Big Bar Launch

This park is right off Highway 49 tucked down Big Bar Road. I call it a park but not the kind with a green lawn l, picnic tables, and playground. It is a day use area along the North Fork Mokelumne River in Valley Springs, CA. Another thing to note is the place is called Big Bar Launch but it is not a boat launch. Parking and use are free. There is a bathroom but I sure as heck did not use it. It is a pit vault with no sink or any source of potable water, so it is probably a good idea bring your own sanitizer if you must use the restroom. Access to the river is a short distance. The access is rocky and there is no beach like areas. Swimming is not recommended, the river currents are swift. I saw skilled rafters and kayakers on the water. When I say skilled, they were rigged up with professional gear not a $1.25 floaty. In the summer, it is hot out there with not a lot of shade along the water. There is an area that has calmer water like a creek near the bridge. I didn't stay long after a large family left, that area was a bit too remote and filled with shrubbery. I stayed more towards the river next to the parking lot. It was open and visible with more folks.