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Gold Country Getaways
Scenic Sierra Towns & Highways

Wine Tasting in the Sierra Foothills
Flourishing in microclimates of the Gold Country, the wineries of the Sierras Foothills, clustered like fresh fruit on the vine, are ready to be sampled and savored.   Over 100 years ago mining towns instantly sprang up with populations as high as 15,000 and winemaking became part of early Gold Country heritage.  Today numbers of vineyards are firmly established and only an hour drive from Sacramento or Stockton--California's first Wine Country!   Winery locations in the Gold Country counties are quite often marked with roadsigns.  

Amador County
Heart of the Mother Lode, sweeps from the rolling foothills to the towering Sierra Nevada Mountains with elevations ranging from 200 to 9,000 feet above sea level. 

Amador City   Historic District & Landmarks,  Restaurants, Antique/Specialty Shops   • A mining center in 1848.  Smallest incorporated town in the State and settled in 1851, 24 existing buildings in their original state may be seen on an historic walking tour.    • Mine House Inn built in 1867 as headquarters for the Keystone Mine, now an historic Bed and Breakfast (800/MINE-HSE).  • Imperial Hotel, originally built as a mercantile store, opened as an hotel in 1879.  Careful restoration with six individually decorated rooms, bar and elegant dining room service welcome guests today.  • Keystone Mine (1853), south edge of town.

Drytown  Historic Sites, Motel, Cafe, Antique Shops  • Old mining town which began in 1848 was nearly destroyed by fire in 1857.  Two old buildings still stand, an old store and the Town Hall.  Some of the old mines have reopened and are being mined today.    • 1871 Drytown Schoolhouse, now the Community Hall.

Daffodil Hill   Historic Building/Site, Beautiful Vista  • An aging, private historic ranch most of the year, Daffodil Hill  becomes “Gold in Bloom” each Spring with over 300,000 bulbs and 300 varieties in a 4 acre garden that began with plantings in 1887.  The ranch is open to the public when flowers are in bloom from the end of March through the first three weeks of April.  The ranch has been owned by the same family since 1887 and is located on the old Amador-Nevada Wagon Road (Hwy. 88).
 
Fiddletown  Historic buildings, General Store, Park.   First settled in 1849 by a party of Missourians,  and aptly named since they were “always fiddling”,  This picturesque village’s name was immortalized in Bret Harte’s story, “An Episode of Fiddletown.”   “Chew Kee”, a Chinese rammed earth structure built  in the 1850’s, was an herb and medicinal shop during the Gold Rush.  Intact as museum of Chinese relics and artifacts  • Puriton Home, Main St.  • The Forge  • The Old Chinese Gambling House  • The General Store (1850) is still in operation.

Ione  Historic Buildings, Nearby Recreation Areas  • Fertile Ione Valley with numerous vintage homes, churches, and stores.
Lake Camanche   The generous fish stocking program enables the angler, with or without a boat, year-round fishing for trout, catfish, blackbass, crappie and perch. Boat rentals, berthing, and boat ramps are available form either side of this lake, dotted with islands where boat fishers may pull up and try bottom fishing successfully if they find trolling on the slow side.   Stocked trout pond, boating, fishing, swimming, picnicking, hiking, riding, camping.  209/763-5178.

Jackson  Historic buildings, Restaurants, Lodging, Antiques. 
Amador County seat, Jackson is rich in old buildings reminiscent of the Gold Rush camp of 1848 with over 20 vintage homes visible on a walking tour.  • The National Hotel, State’s oldest hostelry (1862), tavern & restaurant.  • The Old Wells Fargo Building 

Martell  Historic Sites, Forest Products  • Mammoth Kennedy Tailing Wheels used to move mining tailings can be viewed at Kennedy Wheels Park.  Picnic facilities.  • Lumber Mill Tours by appointment, 209/223-1660.  Amador County Museum, an 1859 vintage home, shows Mother Lode memorabilia, operating Kennedy Wheels.  Open Wed. - Sun. 10 - 4.  225 Church Street.  209/223-6386.
 
Pine Grove  Historic Buildings, Camping, Recreation, Lodging
• Pine Grove Hotel originally built as stage stop.  Indian Grinding Rock State Park  14881 Pine Grove/Volcano Rd.   Pine Grove  209/296-7488  • 135 acres of trails, reconstructed village of the Northern Miwok, and Chaw se Regional Indian Museum.  Museum hours are: 11-3 Mon-Fri; 10-4 Sat-Sun.  Chaw’se is the native name for the mortar holes in the adjacent limestone outcropping.  It is covered with 363 petroglyphs.  Nun ge (roundhouse) constructed recently at site is used for meetings and religious activities.  Camping available year round, subject to closure during heavy snowfall. 

Pioneer   Historic Area, Recreation Area  • Cedar Pencil capital and first of several stage stops leading to El Dorado National Forest.  • Mace Meadows Golf Course • Cook’s Station
 
Plymouth  Historic Sites, Restaurants, Lodging, Wineries  • This old mining town was located along the stage route to Sacramento.  Plymouth’s rich quartz lodes drew many miners, it remains a busy town today.  • Amador Foothill Winery features Sangiovese and Semillon wines.  • Site of Amador County Fair.  Hwy 49.  • Plymouth Consolidated Mine • Ming’s Store (1880)  • I.O.O.F. Hall (1877)  • Historic D’Agostini Winery (1856)  10am-5pm Daily except national holidays.  • River Pines, an historic summer resort • Shenandoah Valley Museum at Sobon Estate Winery displays farm furniture and kitchen artifacts, wagon, early spinning tools.
   
Sutter Creek    Historic Buildings, Inns, Restaurants, Antique Shops  • John A. Sutter was the first to mine this locality in 1848.  Quartz gold was discovered here in 1851, and the Central Eureka mine became the best paying mine of the Mother Lode.  It remains a thriving mining town.  Walking tours and day trips visit over 60 historical places of interest • Masonic Hall  • John Keyes Building  • Alovinza Hayward Office Building 

Knight's Foundry the only water-powered foundry operating in the U.S. since 1873.  For tour information contact The Knight Foundry, P.O. Box 158; 81 Eureka Street, Sutter Creek, CA  95685, 209/267-5543.

Silver Lake  50 miles east of Jackson and 45 miles south of Lake Tahoe on Hwy 88.  Kit Carson Lodge offers Accommodations, Fine Dining, General Store, Art Gallery and Recreation.
 
Volcano   Historic Sites & Buildings, • Located at the bottom of a deep cup in the mountains, Volcano was famous for its many saloons, dance halls and churches.  Today this flavor of the Gold Rush is retained.  Rich hydraulic mining district and  large mining settlement in the Gold Rush Era. • Volcano Theatre Co. productions at the Cobblestone Theatre, an historic 1857 stone building.  • St. George Hotel, a National Historic Registry Place, built in 1862 was tallest and most elegant hotel existing in the Mother Lode.  • Stone Brewery, 1856.   • Masonic Temple  • Cobblestone Theatre  Main St.  209/296-4696

El Dorado County
Sutter's Mill Coloma
  Historic District, Shops, Hiking Trails, South Fork American River Access, Rafting,  Walking Tours, Picnic Areas, Hot Air Ballooning  • In 1847 James Marshall built a sawmill to supply John Sutter with lumber for his new agricultural empire projects.  It was here at Coloma that Marshall discovered gold on January 24, 1848.  The gold discovery site, old mill, artifacts and exhibits may be seen • Sutter’s Sawmill.  49er Gold Rush beginnings may be traced back and relived at the museum and sites of the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park in Coloma.  The 240-acre park offers Gold Panning and Living History events, Shops, Whitewater Rafting, Hiking Trails and So. Fork American River Access.  Here, in 1847 James Marshall built a sawmill to supply John Sutter with lumber for his new agricultural empire projects.  It was his discovery on January 24, 1848 that catapulted the “Golden State” to fame and vast fortunes, creating a Gold Rush 150 years ago, and a new era of prosperity altering the economy of the entire world!
 
Gold Country Whitewater
  The foothills of the Gold Country offer some of the best rafting runs in the West, and 1995’s snowpack and rainfall makes it an exceptional year for river trips. Available trips ensure something for everyone from float trips for young children, exciting runs for the first-timer, to radical whitewater requiring professional guides, previous experience and good physical abilities.  This year will highlight free flowing rivers through July and perhaps longer along with dam controlled rivers that have raftable flows through the summer:  The scenic North Fork Yuba, North Fork American and Merced for the first-timer or previous paddler, the North Fork Yuba with 18 miles of Class 5 whitewater for the more experienced, the South Fork American’s Class 3 runs suitable for youths and first-timers.  Trips should also be available on the Class 3 Main Stanislaus or “Camp 9” run.  The Middle Fork American river with 17-23 miles of near wilderness Class 2-4 whitewater running through a State Recreation Area can be rafted in one day or longer  with side trips, fishing and camping.  A mellow 7 mile section of this river is available for those with very young children or the less active adult.

Nevada County Getaway
Rich in historical memorabilia and ‘Old West’ hospitality, Nevada City and Grass Valley capture the essence of the legendary Gold Rush towns.  Once named “Deer Creek Dry Diggins” by its original settlers, the rich rewards established the town as the “Queen City of the Northern Mines”.  Nevada City has many restored buildings, interesting shops, carriage rides and local wineries.   In Grass Valley, hard rock mining became the most lucrative process after gold in quartz was discovered at Gold Hill in 1850. Empire Mine State Historic Park  Tours & Living History events • Exhibits, Bourn Cottage (1897) • 900 acres of  mining sites, buildings and unique collection of equipment and artifacts displayed on the grounds.  Hwy 49 at Empire St. and follow up the hill one mile to entrance. 530/273-8522

Grass Valley - Historic District, Shops, Restaurants.  Streets originally built for horse and buggies, are quite narrow.  The Empire Mine nearby stands as the areas most profitable mining operation, once visited by great dignitaries.    
• Northstar Mining Museum  Allison Ranch Rd. & Mc Courtney Rd. 273-4255. Seasonal Museum tours of mining and powerhouse exhibit.
• St. Joseph's Cultural Center, Church & Chapel St.
• Grass Valley Museum  St. Joseph's Cultural Center, Church & Chapel St. 272-8188.
• Lola Montez Home & Nevada County Visitor Center  248 Mill St. 273-4667.
• Holbrooke Hotel  212 W. Main St. 273-1353. Built in 1862, this hotel has lodged many famous visitors.

Nevada City -  Historic District, Shops, Restaurants. The Queen City of the Northern Mines. A story-book town that holds its place among the historic revival phenomena of the Gold Rush period. Picturesque with Victorian homes. It's streets are erratic miners' trails coming down from the hills.
• Firehouse Museum No.1  214 Main St. 265-5468. Indian and mining era artifacts.
• Searls Historical Library    214 Church St. 265-5910. By appointment.
• Miners' Foundry Cultural Center   325 Spring St. 265-5040. Stone building (1856)
• Nevada Theater  401 Broad St. 265-6161. Oldest surviving theater in CA.
• National Hotel 211 Broad St. 265-4551. Oldest running hotel in CA.

  An area rich in historic gold rush memorabilia and the traditional charm of Old West hospitality, Nevada City and Grass Valley reflect the original beauty of legendary days of the past.  Nevada City, originally called “Deer Creek Dry Diggins” by its settlers has many restored buildings, shops, carriage rides and local winery.  True to the appellation “Queen City of the Northern Mines” Nevada City is an active center, including The Miner’s Foundry Cultural Center located on Spring Street which presents many major events for the area.  KVMR FM 89.5 is supported by a crew of volunteers and beams its signal all the way to the Sacramento Valley. The Nevada Theatre built in 1865, the oldest continuous running theatre in California is invariably well attended for theater productions, films and events. 

Bridgeport  - Recreation, So. Fork of the Yuba River.  Swimming, hiking and fishing.  The oldest covered bridge in California, the bridge spans the South Yuba River.

French Corral  - Historic buildings. Milton Mining and Water Company and the old Wells Fargo Express office equipped with iron doors still stand.  The first long distance hook up for telephone here.  North on Hwy 49 from Nevada City.

Graniteville -  A severe fire swept through it in 1878, but because hydraulic-mining companies had reservoirs in the mountains above the town, Graniteville was rebuilt. Access to Jackson Meadows and Bowman Lake area.

North Columbia  - Historic buildings, Cultural Center. Originally known as Columbia Hill, some older homes still stand.  • Cultural Center - 17894 Tyler Foote Rd. 265-2826.    

North Bloomfield - Historic buildings completely renovated as a museum, located where huge hydraulic canyons washed away the soil over 100 years ago.

North San Juan -  Historic buildings. One block of picturesque old buildings and scattered homes is the remnant of a city with boasted a population of several thousand in the 1880's.

Penn Valley -  Small hamlet near Lake Wildwood, a popular private resort and residential area.  Museum of Ancient Wildwood Business Ctr. 432-3080. Ancient cultures, impressionists, and Modern Art, African, historical art.  Daily 10am - 5pm.

Rough and Ready -  Historic District, Shops, Restaurants. A small town Rough and Ready was once a busy mining town. After the fires of 1856 and 1859 had all but wiped out the place, only twenty-four houses were left in the town.  A few older buildings still stand. The Fippin blacksmith shop, is on the left of the road towards Grass Valley off Hwy 20.  Known for its attempted secession from the Union in 1850.

Truckee - Historic District, Shops, Restaurants  Many old buildings stand, now housing an active shopping and activity area.  Access to Lake Tahoe, north shore.

Washington -   Restaurants, Yuba River access, rafting, kayaks.  Situated on the bank of the So. Yuba River.  Just outside the town are immense piles of huge granite boulders carried there stone by stone by patient Chinese miners from Gold Rush days.

Nevada County Winter sports
Steephollow  8 miles of cross-country ski trails from easy to moderate difficulty. Moderate slopes and elevation near 5,000 feet. The trailhead is at Alpha Omega Rest Stop -17 miles east of Nevada City.
Yuba Gap Sno-Park  Access to marked cross-country ski trails. Snowmobile tours are available. Access on the Yuba Gap exit from Interstate 80.
Cisco Grove Sno-Park  Snowmobile trails. Also available is a small snow play. Access on the Cisco Grove exit from Interstate 80.
Big Bend  Snow play, cross country skiing and snowmobiling.  Trails aren’t marked; use Cisco Grove and Soda Springs topographic maps for reference. Easy to moderately difficult, elevations from 5,700 feet to 7,000 feet. Access from Big Bend exit off Interstate 80; trailhead is approximately a half-mile from the exit on Hampshire Rocks Road.
Donner Summit Sno-Park  Cross-country ski area. No snow play is available. Access is through the Castle Peak exit from Interstate 80, just beyond the Boreal Inn on the south side of the freeway.
Donner Lake Sno-Park  Marked ski trails to Donner Lake and Donner Party Historic Sites. No sledding or snowmobiles. Access is on Donner Lake exit from Interstate 80, on Donner Pass Road south of the freeway.
Prosser OHV Trailhead  Numerous unmarked routes for snowmobilers going through the Prosser Hill area. Gently rolling, at 6,000 feet. Access is off Highway 89 four miles north of Truckee.
Downhill skiing at Donner Summit  Boreal with its two triple-chair, seven double-chair and one quad chair lifts. Beginners, intermediate, advanced. Soda Springs Ski Area with its one double-chair and one triple-chair lifts. Beginners, intermediate advanced. Snow Bowl at Norden with its four double chair, one gondola, one access chair and two quad chair lifts. Beginners, intermediate, advanced.
Emigrant Trail Museum     Donner Memorial Park, Picnicking, swimming, camping, hiking.
Norden - Cross Country Ski, hiking  Off Interstate 80.
Soda Springs - Cross Country Ski, Recreation area.  Off Interstate 80.

Nevada County Water Sports
Bowman Lake  A rough but passable road leading to camping, boating, swimming, fishing, hiking and biking.  Lakes and creeks with rainbow, brown and redband trout. Fuller Lake is planted with rainbow trout and good for bank fishing; Blue Lake, for fingerling rainbows and browns; and Fordyce Creek, carries small numbers of natural rainbow and brook trout. Access from Highway 20 east of Nevada City.
Bullards Bar Reservoir  Lake is stocked with McCourtney rainbow trout and Kokanee, a landlocked sockeye salmon. Warm-water species include bass, catfish, and sunfish. Access from Highway 49 north of Nevada City, turn west on Marysville Road or Moonshine Rd.
Donner Lake Piers and boat launching facilities. Mackinaw trout and rainbow trout are planted each year. Access from Interstate 80 west of Truckee.
Englebright Reservoir   Waterskiing, fishing and most types of water recreation. Houseboat rentals available, and a private marina is operational.  Access off Highway 20 west of Grass Valley on Mooney Flat Road. Near western boundary of Nevada County stocked with rainbow trout, also brown trout. Warm-water fish include largemouth and smallmouth bass, channel catfish and bluegills.  Access from Highway 20 west from Grass Valley to Mooney Flat Road.
Grouse Ridge area  Big Island Lake provides lake trout; Round Lake, Mile Lake and Long Lake, are planted with rainbows.  Access off Bowman Lake Road, at Highway 20 east of Nevada City.
Jackson Meadows Access to camping, boating, swimming, fishing, hiking and biking. Road connecting to Sierra City near Hwy 89 west of Truckee. Fingerling trout planted. Brown trout up to 14 pounds have been caught. Lake of the Woods is for those seeking large brown trout as well as rainbows.  Access to either lake via Henness Pass Road. From Sierra City east of Truckee off Hwy 89.
Lake Spaulding  Boat launching and swimming are available at this lake and nearby Lake Fuller.  Access is from Highway 20 near the intersection with Interstate 80 east of Nevada City.
Rollins Reservoir  Rollins Lake  Waterskiing, fishing and most types of water recreation. 800 acre lake east of Nevada City and Grass Valley. Boat ramps available. Rainbow and brown trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass, with very large catfish and smaller warm-eater varieties including bluegills and sunfish. Access from Highway 174 between Grass Valley and Colfax.  Access off Highway 174 between Grass Valley and Colfax.
Scotts Flat Reservoir  Boating, Swimming, Fishing.  Boat rentals available with concrete boat launching ramp, and marina in operation.  Rainbow and brown trout, smallmouth and large mouth bass and kokanee. Complete boat-launching facilities are available. Access off Highway 20 east of Nevada City.

Whitewater Boating
South Yuba (Washington to Edwards Crossing).  This Class III and Class IV whitewater run is a very accessible reach of the South Yuba River. Characterized by gravel bars; with bedrock and a boulder gorge. Access at the Washington Road Bridge just north of Washington.
South Yuba (Edwards Crossing to Purdon Crossing).  This section of the So. Yuba River available only when river flows are high (350 cubic feet per second or more). The river is Class II and Class IV whitewater, and is used only by groups of well-skilled boaters. Access at Edwards Crossing on North Bloomfield Road north of Nevada City.

Swimming
Kelcher and Golden Quartz picnic areas.  The So. Yuba River provides swimming, season runs July through September. Both picnic areas are upstream on the So. Yuba from Washington; cross the bridge at the north side of Washington and turn right. Blair Lake in Malakoff Diggins State Park provides swimming July through September. Access via North Bloomfield Rd. north of Nevada City or Tyler Foote Crossing east of North San Juan.

Tahoe-Pacific State Heritage Corridor
Conceived in honor of John Muir's 1868 San Francisco-Yosemite Walk, naturalist John Olmsted has implemented the California Landscapes Trail and the Heritage Necklace, which consists of “beads” of State Reserves, Nature Centers, and Ecological Reserves:
So. Yuba Independence Trail located on Hwy 49, 6 mi. N. of Nevada City with 4 miles of All-Access Wilderness Trail following an 1859 Gold Canal.  Flower and school tours; disability camping.  916/272-3823.

So. Yuba Trail Project - Tahoe Nat. Forest Hwy 49, 6 mi. N. of Purdon Rd.  13 miles between Humbug Creek and Washington connecting 15mi. BLM trail from Purdon Crossing.  916/432-2546.

Foothill Reserve, Little Yuba Powerhouse -4 miles N. of  Hwy 20/Park Bar, Birthplace of PG&E. 80 acre/by appt. 530/BRIDGES.

Bridgeport Bridge / So. Yuba Project located 8 miles N. on Pleasant Valley Rd. from Hwy 20.  Longest single span wooden covered bridge.  Sierra Gateway Trail and others. 530/432-2546.

Bear Valley / Sierra Discovery Trail
Bowman Lake Rd. 0.3 mi N. from Hwy 20. Open air visitor Center, scenic creek, 2/3 mi. trail, great signage. Old growth Ponderosa Pines. May - Oct 916/386-5164. Information Tahoe-Pacific State Heritage Corridor: P.O. Box 3336, Grass Valley, CA 95945,  530/BRI-DGES

Boca - Campsites, swimming, fishing and boating.  Off Hwy 89.

Bowman Lake - Campsites, swimming, fishing.  Hwy 20 near Interstate 80.

Donner Memorial  Campsites, swimming, fishing and boating.  The Donner Party tragedy occurred during the winter of 1846-1847.  Of the eighty-one persons who began the winter at Donner Lake and on Alder Creek, thirty six perished in one of the worst snow storms in thirty years.  A tablet was placed on Emigrant Trail by the Historic Landmarks Committee which describes the route then followed.

Western America Skisport - Off I-80., 530-426-3313  Offers history of skiing exhibits over 100 years. Ski films.  Tues-Sun 11am-5pm.

Madera County
Hwy 41 near Yosemite's Southern Entrance
  Fish Camp, only an hour from Fresno is in close proximity to the southern entrance of Yosemite National Park, and offers excellent lodging accommodations, as well as major attractions such as the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad.  It once served the area for logging and mining transport operations.  A hub for visitors, Fish Camp is known for its crisp streams including Big Creek which flows to the Merced River into Yosemite.  The town has over 300 available rooms and is central to biking, horseback riding, hiking and fishing destinations.  A Giant Sequoia Redwood stand is nearby, Nelder Grove, and accessible from Hwy 41.

Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad
  High in the Sierra Nevada mountains just south of Yosemite National Park, travelers will thrill to the sights and sounds of steam powered narrow gauge railroading.  The Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad operates excursion trains through the Sierra national Forest over old tracks once used for logging trains at the turn of the century.  Saturdays in the summer, steam whistles, barbecue smoke and old-fashioned music fill the evening air during the Moonlight Special.  The Golden Chain Theatre presents the Moonlight Melodrama on selected evenings and afternoons during the summer season.  The Station Gift Store and the Sugar Pine Trading Co. Bookstore offer a great selection of gifts, books, souvenirs and collectibles, and the Thornberry Museum, an 1856 homestead cabin houses artifacts from the pioneer days of the Central Sierra.  56001 Yosemite Hwy 41, Fish Camp, CA 93623, 209/683-7273.  www.ymsprr.com

Narrow Gauge Inn, Fish Camp
  Situated at an elevation of 5000' overlooking the Sierra Nevada, The Narrow Gauge Inn is an old fashioned rustic country inn, four miles from the south gate of Yosemite.  Named for its location adjacent to the historic narrow gauge Yosemite Mtn. Sugar Pine Railroad, the Inn offers a heated pool, poolside patio, and creekside nature trail.  The depot of the railroad is a short walk from the Inn.  All of the twenty-six rooms offer comfortable lodging and fine views of the surrounding alpine forest and mountain ridges and peaks. Nearby activities include horseback riding, a 9-hole golf course across from the historic Wawona Hotel, the Mariposa Grove and Glacier Point in nearby Yosemite.

Calaveras County
Angels Camp   Historic Buildings, Restaurants, Lodges, Rafting 
• Founded in 1849 by George Angel. Home of the Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.  From here Mark Twain’s frog story leaped to worldwide fame, and Bret Harte wrote, “The Luck of Roaring Camp.” • Altaville Grammar School (1859)  Hwy 49 • Utica Mansion & Utica Mine  • Carson Hill  Largest gold nugget in the western hemisphere found here -195 lbs.
Angels Camp Museum exhibits steam tractor engines, blacksmith and foundry, working model of stamp mill, mining equipment, huge Overshot Water Wheel on its original site, a large carriage house with 25 carriages and carts. A rock hounds delight.  753 S. Main St. (Hwy 49), 209/736-2963.

Arnold  Hiking, Camping, Winter Snowshoeing, Cross-country Skiing, Fishing, Swimming  
Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Hwy 4, 3 miles NE of Arnold.  209/795-2334.   Giant Sequoia trees reach up to 325' in height with trunks twice the size of coast redwoods. Open all year, 8 miles of trails and 129 campsites. Reservations: 800/444-PARK. 

Avery  Historic Buildings  • Avery Historic Hotel, built in 1850. 

Bear Valley - Highway 4, north from Highway 49. Lodge, lodging, ski resort and popular recreation near lakes and streams. High alpine valley offers cross country skiing, snowmobile and winter sports.

Cave City  California Caverns has been open since 1850 with miles of winding passages, located 10 miles E. of San Andreas off Mountain Ranch Road.

Copperopolis  Several Remaining Historic Buildings, Water Sports in nearby Lk Tulloch  • Copper was discovered here in 1860, and became the principal copper area during the Civil War.  Black Bart’s first stage holdup was near here. • I.O.O.F. Building     

Dorrington  Historic Building, Recreation  • Dorrington Hotel built in 1860 was an original coach stop, now a hotel and restaurant.

Douglas Flat  Historic Building  • Location of the Central Hill Channel, an ancient river deposit from which vast quantities of gold have been taken. • Douglas Flat School 

Mokelumne Hill  Historic District, Galleries  Historic District, Galleries, Limited Lodging/Restaurants.  • “Mokelumne”, derived from a Miwuk Indian word meaning “people of the village of Mukul”,  was one of the principal mining towns in California. Ruins of China Town and landmarks dating from 1851 still remain, including the famous Hotel Léger (reportedly haunted).   • Mokelumne Hill History Society, 8367 E. Center.  209/286-1770  11am - 3pm Sat. & Sun.  • IOOF Hall (1854), Main & Center Sts. • Courthouse of Calaveras County (1852-1866) and Léger Hotel, Main St.

Murphys   Historic District, Lodging, Galleries, Wineries, Biking, Gold Panning, Recreation, River Rafting, Caverns.  • Brothers Dan and John Murphy found gold here in 1849.  Famous notables such as Ulysses S. Grant, Mark Twain, and Black Bart stayed and dined in Murphys Hotel • Murphys Historic Hotel (Mitchler Hotel, 1855), 457 Main/Algiers Sts.  209/728-3444 • Calimbretti/Chase/Mercer House, 350 Main, built 1860, home to first American Nobel Prize winner, Albert Michelson • Peter L. Traver Building (1856), Main St. • Black Bart Theatre  Algiers St., 209/728-3956  Mercer Caverns Off Sheepranch Rd., 1 mile from Murphys.  209/728-2101  

Paloma  Historic Site  • Mined for Placer gold by 1849, for quartz by 1851,  William Gwin, California’s first U.S. senator acquired the land in 1851.  Gwin mine produced millions before closing in 1908.

San Andreas  Historic District, Limited Restaurants/Lodges  • In 1848 Mexican settlers named it after St. Andrew.  Bandit Joaquin Murietta operated here in 1850’s.  Charles Bolton wrote poems to his victims signed PO 8, and known as “Black Bart” was convicted of stage robbery and sentenced in the Courthouse.  Today there is a museum and display of his jail cell.  Calaveras County Museum and Archives, 30 No. Main St., 10 - 4pm daily except major holidays 209/754-6513. Calaveras County Historical Society, 30 N. Main St., Open weekdays.  209/754-1058.  Pioneer Cemetery, Hwy 12 2mi. west of San Andreas.  Headstones often describe the dangers of early mining.

Valley Springs  Historic Site  • In 1885  the busy terminus of San Joaquin and Sierra Nevada narrow-gauge railroad.

West Point-Historic Buildings  • Named by scout Kit Carson in 1844.  Historic trading post.  West Point Trading Post, Hwy 26 & Main St.

Calaveras Big Trees State Park   Giant Sequoias, lava outcroppings,  and scenic canyon on North Fork of Stanislaus River.  Guided hikes, campfire talks, camping, picnicking, hiking, fishing, swimming, nature trails.  Snowshoeing & cross-country skiing in Winter.  4 miles East of Arnold on Hwy 4.  209/795-2334

Ebberts Pass provides excellent recreation, scenic areas and highway.

Stansilaus National Forest provides excellent recreation, scenic areas and highway travel.

Pardee Reservoir Recreation Area  Warm water fishing in reservoir, trout stocked weekly in season.  Fishing, boating, swimming in pool, bicycling, picnicking, riding, and camping.

New Melones Lake Marina Rental houseboats, fishing, recreation area home to eagle, heron, cormorant and grebe and hundreds of species of wildlife.

Lake Camanche   The generous fish stocking program enables the angler, with or without a boat, year-round fishing for trout, catfish, blackbass, crappie and perch. Boat rentals, berthing, and boat ramps are available form either side of this lake, dotted with islands where boat fishers may pull up and try bottom fishing successfully if they find trolling on the slow side.   Stocked trout pond, boating, fishing, swimming, picnicking, hiking, riding, camping.

New Hogan Lake  Over 4,000 surface acres, includes marina, water skiing, fishing, developed, primitive and boat-in campsites. Camping w/189 developed sites, and 30 boat-in campsites.  Year-round fishing for stripers, bass, crappies, bluegill and catfish.  “River of Skulls” hiking trail is located below the dam at the Monte Vista Recreation Area.  Monte Vista is also the staging area for an eight mile equestrian trail.  Valley Springs  209/772-1462.

Vallecito Historic Landmark
  Murphy brothers found gold here in 1849.  Named “Little Valley” by Mexican miners. Famous Moaning Caves is nearby  • Vallecito Bell Monument, Church Street & Cemetery Lane.  The Moaning Caverns offers a popular family attraction that is unusual and beautiful to explore.  There are three types of tours and trips.  A traditional walking tour takes visitors 165 feet down into the largest public underground room in California.  For those who feel a bit more adventuresome Moaning Cavern offers the Rappel, and exciting 165-foot rope descent down the spectacular cavern walls.  Professional guides teach you how and then safely send you down.  An even more extreme tour includes rappel and spelunking throughout the passages within, recommended for 12 and over.  The Caverns also offer Gemstone Mining, gift shop, picnic area, and nature trails.

Placer County • Spanish for surface mining.

Auburn  Historic District, Lodging, Restaurants, Antique Shops, North Fork American River Access, Auburn State Recreation Area  • Miners from Auburn, New York named this mining camp which was to become an active center for trading, transportation, and stagecoach robberies during Gold Rush days.  • Placer County Courthouse (1894) now houses a museum 926/885-6900 • The Firehouse (1891)  • The Post Office (1849)  • Joss House, Old Town  • Bernhard Museum Complex, 291 Auburn-Folsom Rd.  916/889-4156.  Built in 1851 originally the Traveler’s Rest Hotel.  Includes the residence, winery, and wine processing building, carriage barn. Permanent and seasonal exhibits.  Tues - Fri 11 - 3  weekends 12 - 4. • Placer County Museum, 101 Maple St. 916/889-6500. Located on the first floor of the Placer County Courthouse.  State -of-the-art exhibit technology brings an overview of the history of Placer County to life. Native American habitat, early mining, transcontinental highway history, sheriff’s office circa. 1915.  Tues-Sun. 10 - 4.  • Gold Country Museum, 1273 High St. Gold Country Fairgrounds  916/889-4134. WPA era facility, originally a display building for mining equipment features exhibits on the “Gold Rush”.  Walk-thru mine tunnel, operational stamp mill, gold panning, tent saloon, faro table.  Guided tours. 916/889-5600. • No. American Indian Annex, 1225 Lincoln Wy. 916/889-6500. Located at City Hall, the Auburn Civic Center, Second Floor, Room 5.  Pate Collection of Native American artifacts.  Over 400 items from the entire state.  Group tours.  Weekdays by appointment only.

Clipper Gap  • Site of iron ore mining  

Colfax  Historic Area, Cafes  • Once a prosperous mining region and trade center,  Colfax includes the old site of Illinoistown, first settled in 1849 as Alder Grove.

Dutch Flat  Historic Buildings, Shops, Restaurants • Once known as Dutch Charlie’s, this old mining town was an important stage stop.

Golden Drift Museum, 32820 Main Street  916/389-2126  Exhibits of area’s “Golden Triangle”, encompassing Dutch Flat, Gold Run, Alta, and Towle.  Presentation of hydraulic mining, the rise of the county’s timber industry, the transcontinental railroad and regional heritage.  Tours 916/889-6500.

Emigrant Gap Historic Site  • Emigrant gap, an old lumber camp and station on the Central Pacific Railroad, was the site where the old Emigrant Trail went down into Bear Valley. 

Foresthill  Mining Area, Historic Buildings    • Forest Hill Church Bell (1860) • Sites of Bath, Yankee Jim’s, north of Foresthill
Forest Hill Divide Museum, 24601 Harrison St. Leroy Botts Memorial Park  916/367-3988  Historic presentation of Foresthill and Iowa Hill Divides, Geology, Prehistory, Gold Rush, Transportation, Early Business, Recreation and Early Fire Fighting.  Room exhibits, circa. 1915, livery stable and blacksmith shop .  Tours 916/889-6500.

Gold Run  Several Historic Buildings/Sites   • A good example of early hydraulic mining.

Loomis  Center of 49er Fruit Trail, Orchards 

Newcastle  Victorian-era Homesteads • At the head of Secret Ravine, once a local for extensive placer mining • Chinatown • Old Newcastle Market Place.  

Ophir  Historic Sites, Orchards, Vineyards  • First known as Spanish Corral, the rich mining town of Ophir was the most populous community in the county in 1852.  Today it is the chief quartz mining center in Placer County. 

Penryn   • Griffith Quarry Museum, Corner of Taylor & Rock Springs Rds.  916/663-1836

Rocklin  Historic Sites, Antique Shops  • Home of Sierra College

Roseville  Restaurants, Lodging, Antique Shops  • Farmers Market & Auction • California State Archives, 201 N. Sunrise Ave.  916/773-3000

Tahoe City   • At first a lumber center and one of first permanent settlements on the lake,  the Tahoe House was erected in 1863 and the Grand Central Hotel followed to accommodate visitors to the area.

Water Sports
American River  gold panning, swimming, camping, picnicking, hiking, horseback riding, whitewater rafting.  Fishing for Trout, Small-mouth Bass, Striped Bass, Steelhead, Shad. Yuba River    Shad, Steelhead.
Sugar Pine  Swimming, camping.
Hellhole Reservoir and French Meadows  Fishing, boating camping, picnicking
Rollins Lake  Colfax swimming, camping and picnicking
Lake Clementine  fishing swimming, camping and picnicking
Folsom State Recreational Area  fishing swimming, camping and picnicking
Bear River Campground  gold panning, fishing, swimming, camping, picnicking, hiking, horseback riding.

Parks and Recreation
Tahoe National Forest -approximately 40% of Placer County's total area.
Auburn State Recreation Area   camping, hiking, swimming, sunbathing, boating, rafting, fishing, picnicking.  Lake Clementine within recreation area.  916/885-5648
North Lake Tahoe  All year Sierra playground, world renowned resorts, nations largest concentration of ski facilities.
King’s Beach State Recreation Area  Beach, boating, and picnicking on Lake Tahoe.
American River Caynon   Mountain biking and hiking, swimming, whitewater rafting.

Hiking
Pacific Crest Trail  includes over 30 miles in Placer country.
Rubicon Trail - D. L. Bliss State Park, So. Lake Tahoe:  The trail runs 4.5 miles along Lake Tahoe’s shore.
Western States Pioneer Express Trail, Section I, Folsom State Recreation Area:  34.4 miles, from the Nimbus Overlook at Lake Natoma, along Folsom Lake to the Auburn Fairgrounds, Folsom/Auburn Road.  Rolling terrain in the Sierra Nevada foothills.  Western States Pioneer Express Trail, Section II, Foresthill:  54 miles through Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and Tahoe National Forest, crosses over the Sierras Nevada, Granite Chief Wilderness, strenuous terrain.

Winter Sports
Placer County has the largest concentration of Ski areas in the country. 
Royal Gorge  Major cross country ski area.
Alpine Meadows offers downhill skiing with chairlifts, snowmaking, ski rentals, restaurants. • Ski facilities for all abilities.  916/583-4232
Squaw Valley, Olympic Valley - site of the 1960 Winter Olympics.  Night skiing on weekends, downhill, cross-country, lodges, restaurants and all resort facilities.  Ice skating.   • The Squaw Valley Tram from Valley to Granite Chief (2,000 feet).  916/583-6985 
Granlibakken, Tahoe City:  Surface lifts, rentals, ski school, lodging. Downhill skiing, and cross-country through Page Meadows.  916/583-9896
Tahoe Nordic Ski Center, Tahoe City:  Groomed and tracked, additional trails in Tahoe National Forest.  Smooth and rolling terrain to steep hills.  Rentals including telemark and racing skis, instruction, children’s ski school, snack bar, guided tours including moonlight and gourmet tours.
Homewood, Lake Tahoe:  Downhill skiing, ski school with children’s program, cafeteria, snack bars, and lounge.  916/525-7256
Tahoe Ski Bowl, Homewood: Chair lift for downhill skiing, snowmaking, ski school with children’s program cafeteria, rentals.
Northstar-At-Tahoe:  Recreation center, lodging, downhill and cross-country skiing, restaurants.  Instruction in cross-country including skating techniques, guided tours, and gourmet lunch tours.

Tuolumne County
Railtown 1897
  Jamestown  Historic District, Railroad Museum & Excursions,  Antique Shops, Prospecting  • Affectionately known as "Jimtown" • Jamestown lies in the shadow of Table Mountain and has been used as the setting for many Western movies and television  • Jamestown Hotel(1860)
Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, 5th Ave. & Reservoir Rd.  A 26 acre Jamestown roundhouse and shop complex is located within Railtown 1897, a State Historic Park.  Visitors can see and appreciate this unique piece of our heritage by riding steam trains and touring the living museum. 800/446-1333 or 209/984-3953. The original offices, station house and shops are sites from 1897 to 1910 including a unique roundhouse. Transportation of mining and timber products was the primary motivation for the railway, but by 1906 the Jamestown complex was a complete, self-contained railroad facility capable of repairing, and in some cases rebuilding the line's locomotives.
  One of Hollywood's most popular feature film and television locations, starting back in the 1920's, there are many props and previous sets lie in stacks in the buildings on the property.  Over 200 movies, television programs and commercials have been filmed in Railtown, including The Unforgiven, Back to the Future III, High Noon, The Virginian, Petticoat Junction and the Wild, Wild, West.  Catch a ride aboard Railtown's steam excursion train and travel from the Sierras to the plains along one of the oldest railroads in the west operated by the California State Railroad Museum now celebrating its historic Centennial this year.  The Park is approximately two hours drive southeast of Sacramento in historic Jamestown, 3 miles south of Sonora, off Hwy 49 & 108.

Columbia State Historic Park • The early days of the California Gold Rush, miners streamed through the hills of the Mother Lode, tent and shanty towns. Saloons, boarding houses, restaurants, laundries, express offices, and tent stores sprung up overnight. At Columbia State Historic Park in Tuolumne County visitors get a chance to wander and enjoy entertainment at the theatre, step into the Saloon and order a Sarsasparilla; or browse the authentically recreated Browns Mercantile. It is the closest thing to time travel you’ll find anywhere.  There were a lot of opportunities for people who knew how to provide a service, or were willing to bring in goods that were in high demand, such as liquor, dry goods, and provisions.  And, miners were willing to hand over their newly acquired riches for a few luxuries.

Pinecrest Resort, Lodging, Beaches, Hiking Trails, Marina, Tennis, Bikes, Windsurfing, Boats, Fishing • Pinecrest Lake Rinecrest Rd., Hwy 108 209/965-3411.

Sonora  Historic District, Early California Adobe Structures, Lodging, Restaurants, national Forest • Settled in 1848 by miners from Sonora, Mexico and known as "Queen of the Southern Mines, Sonora is one of the most picturesque and beautiful of all the old mining towns and is the county seat.  • Gunn House (1850), Washington St.  • IOOF Hall (1853) • St. James Episcopal Church (1859) • Sierra Repertory Theatre, Mono Way 209/532-3120. Tuolumne County Museum and History Center (1857), 158 W. Bradford St. Open 10am-4pm Mon-Sat.

Tuttletown  Located about 6 miles west of Sonora. Once a thriving town, little remains of this mining community.  The Little Country store built of stone where mark Twain once traded supplies and only a few households.
Twain Harte Resorts, recreation, shopping, lodging.  A retirement and resort community offering golfing, fine restaurants, off Hwy 108 E. of Sonora.
Parks
Stanislaus National Forest.  Western slope of Sierra Nevada, deep river canyons.  Camping, picnicking, hiking, backpacking, riding, swimming, boating, nature study, river rafting, fishing and winter sports.  209/532-3671.

Sierra County
   Sierra County, home to unlimited natural resources, is divided by the Pacific Crest at the midpoint of the county. Many small communities have settled throughout the surrounding mountains. There is still a famous mining operation still exploring the deep tunnel system below the ground, the Sixteen-To-One Mine, Alleghany.
 
  Downieville is central to spectacular areas of northern Gold Country, and ideal access to lake recreation, mountain biking, hiking, fishing, golfing, and winter sports.  Tour the Yuba Donner Scenic Byway– take Hwy 49 north from Nevada City, or Hwy 20 to Hwy 80 & 89 east, from Truckee for an unforgettable 170-mile loop through the High Sierra and foothills.
  Downieville Museum, allows visitors a close look at the 1849-1850 era, when the town was filling in with miners rushing to the first strikes. The Foundry building in Downieville is from 1855, where machinery was manufactured for mining gold.

Loyalton, the county’s only incorporated city, has about a thousand residents. It recently celebrated its centennial in 2001. Awaiting seekers of antiques, good food and an excellent adventure to quiet, lesser traveled roads, this is a part of the high country worth the drive.


 Alleghany Mining Museum
    THERE’S STILL GOLD IN THEM THAR HILLS

  High in the Sierra waits the opportunity to go one quarter mile underground into the depths of the Original Sixteen to One Mine in Alleghany, California.  Located at 4300 feet high on Pliocene Ridge, the Original Sixteen to One Mine has been in operation for over a century and has brought forth more than one million ounces of gold from its 27 miles of tunnels.  It is currently a working mine.  “The Whopper”, 141 ounces of crystalline gold and the largest specimen found in at least a generation, proves the continuing potential of this classic “pocket mine”. 
  Starting with the experience of Alleghany, a gold rush town with one foot in the past and one in the future - one gets a sense of history plus the renewal of gold mining made possible by modern technology.  Alleghany today reflects its rich heritage of 144 years of continuous mining.  Many of the historic buildings still stand, awaiting new uses that will ensure their preservation.
  Sharing and preserving the faith of the gold miner, the history of the mining town, and the excitement of one of America’s few working gold mines has created the vision to develop The Alleghany Mining Museum.  The museum, housed in an historic building that was once a livery stable, exhibits the evolution of drilling technology, a photographic history of gold mining, cable technology displays (which led to the invention of the ski lift) and video footage.
  The museum sponsors tours of the Original Sixteen to One Mine. Actual miners take visitors to historic shop buildings, trails and the earliest-worked part of the mine at the 250 level through the original mine portal.  Tours then go underground where the miner explains the mining and milling process.  “Underground mining, more than anything I know, tests all of man’s capabilities and powers.  It requires a combination of brute strength and intelligence, of instinct and knowledge, each one as important as the other”, says Original Sixteen to One Mine President, Michael Miller, “it is this paradox which gives us our passion for working underground and which lures us back day after day like the song of the sirens.”
  Even further downunder through the current operating portal at the 800 level, the tour is lead underground to the hoist room and to the “Ballroom” at the 1100 level.  Here the miner familiarizes guests with the legends of Tommyknockers (the spirits of miners who knock on beams to warn present day miners of a possible cave-in), ghosts and superstitions.   The tour also passes nearby the stope where the treasures of the 1993 “Million Dollar Day” were found.
  “In times of global uncertainty and the high rate of change, gold mining becomes increasingly attractive”, says Michael Miller.  “Most gold production comes from distant mines that are as far away as South America, Indonesia, Africa etc. and progress can only be tracked on paper.  The Original Sixteen to One Mine is right here in California and people can come up and ‘kick the tires’”, adds Miller.
  “Great leaders, great events and great loves have been immortalized in gold”, continues Miller.  “Our quest for high-grade gold is more than a dream.  It is a mind-set, a way of life.  Underground mining captures the spirit of the Old West and thrusts us into the unknown future”, concludes Miller.
  Metal detectors, ground penetration radar and computer analysis aid today’s miner but he still shares the basic attributes of his 19th century counterpart; the faith to live and work in the hope of finding and following the next rich vein      .  .  .  AND MAYBE YOU’LL FIND GOLD!

Sierra Hot Springs, Sierraville

  In a spectacular setting of 700-acre for bird watching & listening, camping, lodging and hot springs therapy.  Sierra Hot Springs has been a destination retreat since the 1850's.  The lodge, built in the 1870's by Sheriff Jack Campbell, still greets guests into a rustic, inviting atmosphere with 10 rooms and shared bathrooms down the hall.  The Globe Hotel, an historic inn one mile away in Sierraville's downtown, is fully restored with 10 rooms furnished in antiques and in a quiet, comfortable setting.  Nearby Tahoe Ski areas, resorts, numerous lakes, rivers and wilderness areas of Sierra & Plumas County are accessible by Hwy 89 & 49.  Reno is less than an hour's drive.
Kentucky Mine Stamp Mill & Museum

  Sierra County Historic Park & Museum located at the Kentucky Mine, is situated in the heart of Sierra County Gold Country on Hwy 49.  The Park and Museum are open Memorial Day through September, Wednesday through Sunday, 10am to 5pm and weekends October on, the weather permitting.  The Kentucky Consolidated Gold Mining Company was formed in 1853 and worked for one hundred years.  Hardrock mining necessitated the construction of a large Stamp Mill in the 1860's run by water power and belting.  Tours of the fully restored Stamp Mill are given at 11am, 1pm & 3pm.  A small admission charge supports this non-profit facility, and children 12 and under are free of charge.  A summer concert series is held each Friday evening from the 4th of July weekend until Labor Day weekend. Picnic facilities are available.  Bassett's Station & Gold Lake Rd. are 5 miles north on Hwy 49. 

California's Historic Gold Rush events
from 1846 leading to the Gold Rush of 1849
to California Statehood

1846   
Bear Flag Rebellion
January    
In Mexico City, Gen Mariano Paraedes y Arrillaga becomes the President and vows protection of all territories he considers Mexico, including California.
May 13   
War begins between the U.S. and Mexico.
June 14   
American ranchers ride into Sonoma, capture General Vallejo, and declare independence as the Bear Flag Republic.
July 7   
Commodore John Sloat lands U.S. Pacific Fleet at Monterey, proclaims California as part of the United States. 
October   
An exceptionally heavy winter traps the immigrant train led by George Donner in the high Sierra.
1847   
Cahuenga Capitulation
January 13   
War in California is ended as Captain Fremont and General Pico Sign the Cahuenga Capitulation.
February 10   
Fremont is deeded a tract of land near Mariposa which becomes one of the richest of the southern mines.
May 16   
John Sutter employs James Marshall to choose a site in Coloma to construct a sawmill on the American River.
August 27   
Sutter and Marshall sign an agreement to begin construction using Marhsall's know-how.
1848   
California's Golden Discovery Year
January 24   
While examining the tailrace of the sawmill, still not complete, Marshall notices a glitter in the rocks and suspects he has found gold.
January 28   
Arriving in Sacramento at Sutter's Fort, Marshall and Sutter are certain about the Gold Discovery.
February 2   
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed, formalizing the ceding of the California to the U.S.
mid-February   
Word is leaked out about the Gold Discovery.
March 25   
The first story of the Gold Discovery is printed in a San Francisco newspaper and little attention is paid to the report.
late March John Bidwell visits Coloma and decides to head north.  He discovers gold in Butte County.
April 1   
Word of the California Gold Discovery reaches the East Coast.
May - 800 Miners are working at Coloma, Mormon Island, Kelseys Diggins and other areas.  A rich strike at Dry Diggins' and North Fork, Dry Diggins' settle the Placerville and Auburn areas.
June 1  
The population of prospectors is estimated at 2000.
July   
Nearly 4,000 miners are now working in the Gold Fields with news becoming widely known.
August   
Rumors reaching the East Coast has stirred thousands to venture west.  Ships from Hawaii bring prospectors, and word reaches the Northwest in Oregon, and wagons start south.  New mining camps spring up at Jackson, Woods Crossing, Tuttletown, Fiddletown, and Timbuctoo. Sonorian Camp becomes the southernmost mining camp to be settled in 1848.
October   
The number of miners has grown to 8,000 – The California Gold  Rush begins with a dramatic stampede of population settling the foothills.
1849
Gold Rush brings 10's of 1000's through San Francisco to the Gold Fields, to trek Highway 49 - the north-south route along the Western Slope of the Sierra Foothills. This beginning period of discovery was mainly "placer" mining, actually sightings of gold in the rivers, streams and exposed cliffs where many nuggets were visible. By 1850, hard rock mining began in Grass Valley / Nevada City at the Empire Mine and continued for 100 years leaving over 300 miles beneath the surface of the towns.
1850
The last military governor, Bennett Riley, called a constitutional convention to meet September 1849 in Monterey. Its 48 delegates were mostly pre-1846 American settlers; eight were Spanish-speaking Californios, who were being displaced by the Americans. The Convention unanimously outlawed slavery and set up an interim government which operated for 10 months before California was given official statehood by Congress on September 9, 1850 as part of the Compriomise of 1850.