Placer County Public Works has recently informed American Whitewater that planned walk-in access to Yankee Jim’s Bridge for paddling the Ponderosa/Shirttail section of the North Fork American will not be available for the 2026 paddling season or may not occur until very late in the spring. Several factors have contributed to the delay of access. Recent storms have caused soil saturation that is hampering contractors’ ability to complete earthmoving work without erosion or water quality impacts. This same soil saturation has caused road failures in a couple of places on Yankee Jim’s Road that have required repair before work can be completed. Curiosity about the project status has led many individuals to disregard road closures and, in some cases, even vandalize closure gates and equipment. In one instance a semi-truck disregarded the closure and required extensive recovery activity while hampering contractors’ ability to work. There is still significant earthmoving and blasting activity that needs to be completed before a safe path to the river will exist.

As a reminder, this project will add an additional bridge over the North Fork American River that is rated to modern traffic standards and also new parking, restroom, and river access facilities. It is scheduled to be completed in approximately 2027 but American Whitewater advocated not just for improved river access facilities but also interim walk-in access so that the Class 2/3 community isn’t blocked from the North Fork American for the entire construction period. This access will be from the Foresthill side of the river and will not have riverside parking so paddlers running Chamberlain Falls are advised to continue paddling down to Ponderosa Way until the road reopens. Any additional updates will be posted to the American Whitewater river page for that section and may also be posted to the Placer County project website.