The Long Way
Calaveras County
A person in a protective suit stands in an underground river inside a cave.
Plate I. Limestone cavern, Natural Bridges Day Use Area. From usbr.gov
A person kayaking inside a scenic limestone cave with water.
Plate II. Limestone cavern, Natural Bridges Day Use Area. From gocalaveras.com
A river flows out of a dark cave surrounded by mossy rocks and vegetation.
Plate III. Limestone cavern, Natural Bridges Day Use Area. From gocalaveras.com
A view inside a cave with clear water reflecting the rock formations.
Plate IV. Limestone cavern, Natural Bridges Day Use Area. From naturalbridges.westerncaves.org

Natural Bridges Day Use Area Trailhead

Vallecito, Calaveras County, California. Day use only.

Details

Map. Vallecito, Calaveras County, California. Larger map
Where
4988 Parrotts Ferry Road, Vallecito, CA. Directions
When
Day use only: dawn until dusk daily.
Getting there
Parking for the trailhead is located on Parrotts Ferry Road approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Columbia.
Fees
$8.00 day use.
Access
Day use only, dawn until dusk daily. Parking along Parrotts Ferry Road is not allowed, and cars may be ticketed; limited parking. Dogs and bikes are not allowed.
Website
usbr.gov
Managed by
US Bureau of Reclamation, New Melones.

Moderate 0.7-mile trail leads to a unique series of limestone caves with Coyote Creek running through them, an outstanding but sensitive geologic resource at New Melones Lake; pets not permitted on the trail; vault toilets at the parking area, no drinking water.

Notable Events

  1. 1862Hutchings' guidebook placed the bridges on Coyote Creek about halfway between Vallecito and McLane's Ferry, with the entire water of the creek running beneath them. web.archive.org
  2. 2024The Western Cave Conservancy hosted an all-volunteer work weekend at the Natural Bridges to remove graffiti and clear trash, in collaboration with the Bureau of Reclamation's New Melones facility. naturalbridges.westerncaves.org

People

  • Matt Bowers, WCC Project Manager.
  • Neil Marchington, WCC Special Projects Director.
  • Steven Johnson, President, Western Cave Conservancy.
  • James M. Hutchings, author of Scenes of Wonder and Curiosity in California, which described the Natural Bridges (1862).

Sources

  1. gocalaveras.com/business/outdoor-recreation/natural-bridges
  2. usbr.gov/mp/ccao/newmelones/planning-visit/index.html
  3. usbr.gov/mp/ccao/newmelones/docs/maps/map-natural-bridges.pdf
  4. web.archive.org/web/2020/https://yosemite.ca.us/library/scenes_of_wonder_and_curiosity/calaveras_natural_bridges.html
  5. naturalbridges.westerncaves.org