Exploring California Gold Country and the state capital

For families interested in California history, a trip through Gold Country and Sacramento will hit many highlights, focusing on the Golden State’s storied gold rush past.Raft and gold pan in the same river where gold was first discovered in 1848, ride historic steam locomotives, tour the state capital…and visit countless historic museums.

Start or end in Sacramento:

old-sacramento

The state capital is, in many ways, the heart of the California history experience. Here’s what not to miss:

Explore Old Sacramento:

In addition to one of the best railroad museums we’ve ever seen (the California State Railroad Museum may even be THE best), Sacramento’s historic district hosts fun shops and eateries and carriage rides along the river. Go during the evening to avoid the heat of summer, or visit any time during the off-season. Read our review of Old Sac and the museum, and also be sure to check the fun schoolhouse museum!

Tour the Capitol:

It’s architecturally stunning, rich with history and free to the public. The California State Capitol Museum is open daily, except for major holidays. The Capitol is located on 10th Street between L and N streets, downtown Sacramento. Learn more here.

Learn even more about Sacramento history:

Don’t miss Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park, which is located in the city but feels a world away. Read our review of Sutter’s Fort. Next, pan for gold yourselves at Amador County Park’s Volcano Memorial Park, located four miles east of the town on Sutter Creek-Volcano Road. The park provides a picnic area, grassy lawns and a gold panning area where you can pan for gold nuggets. Also try Sutter Gold Mine to pan for gold and visit sites (13660 Highway 49, Sutter Creek).

Raft on the American River in the foothills of gold country:

The American River packs a big punch with history and big rapids colliding in an adventure-filled weekend. We recommend rafting the Middle Fork of the American River with OARS.

Where to Stay:

The Citizen Hotel sits adjacent to City Hall and the Capital Building in Sacramento. The historic 1926 Cal-West Insurance building with modern amenities displays such “tongue-in-cheek” touches as leather-bound vintage law books in the lobby, famed political quotes in the elevators, black-and-white political cartoon drawings from midcentury Sacramento Bee cartoonist Newton Pratt throughout the hotel, and lampshades screen-printed with the constitution of California.

Embassy Suites Sacramento is located right on the river at the entrance of Old Sacramento. We even walked from the hotel to the railroad museum. If you’re looking for a location closer to this area than to the capitol building, Embassy Suites is a good bet with their large rooms and complimentary breakfast.

Explore Nevada City:

Nevada City, north of Sacramento on Highway 49, sprang up almost overnight during the California Gold Rush. There’s a lot of history here, including museums and mine tours.

el-dorado-mine

Check out the Firehouse No. 1 Museum:

This museum is run by the Nevada County Historical Society, and despite its name, features exhibits ranging from Victorian-era bridal wear to Chinese railroad workers’ artifacts. Afterward, stop by the Nevada Theater, a big brick building downtown that has hosted the likes of Jack London.

Get more of your train fix:

If you haven’t gotten your fill of train museums, check out the Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum, located between Nevada City and Grass Valley. Learn more about the Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum.

Check out a mine shaft:

Visit Empire Mine State Historic Park, where kids can take a mineyard tour, see a mine model, visit a blacksmith shop, and hike or horseback ride over the park grounds. Daily tours are offered, and many seasonal events and special programming days occur throughout the year.

Visit Coloma:

Coloma California is where California’s gold rush began. Located on Highway 49 between Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe, the Coloma-Lotus Valley is central to California’s Gold Country. Right on the South Fork of the American River, the town offers families the opportunity to bike, hike, and raft in addition to getting their California history on.

coloma with kids

 

Start at Marshall Gold Discovery Park:

See the site of the gold discovery that started the 1849 California Gold Rush, and the working replica of Sutter’s Mill, then learn to pan for gold. Meet docents dressed in period clothes and working as blacksmiths or doing other crafts of the time. The park is pretty touristy, but the history is definitely there.

Stroll through town:

The downtown streets of Coloma is lined with historic building in varies states of repair; some are dedicated historic sites in their own right, others are crumbling in disrepair. Read the plaques on the buildings and stop for a few ‘fun’ detours to souvenir shops and ice cream parlors.

Where to stay:

Whether you’re camping or looking for a cabin stay, the American River Resort is our pick: it’s located right on the water, has plenty of activities for kids.

What’s your favorite California Gold Rush town?

 

 

Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park

Village at Indian Grinding Rock, photo courtesy of Tripping with Kids

14881 Pine Grove-Volcano Road
Pine Grove, CA

Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park makes for an excellent family road trip pit stop while you’re exploring California’s Gold Country. Located in the Sierra Nevada foothills eight miles east of Jackson, the park offers not only a great outcropping of marbleized limestone with some 1,185 mortar holes, but the Chaw’se Regional Indian Museum, which features a variety of exhibits and an outstanding collection of Sierra Nevada Indian artifacts. After visiting the museum, head over to the Miwok village complete with a ceremonial roundhouse that has been reconstructed in the middle of the small valley.

Reviewer Lora of Tripping with Kids comments on the excitement of exploring the village: “I watched the kids take off running to investigate some of the (other) teepees. Across from the hun’ge (roundhouse) was a large field, used even today as a playing field during living history events. Two trails are available to lead you around the woods, one is a half-mile and one a mile long. At the head of the trails, you can pick up a brochure that identifies particular local plants and what they were used for by the indigenous people.”

Date last visited: April 2010.

Distance off the interstate: 1 hour 15 minutes from I-5, 20 minutes from Hwy 49.

Hours and Admission Prices: Park hours are sunrise to sunset. Museum hours: Thursdays, Fridays and Mondays, 11 am to 2:30 pm. Saturdays and Sundays, 10 am to 3:30 pm. Admission: $8/car for day use.

Bathrooms: Located on premises.

Food Services: None. Picnic areas are available, or the town of Jackson offers several diners and a deli.

Directions: The park is northeast of Stockton in the lower foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains (or about 1 hour from Sacramento). Take State Highway 88 east through Jackson to the town of Pine Grove. Take a left turn on the Pine-Grove-Volcano Road, and about a mile and a half later you will enter the Park. The SECOND turnoff is the main entrance (the first is to the small campground).