Welcome to Bear River

The Bear River is a 19.3-mile-long river in the Sierra Nevada in California. It is a tributary of the Mokelumne River. The river and its watershed are entirely in El Dorado National Forest. The river begins as two forks several miles south of Kirkwood.

The forks travel roughly southwest and merge just before the river enters Upper Bear Reservoir. Immediately downstream of the reservoir is Lower Bear Reservoir. Below the reservoir, the river continues southwest until it meets the Mokelumne River. The reservoirs on the Bear River are owned by Pacific Gas and Electric Company as part of the Mokelumne Hydroelectric Project.

Exciting high adventure opportunities for exploring, boating, camping, hiking, watersports, weekend retreats and more.

Amador Adventure Tour Guides - Bear River
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Amador County (Pop 38,500) bills itself as "The Heart of the Mother Lode" and lies within California Gold Country. There is a substantial wine-growing industry in the county. In 1848, Jose Maria Amador, with several Native Americans, established a successful gold mining camp near the present town of Amador City.

The area is famous for the mineral deposits and gold mines that attracted waves of immigrants, known as the 49ers, during the 1849 California Gold Rush.