California whitewater - Bear River, Northern Sierra Nevada, Nevada / Placer County Nevada / Placer county, Highway 174 Bridge to Lake Combie section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS II-V     11 miles   Whitewater rafting and kayaking in this state is often more difficult than elsewhere, so you'd better keep in mind that a lot of the rivers here are not suitable for beginners. The scenic beauty of Nevada / Placer County and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream beats anything. The starting location is a reasonable drive from Truckee-Grass Valley, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. Whitewater paddling here in the Northern Sierra Nevada is a great experience. You might have to settle for a hotel     a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. Since you're on this site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way in this general area you'll find lots of paddling spots. You can enjoy this stretch more if you take your time, so go ahead and pack your camp stove. Getting a good workout and just hanging out with mother nature have a lot of people coming here. There are campgrounds quite near the river where you can camp. This section of Bear River is 11 miles long and it is classified as a class II-V section by American Whitewater. Bear River doesn't have a lot of paddling stretches, the Highway 174 Bridge to Lake Combie stretch is the only one. Briefly about the general area: Bear River mostly gets a great deal   of precipitation; most of the rain falls through January, and July on the other hand is the driest. Summer brings highs in the 80's to Bear River while overnight lows are regularly in the 50's. The cold days of the winter come with highs in the 40's with winter lows in the 20's overnight here at Bear River. If you crave a little side visit, try Hidden Valley. Bear River, Highway 174 Bridge to Lake Combie road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: II-V Length: 11 miles    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 39.13119 Longitude: -120.95771 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 39.03409 Longitude: -121.0274 Paddler input for Bear River, California: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Bear River, Northern Sierra Nevada, California Local climate location: NEVADA CITY 4 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Golden Chain Resort Motel, Grass Valley 6 miles away The Golden Chain Resort Motel is a quiet, restful place. Nestled amongst the Ponderosa Pines at 2400 feet above sea level, we are located above the fog and below heavy snows, only 2.5 miles south of G... Golden Chain Grass Valley, Grass Valley 6 miles away The Golden Chain Resort Motel is a quiet, restful place. Nestled amongst the Ponderosa Pines at 2400 feet above sea level, we are located above the fog and below heavy snows, only 2.5 miles south of G... Stagecoach Motel, Grass Valley 8 miles away Located four blocks from scenic historic downtown Grass Valley in the heart of the gold country....   Northern Sierra Nevada Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Northern Sierra Nevada. Northern Sierra Nevada Outdoors Info Complete outdoors info for the Northern Sierra Nevada. All California Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in California. Books about whitewater paddling on Bear River, California List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Bear River, California. Find a whitewater outfitter in California Whitewater Basics If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info. Outdoors Recreation Near Truckee-Grass Valley, California Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Truckee-Grass Valley, California, the metro area neareast to Bear River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.       These outdoors activities are available near Bear River.   Whitewater Near Bear River: American River - North Fork, Placer County , 5 miles away, Class IV-V - 4.8 miles long (Colfax-Iowa Hill Road to Colfax-Foresthill Road Bridge) American River - North Fork, Placer County , 6 miles away, Class II-III - 5 miles long (Colfax-Foresthill Road Bridge to Ponderosa Way Bridge) American River - Middle Fork, Placer / El Dorado County , 8 miles away, Class I(II) - 7.1 miles long (former Greenwood Bridge to Mammoth Bar) American River - Middle Fork, Placer/El Dorado County , 9 miles away, Class II-IV(V+) - 17 miles long (Oxbow Bend to Drivers Flat Road) American River - North Fork, Placer County , 11 miles away, Class II - 3 miles long (Confluence with Middle Fork to Folsom Lake) American River - North Fork, Placer County , 11 miles away, Class IV-V - 14.5 miles long (Euchre Bar to Colfax-Iowa Hill Road) Yuba River - South Fork, Nevada County , 13 miles away, Class IV - 4 miles long (Edwards Crossing to Purdon Crossing) Yuba River - South Fork, Nevada County , 13 miles away, Class IV-V - 4 miles long (Purdon's Crossing to Route 49) Yuba River - South Fork, Nevada County , 15 miles away, Class IV-V - 7.2 miles long (Route 49 to Bridgeport) American River - South Fork, El Dorado County , 16 miles away, Class III+ - 15 miles long (Lotus Campground to Folsom Lake)   Ski Areas Near Bear River: Royal Gorge, California , 42 miles away, 1600 vertical feet Soda Springs, California , 44 miles away, 652 vertical feet Boreal, California , 46 miles away, 500 vertical feet Sugar Bowl, California , 47 miles away, 1500 vertical feet Donner Ski Ranch, California , 48 miles away, 750 vertical feet Alpine Meadows, California , 52 miles away, 1802 vertical feet Squaw Valley, California , 52 miles away, 2850 vertical feet Tahoe Donner, California , 53 miles away, 600 vertical feet Homewood, California , 57 miles away, 1650 vertical feet Granlibakken, California , 58 miles away, 300 vertical feet   Hotels Near Bear River: Golden Chain Resort Motel, Grass Valley , 6 miles away Golden Chain Grass Valley, Grass Valley , 6 miles away Stagecoach Motel, Grass Valley , 8 miles away Stage Coach Motel Grass Valley, Grass Valley , 8 miles away Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites GOLD MINERS INN-GRASS VALLEY, Grass Valley , 9 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Bear River: Bear River Campground, Colfax, 0 miles away Orchard Springs Resort, Colfax, 2 miles away Long Ravine Campground, Placer County, 5 miles away   Trails Near Bear River: South Yuba Trail, Nevada County , 14 miles away, 2.3 hiking miles, 929 feet elevation difference Green Valley Trail, Placer County , 15 miles away, 2.8 hiking miles, 2371 feet elevation difference Humbug Trail, Nevada County , 15 miles away,  4 hiking miles, 1041 feet elevation difference Euchre Bar Trail, Placer County , 18 miles away, 3.3 hiking miles, 1947 feet elevation difference American Eagle Trail, Placer County , 20 miles away,  1.8 hiking miles, 190 feet elevation difference   Golf Courses Near Bear River: Darkhorse Golf Club, Auburn , 5 miles away   Lakes Near Bear River