Introduction to Gold Country

Cutting a serpentine swath for nearly 350 miles along Highway 49, the Gold Country's mining sites, horse ranches, ghost towns, Gold Rush architecture, and Wild West saloons stretch from Sierra City to the foothills of Yosemite. The town of Placerville, 44 miles east of Sacramento at the intersection of U.S. 50 and Highway 49, is in the approximate center of the region. To the north are the old mining towns of Grass Valley and Nevada City, while in the central and southern Gold Country are such well-preserved towns as Amador City, Sutter Creek, Columbia, and Jamestown.

The Gold Country is so immense that it would take weeks to thoroughly explore. So I have narrowed my coverage to include three of my favorite regions, each of which can be explored in just 2 or 3 days: the charismatic side-by-side towns of Nevada City and Grass Valley; the Gold Rush communities of Amador City, Sutter Creek, and Jackson; and the wonderfully authentic neighboring mining towns of Angels Camp, Murphys, Columbia, Sonora, and Jamestown.

Whether you're intent on panning for gold, exploring old mines and caverns, or rafting the area's many white-water rivers, the Gold Country is one of the most underrated and least congested tourist destinations in California, a winning combination of Old West ambience, affordable bed-and-breakfasts (many have a 2-night minimum on weekends), and outdoor adventures galore.