North Star is a small locality in northern California’s Yuba County that sits at an elevation of 4,000 feet, nestled between the Tahoe National Forest and the Plumas National Forest in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The area is home to a variety of mountain-top pine tree forests, where freshwater creeks flow into dramatic, cliffside waterfalls. Within a short drive, reservoir lakes like the Little Grass Valley Reservoir attract visitors looking to bring their kayaks and canoes for tranquil paddles amongst the secluded mountains.

The Yuba County area encompassing North Star was one of California’s first established counties in the mid-1800s, when prospectors flocked here during the height of the Gold Rush. To the east of town, the Underground Gold Miners Museum helps tell the area’s rich mining history, as well as the stories of miners who lived and worked here.

Overall, the North Star area experiences dry weather all year round. Summers are hot and sunny, but you can cool off at a local swimming spot at this time of year at one of the dozens of nearby reservoirs. Winter is cold, but snow is rare. Fall is cool and comfortable, and the Sierra Nevada Mountain foliage turns from deep green to shades of rich red and gold. You can see the fall foliage in full effect from the Camel Peak lookout point in the Plumas National Forest. Spring days are warm, but things cool off at night. Seasonal wildflowers including honeysuckle and purple California lilacs thrive along the Yuba Rim Trail at this time of year.

Sly Creek Reservoir

Sitting at more than 3,500 feet of elevation, Sly Creek Reservoir draws visitors on warm days to kayak and paddle through its sparkling blue lake waters. The reservoir is surrounded by enormous maple trees, showing off their deep green foliage during summer, winter, and spring, and shedding its green leaves for red and yellow in the fall.

North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve

The 2.5-mile Phantom Falls hike across Table Mountain passes by small waterfalls and sprawling meadows of yellow California poppies. From the reserve’s parking lot, you can follow the unmarked trail at the entrance and continue until you reach the final waterfall and scenic outlook at the end of the trail, the 135-foot Phantom Falls. The water flows between a crevice of North Table Mountain’s flat-top mesa, and in spring, hundreds of colorful wildflowers cover the mesa above the cascading falls.

Plumas-Eureka State Park

Plumas-Eureka State Park sits on 4,500 acres of northern California forest, home to a variety of pine trees amid the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The park houses relics from California’s Gold Rush era with historic blacksmith workshops and a gold mining museum. You can watch live blacksmith demonstrations using tools from the 1800s and learn about the mining process that drew in thousands of new settlers to this area at the height of America’s Gold Rush.