CHICO DAY TRIPS:
GOLD COUNTRY DRIVE
GOLD COUNTRY
There are many ways to spend a day in California's Gold Country. Here's one my DH and I have done - it's a lovely Chico day trip get-away!
RELIVE THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH Who isn't fascinated with the California Gold Rush? It's all about getting rich quick, bold enterprises, the wild west, railroads . . . all the elements of a romantic adventure! And you can do this trip in one day for a quick overview, or you can turn it into a two or three day trip to get a more in-depth look at California's Gold Country. You'll start in Grass Valley, home to Empire Mine State Historic Park & North Star Power House and Pelton Wheel Mining Exhibit. Next along the trail is Auburn, which was a bit of a powerhouse when it came to getting to the original gold fields at Coloma. Continue on to Coloma, birth place of the California Gold Rush, and finally on to Placerville (formerly known as "Dry Diggin's," then as "Hangtown" - apropos names, as you'll find out).
THE GRASS VALLEY TO PLACERVILLE TOUR Follow this route to discover your very own romantic adventure: - Leave Chico on Highway 99 South
- Take Highway 149 to Highway 70
- Take Highway 70 to Woodruff Lane
- Turn left onto Woodruff & continue on as it turns into Highway 20 (there will be a little jog at Browns Valley Road)
- Arrive at Grass Valley
- From Grass Valley, take Highway 20 to Highway 49
- Arrive at Auburn
- From Auburn, take Lincoln Way to pick up Highway 49/193
- Arrive Coloma/Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
- From Coloma, get back on Highway 49
- Arrive Placerville
- To make a quicker trip of getting home, take Highway 50 out of Placerville
- Take Highway 5 out of Sacramento & either Highway 99 or Highway 70 back to Chico - and welcome home!
Driving time for this trip is about 5 hours, so this'll be a long-day's trip. Plan on stopping for dinner somewhere on the way home. Here are some of the things we've enjoyed doing along the way: - Take your time with the drive (it's not all about the destination, after all) and enjoy the scenery!
- In and around Grass Valley
 - Stroll the Historic Downtown to get a flavor of the Grass Valley of the 1800s; Victorian homes, the Holbrooke Hotel, the Oberon, the Grass Valley Museum
- Browse the shops
- Have a pastie at Cousin Jack's
- Explore Empire Mine State Historic Park
- Added value for a 2 or 3 day trip:
- Take a detour to the tiny community of Rough & Ready on your way to Grass Valley - it's not very big, but it dates back to 1849, it was the only mining town to have seceded from the United States (although it voted itself back in a few months later), and the drive is lovely
- Before heading out for Auburn, follow Highway 20 up to Nevada City for more Gold Rush Era history in the form of historic buildings like the Nevada Theater, Firehouse No. 1, the National Hotel, & the Narrow Gage RR Museum
- Stay at one of these historic hotels: the Holbrooke in Grass Valley or the National in Nevada City
- In and around Auburn
- Take a self-guided historic walking tour of Auburn's Old Town
- Browse the shops
- Don't miss the Bernhard House Museum Complex (originally the Traveler's Rest stage stop) & the Courthouse Museum
- Have lunch at Bootleggers Old Town Tavern & Grill - we did and loved their small plates!
- Added value for a 2 or 3 day trip:
- Spend a day exploring the American River
- Pan for gold
- Take in an old fashioned melodrama at the Olde Coloma Theater, complete with hissing, booing, & throwing popcorn at the actors
- In and Around Coloma
 - Explore Marshall gold Discovery State Historic Park for historic buildings from the 1840s, and a replica of Sutter's Mill
- Browse the Gold Discovery Museum for dioramas & exhibits showcasing the area's history
- Participate in any of the various interpretive programs held throughout the year
- In and around Placerville
- Tour Placerville's version of Old Town, including Gold Rush homes from the 1850s & turn-of-the-century Victorians, & the oldest hardware store west of the Mississippi
- Visit Gold Bug Park & Mine
- Explore the El Dorado County Historical Museum and find out why Placerville has had so many different names
- Visit the Hangman's Tree Tavern, the Pony Express marker, & the Snowshoe Thompason marker
- Added value for a 2 or 3 day trip:
- Visit Apple Hill - it's nothing to do with the Gold Rush, but this is a wonderful way to spend some time, especially in the Fall
- Stay at the historic Cary House Hotel
I hope you've enjoyed our Gold Country Drive!! Please come back often as more Chico Day Trips are coming soon!
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