Gold Country in California’s Tuolumne County

Saturday, 06 Jan, 2024 0

Tuolumne County’s Gold Country offers an authentic Gold Rush experience in the thriving historic towns of Jamestown, Sonora, and Columbia.

Treasures new or old can be found in unique specialty shops and fine art galleries that line the streets. Visitors can enjoy food and drink in an historic inn, or take in a live theatre performance in a venue where shows have entertained for over a century.

Springtime offers colorful wildflower displays along several popular trails. Wineries, craft breweries and a hard apple cider distillery enthusiastically share their local beverage creations in unique locations.

Two California State Historic Parks, Railtown 1897 and Columbia, take visitors back in time to a past era of frontier living and the gold rush

Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, located just a few blocks from Main Street in Jamestown, is a must-see with one of the few remaining working railroad roundhouses in the U.S., steam locomotives and railroad cars of the historic Sierra Railway.

The highlight is Sierra No. 3, known as the movie star locomotive, which has been seen in hundreds of movies, television shows and commercials.

There’s no place better to get immersed in California’s Gold Rush history than in Columbia State Historic Park where visitors stroll along wooden sidewalks, ride an authentic stage coach, pan for gold and chat with friendly townspeople dressed in period attire.

Historic inns, restaurants, a working blacksmith shop, theater and trinket shops all add to the timeless ambiance.

Tuolumne County is just over a two-hour-hour drive east of the San Francisco Bay Area. The destination is known for its scenic landscapes reaching into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Gold was discovered in Tuolumne County in 1848, setting off the major gold rush of 1849.

TravelMole Editorial Team

Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.

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