The area south, east and north is heavily with evergreens such as Ponderosa pine, Douglas Fir, and Incense Cedar. The western portion is populated with Manzanita trees, which seldom grow to a height above 15 to 20 feet, and oak, heavy brush and shrubs. In the fall, the many sugar maples along Highways 20 and 49 are ablaze in orange, yellow, and red. The maples are generally not found above 3,000 feet, since many of them were planted by settlers. Several large reservoirs can be found east of Grass Valley, particularly Scott's Flat Reservoir.
Deer Creek is a pretty and fairly good sized creek that run all year round.
It wanders all around the Nevada City area. At one time it was the scene of prospectors looking for gold. The spectacular Yuba River is nearby Nevada City, and offers many opportunties to kayak, fish, and look for wild flowers in the spring. The two cities present a fairly diverse relgious, political, and social content. Much of the work force is focused on building.