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Gold Country

Having heard rumors of rich veins of gold running deep inside the hills of California, miners flocked here in the 1800s hoping to strike it rich. Most didn’t find the mother lode, but many stayed and settled in California after they gave up searching for gold. Small towns in eastern California sprung up along Highway 49, then and now a highway that connects Gold Country towns. Highway 49 is as rich with California history as the gold that birthed its fame. Gold Country is located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and provides beautiful, pastoral scenery.

Travel to the Sutter Gold Mine in Sutter Creek and see where miner John Sutter discovered the first California gold. Visitors can tour the Sutter mine, or drive along Highway 49 and stop at many other historic gold mines. Nevada City is said to be the most well-preserved Gold Rush town, and Sonora, one of the largest former mining camps, serves as the main city for the region. Many towns have well-preserved historic, wooden buildings and houses from the Gold Rush era that take visitors back to a simpler time.

Literary buffs will appreciate the city of Angels Camp in Calaveras County, which inspired Mark Twain’s breakthrough novel “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”. Angels Camp hosts the Jumping Frog Jubilee annually during the third week in May.

Gold Country is home to several caves, many of which were discovered by miners searching for gold. Adventurists shouldn’t miss out on a spelunking expedition, a journey in which cave explorers and their guides squeeze through tight crawl spaces and explore the caves’ natural beauty. You can also rappel down a cave shaft and zip line across a small valley. The more faint of heart can tour these caves via an easy walking tour.