South Yuba River - Highway 49 to Lemke's Lagoon

After yesterday’s (or perhaps I should say last night’s) ordeal, Cade and I decided to take it easy today and go to the South Yuba River, which is only a 30-minute drive from where we are staying near Grass Valley. After compiling a rather long list of California swimming holes prior to the trip and narrowing it down to the juiciest-looking selections, the South Yuba River was one of my top three most wanted swimming holes (the other two being Candy Rock and God’s Bath, which we plan to hit later in the week). Specifically, we were interested in the section from where the South Yuba River crosses under Highway 49 to about two miles upstream. The main attraction for us was a large pool that Swimming Holes of California author Timothy Joyce refers to as “Lemke’s Lagoon”. Other points of interest included Hoyt’s Crossing, a pool that Joyce refers to as “Cathedral”, and the swimming hole under the old Highway 49 bridge.

Cade and I slept in this morning after our exhausting ordeal last night. After stopping for breakfast, we arrived at the bridge at about a quarter till 1 PM. The parking lot was full, and we had to park along the road.

( Click here for the full trip report with pictures and videos. )

In summary, I would say that the section of South Yuba River we explored today, particularly Lemke’s Lagoon, has been the best all-around swimming hole so far this trip. I would still say that the North Fork American River yesterday has been the most spectacular so far from an aesthetic standpoint, and while Lemke’s Lagoon doesn’t have a majestic waterfall or quite as epic of a backdrop, it is much more hospitable for swimming while offering many of the same “functional” elements (warm flat rocks, quality jumping opportunities, clear water for snorkeling) and enough visual appeal to boost itself into being top-shelf swimming hole material. I definitely made no mistakes placing this one in my top three must-see swimming holes for this trip.