Black Swan Trail

The Black Swan Trail is a 2 mile trail that circles the Black Swan Preserve, taking hikers past a small lake and oak lined hillside.

Overseen by the Bear Yuba Land Trust, the preserve is open to hikers and non motorized bicyles, offering pond access and climbing to views overlooking the wetlands and the neighboring rolling hillsides.

It should be noted that the low section of this trail tends to flood completely due to beaver activity. While the land trust says that hikers with rubber boots may be able to cross the flooded section, hikers have reported not knowing where the trail continues. As such, it may be best to look into conditions first or avoid this trail until well into the dry season. If hiking in a counterclockwise direction, flooding occurs about 4/10 mile into the hike, so hikers might opt to hike this direction rather than possibly walking a mile and a half only to see that you'll need to turn around.

The low section of the trial offers several flat areas at the edge of the pond, where you might observe people wading or accessing the pond to paddle in. 

After circling the pond, the trail then begins to climb, eventually passing over the cliffface visible along the edge of the pond. This oak lined single track straddles the county line between Yuba and Nevada counties, before leveling out to a higher climb with views across the surrounding hillsides.

The single track then begins descending back to a gate, completing the loop just inside the trailhead.

There are no amenities of any kind at the parking area or along the hike. Hikers should beware of poison oak along the trail.