Bodie State Historic Park
P.O. Box 515; Bridgeport, Cal 93517 | 760/647-6445 |
Made into a State Historic Park in 1962, Bodie today remains in a state
of "arrested decay." Which means, it's one of the best preserved Ghost
Towns in the west. Over 170 buildings remain from the old mining days,
which represents less than 5% of the towns buildings during its heyday.
If you like to take pictures, this is the place for you. No neon lights,
no stores selling merchandise (with one exception-the Bodie Museum),
there's nothing in the town to tell you it isn't 1880.
• Goodbye God, I'm Going to Bodie
• A Great Ghost Town off Hwy 395
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Calaveras Big Trees State Park
1170 East Highway 4, Arnold, CA 95223 | 209/795-2334 |
Located in Calaveras County, Calaveras Big Trees State Park is open year
round and offers visitors miles of hiking trails, picnicking and camping
sites, fishing and swimming in the North Fork of the Stanislaus River,
nature studies, and a fine Visitor Center stocked with nature exhibits,
maps and books. And lets not forget the most amazing sights in the park,
Sequoiadendron giganteum, the Giant Sequoias, the Big Trees. These huge
Sierra Redwoods reach up to 325 feet in height and may reach an age of
between 2,000 and 4,000 years. Walking amongst these ancient groves is
truly an awe-inspiring experience that shouldn't be missed.
• California State Parks Page
• Visitor Basics
• Calaveras Big Trees Association
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Columbia State Historic Park
POBox 151, Columbia, Cal | 209/532-0150 |
Located in Tuolumne County, just north of Sonora, Columbia State
Historic Park was created in 1945 when the state of California purchased
the site. The remaining buildings were carefully restored to their
former appearance, while other buildings not so fortunate to have
survived were reconstructed into exact replicas, with the aid of old
photos and documents. Today the business district is a living museum,
with the buildings open for viewing, complete with artifacts, tools,
goods, and regalia from Columbia's mining heyday. The park also includes
picnic areas, hiking trails, stage coach rides, gold panning and mine
tours.
For a true sense of what a California gold rush town was like, take a
walk through Columbia's streets in the early morning or late afternoon.
And don't be surprised if you hear the buildings talk to you, this
mining camp is still alive.
• Visitor Basics
• Where History Is Made Every Day
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Donner Memorial State Park
| (530) 582-7892 |
Located in the rugged Sierra Nevada, off Hwy 80, Donner Memorial State
Park is a tribute to the ill-fated members of the Donner Party who
reached reached this point in the winter of 1846. Their story is told in
the Emigrant Trail Museum, which is located in the Park. The Pioneer
Monument, miles of hiking trails, fishing and boating are also awaiting
the visitor to this beautiful State Park.
• Visitor Basics
• The History and tragedy of the Donner Party
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Empire Mine State Historic Park
10791 East Empire St., Grass Valley, Cal 95945 | 916/273-8522 |
Located in the town of Grass Valley, Nevada County, the Empire Mine
State Historic Park encompasses some 784-acres, approximately 750 of
which are forested backcountry complete with trails and a self-guiding
brochure for hikers. The mine buildings, offices, and workshops have
been restored with an eye to historic integrity, which in effect
transports visitors back in time to the days when the Empire Mine was
California's major gold producer (an estimated 5.8 million ounces pulled
from some 367 miles of underground passageways). The grounds, gardens,
fountains, and pools are maintaned to perfection, including the Bourne
Cottage, the showpiece of the park.
• A Brief History
• California's Hard Rock Mining
• Visitor Basics
• An Historic Hard Rock Mine
• A Fascinating State Park
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Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park
14881 Pine Grove/Volcano Rd., Pine Grove, Cal. 95665 | 209/296-7488 |
Located in Amador County, this 136-acre State Park preserves the largest
bedrock mortar in North America. Once used by Miwok Indians, the mortar
is part of a limestone outcropping measuring 173 by 82 feet, and is
covered with 363 petroglyphs (rock carvings) and 1185 mortar holes,
called chaw' ses. The park also contains several Indian buildings, each
carefully recreated from written descriptions, and the Chaw'se Regional
Indian Museum. Campsites and hiking trails are also available.
• An Introduction to the Park
• Ms. Freeby's 3rd Grade Class Visit
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Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park
North Bloomfield | 916/265-2740 |
Located in Nevada County, the "ghost town" of North Bloomfield and the
nearby Malakoff mine are both within the boundaries of the three
thousand acre Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park. Several of the
town's original buildings are still standing, while a few others have
been reconstructed to thier original designs. The museum contains
numerous exhibits of the town's history, and the Ranger's office can
usually answer any visitor's question. The park also contains picnic and
camping grounds, and numerous trails that wander through the mountains,
lakes, streams, and diggings. Blair Lake, originally a reservoir for the
mines, offers a beautiful spot for a picnic and is furnished with tables
and barbecues. The Malakoff Mine pit is the most amazing site within the
Park's boundaries today. At one time nearly six hundred feet deep,
erosion has since poured tons of material onto its floor, leaving the
mine only three hundred feet deep today. Time and nature have turned
what was once an ugly, barren mining pit into a place of unusual beauty.
Sheer cliffs reveal layers of gravels and rock and range in color from
sand white to blazing red. Trees cling precariously to the very edges of
these towering cliffs, seeming todefy the forces of gravity. And who
knows, there's probably still gold in them thar hills (and cliffs).
• Visitor Basics
• North Bloomfield Mining and Gravel Co.
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Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
POBox 265, 310 Back St., Coloma 95613 | 916/622-3470 |
Located in El Dorado County, the little town of Coloma is where the Gold
Rush started. The park features an excellent museum, mining exhibits,
hiking trails, picnicking and camping sites, the South Fork of the
American River, and the centerpiece of the park, a working reproduction
of Sutter's Mill. Many historic buildings from the days of gold still
survive about the park, featuring shops and displays.
• Visitor Basics
• Back to the 1800's
• Coloma, California
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Plumas-Eureka State Park
310 Johnsville Road, Blairsden, Cal 96103 | 530/836-2380 |
Located six miles from Graeagle on Johnsville Road, the Plumas-Eureka
State Parks sits at the foot of Eureka Peak which produced some $25
million in gold during the 1880's. The Park features miles of hiking
trails, camping sites and an excellent indoor-outdoor museum of early
gold mining equipment and relics, including a miner's residence.
• Visitor Basics
• Gold Mountain/Eureka Peak
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Railtown 1897 State Historic Park
5th Ave. & Reservoir Rd., Jamestown, CA 95327 | 209/984-3953
800/446-1333 |
Located in Jamestown, Tuolumne County, Railtown 1897 State Historic Park
occupies the original grounds of the Sierra Railway. It is home to three
original Sierra steam locomotives and additionals cars and equipment,
including the only operating round house in the west. Train rides on
part of the old line are available, as well as a gift shop with historic
and train related items.
• Visitor Basics
• Historic Sierra Railroad Shops
• Taking the Kids for a Train Ride
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South Yuba River State Park
17660 Pleasant Valley Road, Penn Valley, CA. 95946 | |
Located on and about a long stretch of the South Yuba River, the South
Yuba River State Park extends from the Englebright Reservoir below
Bridgeport into the Tahoe National Forest. Visitors can swim at a number
of choice spots along the river, pan for gold, or explore the trails
which lead to historic mining sites. The main attraction of the Park is
the Bridgeport Covered Bridge. Constructed of timber, iron bolts, and
braces, this 225-foot span is the longest covered bridge of its kind in
the United States. Built by David Wood in 1862, the bridge crosses the
South Fork of the Yuba River and is one of the local's favorite spots to
cool off on a hot summer's day.
• Visitor Basics
• Enter the Bridge Across Time!
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Sutter's Fort State Historic Park
26th & K Streets in downtown Sacramento, Cal | 916/445-4422 |
Located in downtown Sacramento, Sutters Fort is open every day of the
year, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Restored
to its 1847 appearance, the Fort was built by Swiss immigrant John
Sutter more than 150 years ago and was the site of many important events
in California history. Today, the Fort features exhibits, crafts, and
demonstrations of the 1840's and should definitely not be missed.
• Visitor Basics
• Step into History
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Yosemite National Park
PO Box 577, Yosemite National Park, CA 95389-0577 | 209-372-0200 |
Located in the Sierra Mountains of central California, Yosemite National Park has been called "The Most Beautiful Place on Earth." The park encompasses some 1,170+ square miles of scenic wildlands
which includes: the famous Yosemite Valley, sky-scraping granite cliffs, unusual rock formations,
thundering waterfalls, three groves of giant sequoias, beautiful meadows, forests, and high country. The
park ranges in elevation from 2,000 feet above sea level to more than 13,000 feet, truly something for
everyone can be found in this national treasure.
• Everything You Wanted To Know
• The Offical Park Site
• The National Park Service Page |
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