Tourists began to visit the high country with the advent of the automobile in the early 20th century and a number of camps and resorts were established along the river including the Douglas Resort ( Douglas Station ) in 1920 , and the Dardanelle Resort in 1923 at the confluence of Eagle Creek and the Stanislaus River . The Dardanelle resort remained operational until 2018 . The new Dardanelle Bridge was built in 1933 to replace an older span constructed in 1864 and provide better access to the tourist areas . This bridge was believed to be the last known timber scissors truss in the United States . Both the resort and the bridge were destroyed in the 2018 Donnell Fire . There was also extensive logging done throughout the foothill area of the Stanislaus watershed , and several narrow gauge railroads penetrated into the foothills , including the Sugar Pine Railway or Strawberry Branch , which followed the Stanislaus ' South Fork . Another line , the Sierra Railway 's Angels Branch , connected Jamestown to Angels Camp and required a series of switchbacks to traverse the deep canyon of the Stanislaus River , an area now flooded by New Melones Lake
Donnell Fire
Donnell Fire
Stanislaus River