Gold Country Cool Towns
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Nevada City is located off Highways 49 and 20 between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. This former gold mining town remains alive with tourism and features a large, historic downtown, many Victorian Bed & Breakfast Inns and horse drawn carriage rides around town. Try a pastie while visiting. Pasties were the main staple of the miners during the gold era. Additional activities include camping, fishing, hiking and mountain biking.
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Grass Valley is located off Highways 49 and 20 between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. This sister city to Nevada City is very similar with a historic downtown and many Bed & Breakfast Inns. The main attraction is the Empire Mine State Historic Park. The ground beneath the entire town is a swiss-cheese laborinth of mine shafts from the Empire Mine. Additional activities include camping, fishing, hiking and mountain biking.
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Auburn is located off Highway 49 and Interstate 80 between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. This historic gold town has two downtowns, the historic downtown from the 1850's and the more modern downtown that has a 1950's look to it. The Placer County Museum is in the historic courthouse building from 1889. The Auburn State Recreation Area is a short drive south on Highway 49 and offers opportunities for fishing, swimming and hiking along the American River. Grass Valley & Nevada City are just a short drive north and Marshall's Gold Discovery State Park is a short drive south.
TIP: Because Auburn is located off a major interstate between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe, it can be very crowded, especially during summer months.
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Placerville is located off Highways 49 and 50 between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. Once a thriving Gold town, 'Hangtown' as it was once known, is renowned today for it's award winning wineries. Perhaps the first winery in the Sierra Foothills still remains at Boeger Winery near downtown Placerville. Just a short drive up Highway 49 is Marshall's Gold Discovery State Park where gold was first discovered in 1848. Closer to town is the Gold Bug Mine where you can walk through an actual gold mine. El Dorado County Historical Museum is west of town and houses a large collection of gold mining artifacts. Apple Hill is east of town and was once known for growing terrific apples and has since added pears, berries, apricots and more to the list.
TIP: Because Placerville is located off a major highway between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe, it can be very crowded, especially during summer months.
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Jackson is located off Highways 49 and 88 between Lodi and Lake Tahoe. Jackson has plenty of interesting sites surrounding it which makes this our second favorite Gold Town. Just a short drive east on Highway 88 is Indian Grinding Rocks State Park where hundreds of mortars were left by Miwok Indians who still use the property for ceremonies. A bit further east on Highway 88 is the Kirkwood Ski Resort, one of the best Tahoe area ski resorts. Black Chasm Caverns & Masonic Caves are near the small but very cool town of Volcano. Daffodil Hill is a 4-acre farm that blooms once a year in October with thousands of daffodils. Other nearby interesting towns are Sutter Creek & Drytown, just a short drive north on Highway 49. Pardee & Camanche Reservoirs offer plenty of camping, picnicking, swimming and boating fun.
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Volcano MORE DETAILS
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Jamestown is located off Highway 49 just north of Highway 120. This is your best option for gold panning in Gold Country. This small, historic town consists of a short main street with several shops and historic hotels. Stop by the gold panners outfitter store for tips and equipment for panning. The Railtown 1897 State Historic Park is worth checking out for a ride on a historic locomotive. Other attractions include New Melones Lake, Columbia State Historic Park, caverns and wineries.
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Sonora is located off Highway 49 between Jamestown and Angels Camp. As one of the larger towns in the area, Sonora is a beautiful historic town offering many shops, cafes, hotels and restaurants. Nearby attractions include The Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, New Melones Lake, Columbia State Historic Park, Mark Twain's house, caverns and wineries.
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Angels Camp is located off Highways 49 and 4. This small, historic town is well known for hosting the yearly Calaveras Frog Jump. In fact, this picture is of the plaque commemorating one of the many winners along the Frog Jump Walk of Fame in downtown Angels Camp. This is also the only town in the vacinity that has a movie theater. Other nearby attractions include New Melones Lake, Columbia State Historic Park, Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Mark Twain's house, golfing, snow skiing, caverns and wineries.
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Murphys is located off Highway 4 east of Angels Camp. What a find! This town has a lot of charm and class. There are more than a dozen wine tasting rooms along the downtown strip. Many shops, restaurants and hotels line the street as well. Have a drink at the Historic Murphy's Inn bar. Take a short drive into the country to visit the Ironstone Vineyards offering many tourist attractions including a gift shop, outdoor amphitheater, 40 pound gold nugget viewing and gold panning. Or for the purist, take a short drive on country backroads to the Stevenot Vineyard for a more comfortable and serene experience. Other nearby attractions include Calaveras Big Trees State Park, golfing, snow skiing, caverns and wineries.
TIP: Most of the casual restaurants shut down for a few hours between lunch and dinner as they metamorphize into classy linen & crystal establishments. This can catch you off guard if you're planning an early dinner.
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