Tracks on the South Yuba Independence Trail

Spring 2007 Activities

Spring Fling Trail Cleanup May 5
Volunteers Needed!
Join other volunteers on the Trail for a couple of hours on Saturday morning to help clean winter leaves and debris from the trail surface to make travel easier for wheelchair users. Simple as this job is, it really does make a difference in accessibility.
When: Saturday, May 5, 9:30-11:30 am
Where: the Independence Trail entrance on Hwy 49
Bring: gloves, rakes, and tarps
We'll provide bottled water and snacks. Please call 530-273-6881 to let us know you are coming to the event.

Volunteers Needed
Support your nationally famous Trail for the disabled! Volunteers make a difference. Outdoor and indoor positions are available- skilled or unskilled. Join a work party, help plan a special event, deliver Trail guides around town, etc. We need you!!

Volunteers Needed

Support your nationally famous Trail for the disabled! Volunteers make a difference. Outdoor and indoor positions are available- skilled or unskilled. Join a work party, help plan a special event, deliver Trail guides around town, etc. We need you!!

Another site to visit
For your information, South Yuba River State Park has wheelchair access to the riverbank at Bridgeport. It can be reached via Hwy. 20 and Pleasant Valley Rd in Penn Valley. Their telephone # is (530) 432-2546. Another page on the Independence Trail is here. Visit our photo gallery for pictures of the Trail!

Another site to visit

For your information, South Yuba River State Park has wheelchair access to the riverbank at Bridgeport. It can be reached via Hwy. 20 and Pleasant Valley Rd in Penn Valley. Their telephone # is (530) 432-2546.

Another page on the Independence Trail is here.

Visit our photo gallery for pictures of the Trail!

Description
The very first wilderness trail in the country with wheelchair accessibility is found in the Gold Country in California. Six miles north of Nevada City on State Highway 49, the Trail is truly a unique natural and historic jewel. Today, the Trail demonstrates another sign of independence because it is managed and maintained by both private and public sectors: Sequoya Challenge, a non-profit corporation, works in partnership with the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

Description

The very first wilderness trail in the country with wheelchair accessibility is found in the Gold Country in California. Six miles north of Nevada City on State Highway 49, the Trail is truly a unique natural and historic jewel. Today, the Trail demonstrates another sign of independence because it is managed and maintained by both private and public sectors: Sequoya Challenge, a non-profit corporation, works in partnership with the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

Features
The main entrance to the Trail is on Highway 49, near the South Yuba River bridge. Parking is available beside the road, with several marked disabled spaces. Highlighting the West Trail is a waterfall one mile from the entrance. People and wheelchairs travel a switchback ramp from Flume 28 (520 feet long) to the swirling waters of Rush Creek. Also featured on the west side is an overlook of the Yuba River, surrounded by canyon flora. The East Trail features cliff-hanging flumes, more views of the river and foothill landscapes, with a total of two and a half miles of maintained trail. There are picnic areas, outhouses, and scenic vistas all around. The Independence Trail is for all people, with its gradual, level walkway - from young mothers with stroller kids, to serious hikers and joggers, to seniors with limited mobility, to those in wheelchairs.

Features

The main entrance to the Trail is on Highway 49, near the South Yuba River bridge. Parking is available beside the road, with several marked disabled spaces. Highlighting the West Trail is a waterfall one mile from the entrance. People and wheelchairs travel a switchback ramp from Flume 28 (520 feet long) to the swirling waters of Rush Creek. Also featured on the west side is an overlook of the Yuba River, surrounded by canyon flora. The East Trail features cliff-hanging flumes, more views of the river and foothill landscapes, with a total of two and a half miles of maintained trail. There are picnic areas, outhouses, and scenic vistas all around. The Independence Trail is for all people, with its gradual, level walkway - from young mothers with stroller kids, to serious hikers and joggers, to seniors with limited mobility, to those in wheelchairs.

History
The origin of the Independence Trail was an old, abandoned miner's ditch, previously known as the Excelsior Canal. It was built to carry water from the South Yuba river to hydraulic mining sites in Smartsville, 25 miles downstream. When California outlawed hydraulic mining in 1884, the ditch was used for irrigation until 1967, when it was abandoned. In 1975, a docent of the Oakland Museum, John Olmsted, re-discovered the whole water system consisting of the ditch, the berm, where the ditch-tender walked, and the wooden flumes which bridged the ravines. He had the vision to recognize that this could be the answer to a friend's lifelong dream: "Please find me a level wilderness trail where I can reach out and touch the wildflowers from my wheel chair."

History

The origin of the Independence Trail was an old, abandoned miner's ditch, previously known as the Excelsior Canal. It was built to carry water from the South Yuba river to hydraulic mining sites in Smartsville, 25 miles downstream. When California outlawed hydraulic mining in 1884, the ditch was used for irrigation until 1967, when it was abandoned. In 1975, a docent of the Oakland Museum, John Olmsted, re-discovered the whole water system consisting of the ditch, the berm, where the ditch-tender walked, and the wooden flumes which bridged the ravines. He had the vision to recognize that this could be the answer to a friend's lifelong dream: "Please find me a level wilderness trail where I can reach out and touch the wildflowers from my wheel chair."

Outreach
Various educational programs are provided for the general public. Wildflower Walks are offered in Spring, as is a Nature Class/Docent Training Class, covering topics of the canyon forest environment. Volunteer docents lead guided walks for visiting groups, including schools, and represent Sequoya Challenge at community events. Other volunteer opportunities are many and varied.

Outreach

Various educational programs are provided for the general public. Wildflower Walks are offered in Spring, as is a Nature Class/Docent Training Class, covering topics of the canyon forest environment. Volunteer docents lead guided walks for visiting groups, including schools, and represent Sequoya Challenge at community events. Other volunteer opportunities are many and varied.

Contact information
Please call Sequoya Challenge at 530-477-4788 for contact phone numbers for trail information, group reservations, and trail work parties.

Contact information

Please call Sequoya Challenge at 530-477-4788 for contact phone numbers for trail information, group reservations, and trail work parties.