By:
Submission
The Harvey West Cabin is located on the Silver Fork of the American River. The cabin is easily access from Silver Fork Road. The cabin has beds for 12 and can accommodate an additional eight on the floor or on the large front deck. Harvey West Cabin provides a cozy mountain cabin getaway experience while also providing a few modern conveniences. The Harvey West Cabin was constructed in the early 1930s by the Sacramento Box and Lumber Company. The building was used as an office and recreational facility until it was purchased in 1936 by Harvey West. West, a prominent local businessman and philanthropist, used the cabin as a summer retreat for his famiy until the early 1970s.
Fishing for brown and rainbow trout is a popular activity on the river. Other pleasant pastimes include bird watching, hiking and wading in the river. The walking distance China Flat Day Use Area offers picnic tables and a beach on the riverbank.
The 2,000 sq. ft.two level cabin has a large, open great room, kitchen, two downstairs bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, and two large lofts that overlook the great room. The cabin has beds for 12 (one queen, two double, four sinlge, two cots) and can accommodate an additional 8 on the floor of the great room or on the large deck that overlooks the river. The cabin contains a dining table and chairs, two couches, and other assorted furniture. The cabin has two flush toilets and hot and cold running water in the kitchen, bathrooms, and shower. There is a limited assortment of pots, pans, dishes, utensils, cookware, and other kitchen items. The kitchen provides a propane stove/oven and propane refrigerator. No open flames, backpacking or Coleman type cooking stoves are permitted inside the cabin. The cabin does not have electricity. Propane lanterns are placed throughout the cabin but guests are encouraged to bring their own flashlights. The great room contains a propane heating stove and large stone fireplace. Firewood is not provided. Guests are required to bring their own food (in sealed containers) toilet paper, sunscreen, matches, clothing, towels, bedding, and any other items they will need for their stay. Limited cleaning supplies are provided. Guests are requred to bring their own trash bags and to remove all trash when they leave.
The cabin sits among Ponderosa pine and cedar trees along the Silver Fork of the South Fork American River, at an elevation of 4,720 feet. The region's climate is similar to that of the Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cold, wet winters.
The town of Kyburz is 2 miles away and has limited services.
From Highway 50: Go approximately 32 miles east of Placerville or 25 miles west of South Lake Tahoe. Turn south on to Silver Fork Road 11N40. Travel approximately 2 miles on Silver Fork Road. Turn right into the China Flat Day Use parking area approximately 300' feet past the China Flat Campground entrance. The Harvey West Cabin is located on the other side of the Silverfork American River. The combination for the bridge and the cabin will be given to you when you pick up your permit at the Placerville Ranger Station. The Placerville Ranger Station is on Highway 50 in Camino (8 miles east of Placerville). Take Exit 54 and go south on Eight Mile Road. The Ranger Station is the first driveway on your right.
This park is very accommodating if you reserve your picnic area. My kids, 11-17 yrs old love this park
I visited the park to see the old train engine. The engine was pretty beat up, but still worth seeing. Unlike many such engines in which they are often behind odious chain linked fences and unattractive backdrops, this one had an low lying, unobtrusive wooden fence against a backdrop of trees. There is a replica old west mercantile on park grounds and the Evergreen Cemetery across from the park to see if you're into such things.
Santa Cruz has many parks with natural beauty and stuff and those are great, but this park is pure function. It has all of the facilities that are expected of a large city park, like sports fields where little league and low level professional games are played, large picnic table areas that can be rented for parties, and a public pool. There are a few fun things to do that aren't connected to the facilities, like hiking in the Pogonip trails that connect to the back of the park and climbing on the old steam locomotive that says "no climbing", but if you're going here, it's probably because you have something scheduled here
Currently camping here for the night for AIDS/LifeCycle. This park is beautiful and spacious with lots of tables and chairs nestled between tall giant gorgeous trees. It rains most of the morning but luckily the sky cleared and we got some sunshine. Even with all the rain, and about 3000 attendees, the ground was not muddy and icky. Thanks for letting us rest here for the night!
Awesome park that has lots of room to spread out in and on. The grass is green, the trees are tall, the shade is right and the air is fresh! Come foe a lazy play date with your dog on the trails, let's the kids scream with playful excitement or just read a book and listen to your surroundings. Tucked next to Costco and Highway 1, you can't go wrong if your an out of towner looking to see a new side of quiet and quaint. But a hidden mystery lives in the Cemetery that blows your mind if you dare stumble in and read the stones...interesting!
