Introduction to Gold Country

Cutting a serpentine swath for nearly 350 miles along Highway 49, the Gold Country stretches from Sierra City to the foothills of Yosemite. Mining sites, horse ranches, ghost towns, Gold Rush architecture, and Wild West saloons are common sights in these rugged parts.

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 Gold Country. 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, to name a few.