Gold rush towns in California are popular family destinations for giant sequoias, rushing rivers, historic towns, and yes, gold panning.
Welcome to California Gold Explorers. California has tens of thousands of gold mines, mills and towns slowly fading back into the earth. This site is dedicated to sharing California's rich gold mining heritage with other explorers, adventurist and historians before it's gone.
These '49ers established hundreds of instant mining towns along the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Many of these historic and picturesque towns still exist, linked by California Highway 49 and the Gold Rush Trail, and retain their early architecture and charm, living reminders of the rich history of the Mother Lode.
A Town Rooted in Gold Grass Valley's historic downtown is a testament to its prosperous Gold Rush mining days. Tour the Empire Mine State Historic Park, one of the oldest, largest, and richest gold mines in California, to learn about the …
An avalanche destroyed the town in the first year, but it was eventually rebuilt and mining boomed. This is the site of many hard rock mines that sustained the town long after the placers were depleted. Sierra City also gets credit for the location of California largest gold nugget discovery.
Copperopolis, California 1860s. Copperopolis thrived during the Civil War. At a time when Mother Lode gold mining was in decline, the copper mines of Copperopolis made it one of California's largest and most important …
Columbia State Historic Park. Columbia State Historic Park was once known as the Gem of the Southern Mines, the town mined over one billion dollars (today's value) worth of gold between the 1850s and the 1870s and at one point, was California's second largest city. Like Auburn, the town of Columbia managed to survive the Gold Rush era …
Known as the "Gem of the Southern Mines," Columbia was founded in 1850 and quickly became one of the largest cities in California. At its highest point, the town had a population of 25,000–30,000 people. Unlike many of California's mining towns, when the gold dried up, the town didn't die.
In the early days of the California Gold Rush, mining towns sprang up all over the state. Some of these towns were short-lived, while others became thriving …
The silver mines proved to be rich, and a new rush was on to Leadville. ... A prosperous mining town, Nevada City became California's third largest city with over 10,000 residents. Nevada City, California ca. 1856. Numerous Gold Rush-era buildings have been preserved in Nevada City. The historic district, including 93 buildings, is listed on ...
The town had several hotels and breweries, stores and restaurants, a school, a post office, and everything else a wealthy California mining town would have in the 1860 and 1870s.
California's population surge led to the establishment of numerous towns in the Sierra Nevada Region, with San Francisco evolving into a bustling frontier metropolis. However, the overcrowded and lawless mining camps led to a rise in crime, gambling, alcoholism, and violence. Mining for gold was hard work, but the promise of wealth …
Bodie Ghost Town. Bodie State Historical Park is a California ghost town in the Eastern Sierra, about 75 minutes north of the popular Mammoth Lakes resort area and 30 minutes east of the town of Bridgeport.It is one of the best-preserved ghost towns in the United States.. Bodie made our list of the best state parks in California.See what other …
The Empire Mine State Historic Park is one of the richest, deepest, and oldest gold mines in California. Over its 100-plus year history, the site excavated 5.8-million ounces of gold before it closed in 1956. In addition to the mine itself, there are 367 miles of abandoned mine shafts, 856 acres of backcountry, and over a dozen miles of …
It was also one of the roughest and most lawless camps of all the Gold Rush settlements in California. Sonora was founded by Mexican miners in 1848 and was named after the state of Sonora, Mexico. Early in 1849, news of Sonora's rich gold mines got out, and miners from all over California joined the rush to Sonora and the southern mines.
While a few mines and Gold Rush towns remain, much of the heritage of that era is preserved at places such as Bodie State Historic Park, a decaying ghost town, and at Marshall Gold Discovery State ...
At one point, Columbia was even the second-largest city in California and today is preserved as a Gold Rush town (fortunately, it was never burned down). It is a great opportunity to experience California's 1850s and 60s Gold Rush. Location: 11259 Jackson St, Columbia, CA 95310
Visit Old Town Auburn, where the city's historic buildings from the mid-19th century are found. One of the buildings in Old Town is the Placer County Courthouse (101 Maple St.), the court built between 1894 and 1898. The museum houses artifacts from the Gold Rush and of Native American tribes.
San Francisco: The Gateway to Gold. Explore the Golden State: A Map of Historic Gold Rush Towns in California. Discover the Gems of California's Past: The Best Gold Rush Towns. Honorable Mentions: …
The North Bloomfield and Washington districts contained some of the largest hydraulic gold mines in California during the period from the mid 1850s to the early 1880s. The famous Malakoff mine was once the …
Discover the best gold rush towns in California: Sutter Creek, Nevada City, Sonora, Murphys and more! Explore CA Gold Country with our picks!
Our review is after reading "Ghost Town Living" by Underwood. We were moved to post some older photos (and there are many great photos already posted) and give our experience from "Nov 1, 2009" midday visit to Cerro Gordo (date range didn't account for older visits but ours is real).
Relics from the Gold Rush of the mid-1800s are everywhere in Northern California. Many towns and cities sprung up during that time due to the influx of miners flooding into the region, plus all the businesses to support the miners. ... The Empire Gold Mine is a California Historical Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places ...
Why it's worth visiting: It's one of the "oldest, deepest, and richest gold mines in California." Address: 10791 East Empire Street, Grass Valley, CA 95945 How to get there: Take Highway 49 24 miles north of Auburn, CA. Nearby accommodation: Inn Town Campground (4.1 mi), Flume's End (4.6 mi). Empire Mine State Historic Park …
Three settlements were principal beneficiaries of the Gold Rush. San Francisco, a sleepy village called "Yerba Buena" until 1847, became California's major seaport, far eclipsing San Diego, San Pedro, and Monterey to the south. Almost every immigrant who came by sea passed through the town, as did most goods imported from the outside …
One of the best-preserved Gold Rush-era towns, visitors will enjoy stepping back in time and panning for gold, riding an old stagecoach, shopping and dining as they did in the bygone era. 3. …
It's an actual California mining town that was abandoned in the early 1900s. The land has been held by the same family for decades since. Now you can own this piece of the American West—it's ...
Distribution of California Mining Towns The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was discovered by James Wilson Marshall at Sutter's Mill, in Coloma, California. News of the discovery soon spread, resulting in some 300,000 men, women, and children coming to California from the rest of the United States and abroad.
WEBIf you love history, you must visit these gold rush towns in California to be introduced to interesting tales of the towns, right from the story of the first search for the treasure to the lives of the miners and merchants that …
Active Mines in California. Active mines in California are a crucial part of the state's economy and provide numerous job opportunities for residents. Mesquite Mine. One of California's most …