California, and is easily approachable from Nevada City. In most years there are sufficient IK flows for several months, although for rafters and kayakers the flow window can be short. The only drawback of this run is its relatively short river distance, but plentiful playspots permit an all-day run if you wish. There used to be an old broken-down dam with dangerous overhead wires, but this hazard has either been removed or has washed away, so no portages are necessary on this run.

If you do not own a boat and want to raft this with a commercial outfitter, type South Fork Yuba into the text box below and click Search.

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Excellent camping is available on the north bank uphill from put-in, if you want to combine this run with another in the area. A hiking trail follows the left bank for the entire distance, making beaches on that side popular with local sunbathers, and providing a possible foot-shuttle alternative. The South Yuba has its own website.

Upstream is a less-classic 14 mile run from the small town of Washington. This run starts off with class II-III rapids thru hydraulic mining debris, with several powerful ledge drops interspersed. Just before mile 11 you encounter a >4 meter waterfalls, unrunnable due to rock debris (1997), with moderate portage on the left. Below the waterfalls is a class IV-V rapid with recirculating eddy that claimed the life of kayaker Art Capacite in 1996. Kayaker David Edrington drowned on this run in 2003 at a flow of 2050 cfs.

Hikers enjoy a beautiful pool on the S Yuba

Downstream of Purdon's Crossing to highway 49 is a gnarly class V+ run with many entrapment points and not all that much fun stuff. Downstream of highway 49 to Bridgeport is a great class V section, considered one of the best expert kayak runs in California, described here.

mile

0

Put in anywhere along the highway bridge. The right bank is rocky but there is a nice shady beach just downstream on river left.

.2

Curler, class IV, scout right
A long whitewater chute leads into a large curling hydraulic that can flip any kayak if approached from the wrong angle.

1.3

Bedrock fence with rock outcropping on the left and cliff on the right offers a choice of several good kayak routes. This is one rapid that might be too narrow for rafts at low water.

2.0

Easy-Ugly, class III+ or V+
The right side offers a class III+ route, but the middle sections look quite dangerous, with undercuts and body sieves everywhere. One spot in the middle looks like a flushing toilet at certain flows.

2.8

Old broken down dam used to have wires hanging down in the river. The drop above, which angles to the left, could cause a swim, but now that the overhead wires have washed away, there is much less chance that a swim could be fatal. The angling drop is followed by a series of turbulent drops stretching past the old dam.

4

Purdons Crossing bridge. The left bank makes the best take-out. Downstream, the gradient increases to 125 fpm then to 155 fpm in the final mile above the highway 49 bridge. With many undercut boulders and body strainers, it is a serious class V+ run.

To reach put-in from Nevada City, turn west from highway 20 onto highway 49 north. In only .3 mile, turn right onto North Bloomfield road. in another .6 mile, turn right at a T intersection and drive downhill on a paved road to Edwards Crossing. Parking is available uphill south of the bridge.

To reach take-out from there, return south to the T intersection, with North Bloomfield road, but continue straight instead of going south towards highway 49. After a right turn, this becomes Lake Vera-Purdons road, and soon changes to dirt for the descent down to river level.

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