One of the joys of living in - or visiting - Nevada County are the four distinct seasons here. If you’re considering a visit in summer, fall, winter, or spring, they’re all seasons to celebrate.

Whether you prefer snow with holiday celebrations or warm days for mountain biking, each season offers its own unique blend of glorious weather and community activities. Here are some of Nevada County’s seasonal diversions:


Summer

Although it can be almost hot in the summertime, most days are in the 70s and 80s and offer cool nights, so Nevada County is a great escape from the heat of the valley below. It’s often 10 degrees cooler here than in Sacramento, 60 miles to the southwest.

On hot summer days when the No. 1 concern is staying cool, a great escape is the South Yuba River. Considered a state wild and scenic river, with its hiking trails, clear bubbling waters, deep pools and big rocks perfect for sunning, it becomes a local gathering place for adults and children alike. The whitewater rafting and kayaking season runs from spring through much of summer on the South Yuba and other area rivers.

Scotts Flat Lake, seven miles east of Nevada City, and Rollins Lake, nine miles south of Grass Valley, are very popular for swimming, fishing, camping, picnicking, boating, water-skiing and other
recreational pursuits.

For hikers and mountain bikers, there are a number of trails around Grass Valley and Nevada City. For high country exploration, the Grouse Ridge Lakes Basin off Highway 20 east offers spectacular terrain, lakes and streams.



Autumn

Everyone knows New England is wonderful for its fall colors, but
Nevada County is becoming the California mecca for those enchanted with fall color. In early to mid-October, Mother Nature pulls out her paintbrush for the annual display. The warm days and cool nights of autumn give Grass Valley and Nevada City some of California’s best fall colors - indeed, certain trees and streets can almost take your breath away. Some visitors come to Nevada County as a fall color destination.

Many of the best fall colors are found in the residential neighborhoods surrounding the downtown historic districts where century-old maples still stand in colorful testimony to the early settlers who planted them.

Winter

The woodstove and woolen sock season brings freezing and near-freezing temperatures to the hardy residents of Nevada County. Snow is infrequent below 3,000 feet, rain is often intense, with an average of 55 inches of precipitation per year in Nevada City.
When it’s not raining, it’s usually sunny, with deep blue skies, invigorating temperatures and very little wind. Winter temperatures bring the anticipation of the holiday season, richly celebrated in both towns. Nevada City has a Victorian Christmas celebration on Wednesday nights and Grass Valley celebrates Cornish Christmas on Friday nights.

Locals head up scenic State Route 20 for some of California’s best alpine and cross-country skiing and snowboarding, snowmobiling and other winter sports.

Donner Summit, a 45-minute drive, features five ski resorts, including widely-known Sugar Bowl and Royal Gorge. Another 15-30 minutes drive is the Truckee-Lake Tahoe area and a dozen resort choices including Alpine Meadows, Northstar and Squaw Valley USA, site of the 1960 Winter Olympics.


Spring

Driving along the Golden Center Freeway in the spring you are greeted with a riot of brilliant yellow as giant clusters of daffodils line both sides of the road. That, and the redbud bushes that bloom bright crimson are the early signs of spring in Nevada County.

Wildflowers abound. A most popular wildflower hike is along the Buttermilk Bend Trail, which goes upstream from the Bridgeport bridge in South Yuba River State Park. Early April is a good time for lower elevation wildflowers while the high mountain varieties often peak in June.

Rose lovers should visit Empire Mine State Historic Park in Grass Valley where more than 100 varieties of rose bushes, some very old, provide beautiful sights and scents. May is a perfect time to view the rose gardens, which have a guide to each variety at the front of the
gardens.