Tuolumne County celebrates 175 years

In 2025, Tuolumne County will turn 175 years old.

Yet it is not standing still or dwelling on the past.

A host of exciting new accommodations and attractions are coming in 2025 offering travelers even more ways to experience California’s gold country and beyond.

What’s new

2025 will see the opening of new accommodations just 10 minutes from the west entrance of Yosemite National Park. Under Canvas Yosemite will open its first glamping accommodations in Groveland, California. Set in a mountainside forest surrounded by Yosemite-native trees the new camp will provide luxury glamping accommodation and easy access to natural attractions from the north entrance including Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias.

Gold Rush history

Tuolumne County is a treasure trove of history, the perfectly preserved gold rush towns and historic railways take visitors back in time to when gold was first discovered. From living history in Columbia and gold-panning in Jamestown, to the wooden walkways in downtown Sonora, visitors will walk in the footsteps of the original 49’ers. Columbia’s Historic State Park is dedicated to preserving history. Complete with a working blacksmiths shop, visitors can enjoy conversation with knowledgeable and friendly locals dressed in era appropriate attire, ride an authentic stagecoach, pan for gold, and enjoy old-fashioned bowling. In contrast, downtown Sonora is now home to trendy shops, galleries, and restaurants, whilst still retaining its historical features.

Iconic outdoors

As Tuolumne is the lesser-known region of the mountain destination of Yosemite, it allows visitors to experience a quieter side to the iconic National Park and Hetch Hetchy is one such hidden gem. The expansive reservoir sits within a much lesser-known, northern region of Yosemite National Park. The geography of the granite walls and waterfalls are similar to that of the more widely known Yosemite Valley, but with a striking deep blue reservoir in the middle. With the impressive O’Shaughnessy Dam standing 430-feet-tall, wildflowers blooming, and the roaring Wapama Falls, Hetch Hetchy is a hidden gem with plenty to see and do. The Wapama Falls hike takes visitors to some of the park’s tallest waterfalls. Hikers can choose from the shorter five-mile version or take a longer 13.4 mile trail.

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