Yuba State Park

See the Yuba State Park web page for more information.

Yuba Reservoir, originally named Sevier Bridge Reservoir, was built to store water from the Sevier River for agriculture and industrial uses. Recreation quickly became an important factor and today the area is very popular for boating, camping, fishing and other activities. Warm summer water temperatures, good fishing, sandy beaches and nearby ATV areas attract visitors year-round.

Construction on the dam started in 1902 and was completed in 1917. Yuba was designated a recreational area in 1969.

Two boat ramps, one at Yuba State Park and one at Painted Rocks, provide access for all types of watercraft. The reservoir is a year-round fishery for walleye, perch, catfish, rainbow trout and northern pike. Other activities include hiking, picnicking, rock hounding, bird watching, interpretive and junior ranger programs, mountain biking, waterfowl hunting in season, and off-highway vehicle riding nearby.

Camping is popular here and the state park offers a variety of options. Oasis Campground is fully-developed, with modern restrooms and showers. More primitive camping areas, still offering restrooms, can be found at Painted Rocks and along the North and West beaches. Eagle View is a boat-in only campground.

The Sevier River corridor has long been an important area for human activity. Ancient Native Americans left stone tools, broken pottery, rock art and other traces of their cultures in the area. Rock art can be viewed by boat just north of the Painted Rocks boat ramp.

More recent ranching and mining activity is also evident.

If you discover archaeological or historic artifacts, please leave them alone and notify State Park or BLM officials.

Fathers Dominguez and Escalante left Santa Fe, New Mexico, in July 1776 to find an overland route to Monterey, California. Their well-documented exploration took them through this area in September, 1776, where they taught Native Americans about Christianity. Modern historic markers depicting the route are located north of the reservoir.