11259 Jackson St
Columbia, CA

Travel back to the Gold Rush era on Highway 49, where charming mining towns are surrounded by panoramic vistas of the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Nevada City

Nevada City, California, United States

This forest-wrapped hamlet of handsome Victorian-era homes and tree-lined streets 60 miles northeast of Sacramento is one of Gold Country’s prettiest towns. Originally settled in 1849 as a mining camp, Nevada City features a well-preserved core of historic buildings.

Auburn

Auburn, California, United States

Auburn has plenty to enjoy—Gold Rush history, great food and wine, and the outdoors. The area also draws mountain bikers, hikers, and horseback riders, all taking advantage of trails lacing the Auburn State Recreation Area.

310 Back St
Coloma, CA

Here, in a stretch of the snowmelt-fed American River that slides past the don’t-blink town of Coloma, a sawmill employee named James Marshall first discovered glints of the precious metal in the river’s silt. The area and its historic buildings are now protected as part of Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park.

El Dorado County, CA

The most popular whitewater-rafting river in the West, the American River tumbles through Gold Country, an inviting jumble of churning rapids, deep pools, and tumbling cascades. The South Fork is the most popular section, with Class II–III rapids perfect for families and first-timers.

11259 Jackson St
Columbia, CA

Columbia State Historic Park presents the Gold Rush in living, breathing color. Costumed docents do more than lead tours of this carefully preserved Mother Lode town; they actually live and work here in a variety of period-appropriate shops and trades. The town even sounds authentic—no cars allowed here, though you will hear the clip-clop of horses.

Auburn

Auburn, California, United States

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