Yuba Sutter Location Guide
So you are booking a photo session in the Yuba or Sutter county area? There is a range of wonderful locations in this area, and this guide will share example photos and all of the pros and cons of each location to help you make a great choice! Some locations are beautiful year round and others are best enjoyed during specific times of year.
Hammon Grove Park in Brown’s Valley
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Forrested areas, logs and rocks
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A beautiful river area great for sunsets
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Flat paths, stroller access, portapotty
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Spring: Seasonal Wildflowers
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Summer/Fall: Seasonal Bridge
Category: Wild Nature Area by the River
Where: Brown’s Valley
When: Year Round
Bathroom: Yes (Portapotty)
Hammon Grove is beautiful year round and is probably my favorite photo location in the area for its beauty, variety and accessibility. It is great for all ages and all kinds of photo sessions. One hour sessions can best utilize all that the entire park has to offer but 30 minute sessions offer great portions of the park.
Pros: It is easily accessible by all ages and is both the prettiest, safest and least busy park in the entire area. If you are looking for wild and natural, this is the park for you, with its beautiful river access and huge wooded area.
Cons: Hammon Grove does get poison oak off trail in spring and summer, as is typical for wild areas in California. I’ve never seen a snake, but these are also a possibility.
Feather River Parkway in Yuba City
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Shaded Forested and Grassy Areas
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Sandy River Access
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Flowers in April/May
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Bathroom + ADA Friendly
Category: Public Park by the River
Where: Yuba City
When: Year Round
Bathroom: Yes
Truthfully, Feather River Parkway has some of the most beautiful light out of any location in the area due to the way the sun filters through the trees. It gets great flowers in the spring and the river access provides for some of the coolest conditions for hot summer or fall days. Expect temperatures to feel up to 10-20 degrees cooler when it is hot! It is also the only place in the area where you can safely get into the water for some photos, though swimming is not advised.
Pros: It is easily accessible by all ages and is one of the only local locations with a bathroom. The light in the trees is amazing and the river access provides interesting variety for photos. This is my favorite location to photograph at in April as the flowers and greenery are absolutely amazing at this time.
Cons: This is a public park so it gets busier than most other local photo locations, which can also unfortunately sometimes include people who are partying or occasional homeless. I’ve never had a safety concern here, but do overall consider my other photo locations safer simply because there are less people. This park also has a lot of Cottonwood trees which release a lot of cotton into the air in June and July, which is annoying at best and can be inhaled at worst. I tend to avoid this park in June/July for this reason.
Maryville Library and Downtown
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Beautiful brick walls and stairs
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Urban Feel - Historical Buildings
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Interesting Architecture and Rain Protection
Category: Urban/Historical Look
Where: Marysville Downtown
When: Year Round
Bathroom? Yes
Marysville Downtown has beautiful historical brick buildings that have a classic feel.
Pros: Interesting architecture and the library awning offers great protection in case of rain. Easy parking. ADA Accessible
Cons: It’s a lot of red brick everywhere, and doesn’t necessarily offer the most variety in looks compared to other locations. There can be local homeless population in the area, though generally not in actual photo locations.
Ellis Lake in Marysville
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Beautiful stone bridges lead to islands
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Scenic lake and sunset reflections
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Beautiful Gazebo and Rain Protection
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Beautiful trees. Stroller Accessible
Category: Lake / Manmade Natural Beauty
Where: Marysville
When: December to April
Bathroom? No
Ellis Lake has a beautiful lake, several scenic bridges leading to different islands, and a gazebo.
Pros: Easy parking, beautiful lake reflections, great for cloudy weather or if it might rain.
Cons: There can be goose poop to avoid. The banks down to the lake are also quite steep and toddlers would have to be watched carefully.
Wildflower Field in Live Oak
Where: Live Oak
When: February and March
Do you love wildflowers? This is the perfect spot to frolic in a green meadow with flowers while also having the scenic Sutter Buttes in the background. These flowers only last from early February to mid March.
Seasonal Local Options
Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm
Where: Wheatland
When: September and October
Come for the photo session, stay for the amazing activities and themepark adventures. This location is the perfect spot for fall themed photos, especially since we don’t actually get fall colored leaves in this area until December! September is the absolutely best month for these photos. October is good too, but be prepared to spend an extra $20 on parking and navigate the crowds.
McBurney’s Christmas Tree Farm
Where: Grass Valley
When: October and November
McBurney’s is the most beautiful Christmas Tree Farm in the Greater Sacramento Area. Perfect for Christmas Cards! Photo Sessions are only allowed before Thanksgiving, so get them early with enough time to send out your Christmas Cards
Locations with Farther Drives
Don’t feel that you have to be restricted to the Yuba and Sutter area! If you are willing to drive a bit further, there are plenty of additional photo locations in the area. The following locations are within a 45-60 minute drive from Yuba City and might be closer or farther for others depending on where you live in the area.
Bywater Hollow Lavender Farm
Where: Lincoln, CA
When: Year Round
This venue is probably the most beautiful in the area with two lakes and gorgeous fields and trees. They have almond blossoms in the spring, lavender fields in the summer and beautiful leaves that turn colors early in the fall. It does come with an additional $50 venue fee paid to the farm directly, and the client has to schedule the time in order to also sign the venue’s liability waiver (an easy process I will help you with)
Adam Baquera Park
Where: Roseville
When: Year Round
A beautiful wildlife area behind Adam Baquera Park is an amazing photo session spot. It features a beautiful bridge with soft lighting, a swing, and lots of meadow and downed tree stumps. It also has a seasonal pond in the spring.
North Natomas Regional Park
Where: Natomas
When: Year Round
This park features a beautiful lake as well as interesting bridge, long grasses and shrubbery. In the summer it has beautiful long grasses and the lake is great at sunset or on cloudy days.
