Finding Gold In California's Gold Country

There's bound to be some gold left in the hills of Californias Gold Country but today the area is valued more for its culture and history. California Gold Country is located in the northern central part of the state and overlaps into twelve different counties. Nearly all of these counties are located in the Sierra Nevada mountain area and include old towns that still exist from the Gold Rush era.

January 24, 1848, is the date on which James W. Marshall looked at a drained area in Sutter's Mill and saw metal glittering. This began the Gold Rush. It was 1849 and California was a new territory of the United States. Suddenly, its population mushroomed to 90,000! Prospectors traveled from all over the nation with the fantasy of getting rich when they picked up pieces of gold off the ground. Just a small amount of people had their fantasies of golden riches come true for real. The proprietors of the businesses that catered to the miners and prospectors were the ones who really profited from the Gold Rush.

The mining towns were transient; they boomed on the promise of gold and just as quickly died when the gold ran out. Many communities where gold mining wasn't the only game in town continue to thrive today, more than 150 years later. You will find these towns all along Highway 49. If you start in the north at Sierra City in Sierra County and follow the highway it will take you to Oakhurst in Madera County in the south. The road was named "49" after the prospectors who were known as "forty-niners" and corresponding to the year that the Gold Rush started.

The trip through Gold Country is 260 miles and takes about 6 hours by car. But you wouldn't want to do that! It would be a terrible waste of the beautiful countryside and the interesting, historic communities you would pass through along the way. Gold Country is a wonderful location for a weekend trip.

Nevada City, just 52 miles northeast of Sacramento, offers visitors the chance to experience the charming architecture of these Gold Rush era communities. The historic district in Nevada City includes 93 buildings that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Nevada City is often cited as the best preserved of the old Gold Rush towns. In close proximity is Grass Valley, another well kept community originating from the time of the Gold Rush. It is the place where the Empire Mine State Historic Park is located. You can spend the whole day exploring this 784 acre state park. You will learn about hard rock mining in California and see mining relics. It's a great place to explore.

Many of the grand Victorian homes which still grace almost all Gold Rush towns have been converted into charming Bed and Breakfasts. Historical markers are located throughout the landscape and there are a lot of interesting museums. As well as being important to history, the surrounding view is amazing. Hiking and fishing are popular during the summer and fall, and thrill seekers will not be disappointed in the winter with even more activities available.

Regardless of whether you can spend a whole week or just a few days, California's Gold Country is a great place to spend time. There is something to please everybody.