History and adventure in Tuolumne County, CA

Friday, 28 Feb, 2025 0

Step back in time in 2025 and discover one of California’s 27 original counties.

Celebrating 175 years, as well as 80 years of Columbia State Historic Park and 50 years of Little House on the Prairie, visitors to Tuolumne County will be immersed in unique gold rush history as well as epic outdoor scenery.

175th Anniversary

Tuolumne County will celebrate 175 years in 2025, as one of California’s 27 original counties when it officially became a state on 18 February, 1850. This year sees some exciting new accommodations open with expert wild glampers Yosemite Under Canvas. Located just 10 minutes from the west entrance of Yosemite National Park, the county will continue to welcome visitors to enjoy the region’s epic outdoors and unique history.

Columbia State Historic Park

Also celebrating a birthday this year is Columbia’s Historic State Park. A community dedicated to preserving history, visitors will feel as though they have gone back in time. Celebrating its 80th anniversary, the town is complete with a working blacksmith and knowledgeable locals dressed in era appropriate attire. Dedicated to preserving history, visitors can also ride an authentic stagecoach, pan for gold, enjoy old-fashioned bowling, sip on Sasparilla from St Charles Saloon. Take away a sweet treat from Columbia Candy Kitchen – the oldest sweet shop in Northern California and where candy is still made in the window.

Little House on the Prairie

The iconic TV series Little House on the Prairie, loosely based on the autobiographical “Little House” series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, was filmed across multiple locations in Tuolumne County, including Kennedy Meadows, Baker Ranch, and Strawberry. This year the TV series will be 50 years old.

Railtown 1987 State Park

Railtown 1897 State is a 26-acre Historic Park, open for visitors to explore year-round. Often dubbed “The Movie Railroad” its trains have featured in hundreds of films and TV shows including Back to the Future III, Little House on the Prairie and one of the most famous Western films ever made, High Noon. The site houses several historic railroad buildings, tracks, turn-of-the-century machinery, modern and historic railroad equipment and a working turntable. Visitors can tour the scenic park and its equipment and hop on a seasonal excursion train ride between April and September through California’s scenic Gold Country.

Where to stay – Sonora

Visitors can enjoy history and modern comforts in Tuolumne County’s largest town, Sonora, which still retains its historic features. Visitors will walk in the footsteps of the original 49’ers along the downtown’s wooden walkways that are now home to trendy shops, galleries, and restaurants. Sonora is also the perfect base camp from which to explore the rest of the county, Hotel Lumberjack sits at the center of historic Sonora, and provides an Americana Motel experience with eco-friendly amenities.

UK travelers can fly direct to San Francisco with British Airways from £456 return. Tuolumne County is located 2.5 hours east of the Bay Area by car.

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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