[57] Buttermilk Bend Trail

[We are trying to make our way through our book 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Sacramento.]Today we started with a real winner: Buttermilk Bend Trail in Penn Valley along the South Yuba River in the South Yuba SP. Besides being a beautiful day, the trail was just right for everyone. It skirted the river (for much of it next to a fairly steep drop off) for about a mile and one-half with gorgeous views, it was relatively level, and just long enough for us to get to the end and have a sense of accomplishment when we finished. Oliver's trail name is "The Anchor" because he can hike painfully slow and he "hates" hiking so finding the right combination can be tricky. Lola on the other hand loves hiking so far. Her tentative trail name is Lizzy because she likes to scramble around like a lizard. Julie and I are still working on our nicknames. The drive was just the right length for how long the kids like to be in the car, which is not long.It's definitely a place we'd go back and do again. There is another trail close by (#58 Point Defiance Loop), the Kneebone Cemetery, and a Visitor Center for the Bridgeport Bridge, the longest single-span covered bridge in America built in 1862. (You can see a picture in our gallery, but it was only open Thursday-Sunday.)Pictures here.