Quick Facts:
- 15-acre public park along the South Fork Yuba River
- Protected in 2004 in partnership with Placer County, Emigrant Trails Greenway Trust, and the Gould Family
Riparian Park and Roadside Respite
The property lies along both sides of the South Fork Yuba River at the Cisco Grove exit of Interstate 80. The property has been permanently protected as a nature preserve including the one-acre “Cisco Grove Gould Park” to provide tourists with a pleasant spot to enjoy the beautiful Sierra scenery.
High Sierra Habitat
The property consists of montane riparian habitat along the South Fork Yuba River, within a coniferous forest of yellow pines, Ponderosa pines, and cottonwoods. There is a small area of freshwater emergent wetlands near the river.
Placer County Heritage
The park is named after the Gould family who owned the property for several generations. In the 1860s, the property was purchased by pioneer James Gould from the “Big Four” of Old California: Leland Stanford, Charles Crocker, Mark Hopkins and Collis Huntington.
James Gould named the settlement of Cisco Grove after a large grove of cottonwood trees on the Gould property. In the 1930s, Auburn builder Les Hammond was commissioned to build several structures on the site for the Goulds. Two stone cabins are all that remain, and these cabins will also be protected as part of the Cisco Grove Gould Park.
