While there are the requisite trinket and t-shirt shops and ice cream parlors in restored buildings, there are also excellent museums, including the California Railway Museum and the California Museum. Today, on the sycamore-shaded banks of Sacramento River, get a sense of those raucous early years in renovated Old Sacramento, now a 28-acre/11-hectare National Historic Landmark. A town sprang up almost overnight, with many buildings constructed out of leftover ships timbers and sails. Sailing as far as they could up from San Francisco Bay east on the Sacramento River, the gold-hungry pioneers pulled up at the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers, the furthest point they could go in their sailing ships. When glittering nuggets and veins of gold were discovered in the Sierra Foothills in 1849, a massive tide of humankind, hell-bent on finding their fortune, raced as fast as they could to the Gold Country. Do your kids have energy to burn? Ages 8 and up can join you on a 3-hour, above-ground Labyrinth Tour kids get to gear up with hard hats and safety goggles, then scramble, slide, climb, and slither through rock formations uncovered by hydraulic mining in the 19th century.įor tamer discoveries, try gemstone mining (using screen-bottomed boxes to sift for treasures) and gold panning, also offered on site. This National Natural Landmark, a little more than an hour’s drive east of Sacramento, offers a kid-friendly 50-minute Walk Tour, letting you see varied rock formations, including stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones, and rare delicate helictite crystals. Naturally cool caves can also be an inviting escape from the region’s hot summer days. Kids love scrambling down into an unseen world of strange formations and-when you switch off the flashlights-total darkness. Natural caves are another remarkable find in the region. Gold isn’t the only treasure hidden underground in this part of the world. offers craft beer-tastings on some of its overnight trips. Some outfitters go all out to create unique getaways O.A.R.S. While day trips are always a blast-especially on hot summer days when good-natured water fights between rafters break out with inviting frequency-there is nothing quite like spending the night alongside the river, trout rising on the surface of the silvery water as evening falls and a frieze of stars paints the night sky. "There is nothing quite like spending the night alongside the river, trout rising on the surface of the silvery water as evening falls and a frieze of stars paints the night sky." But it’s a whole other story upriver, with upper segments of both forks boasting Class IV-V rapids with names like Bogus Thunder and Texas Chainsaw Mama. The lower segments of the North and Middle Forks offer easy Class II rapids-a great place to try out whitewater canoeing or kayaking. Which fork works for you? The most popular is the South Fork, with Class II-III rapids that are perfect for families and first-time rafters. Each of the American’s three forks serve up their own style of watery fun, and outfitters offer everything from family-friendly half-day floats to white-knuckle multi-day adventures. While remnants of old mining equipment still poke up in or near the river, the rush for gold has mostly been replaced by the rush for adrenaline. While its rich riparian ecosystem long supported Native American tribes, the next wave of humans-the legendary ‘49ers-saw the waterway as means to their fortune, panning for gold in the river silt and blasting banks with hydraulic spouts, hoping to reveal veins of the precious metal. The most popular whitewater-rafting river in the West, the American tumbles through the Gold Country, an inviting jumble of churning rapids, deep pools, and tumbling cascades. Insider's Tip: Summer can get hot and weekends become crowded, so aim for early mornings during the week if you can. Gold Rush Days take place on 2nd Saturday afternoons costumed docents lead hands-on crafts and special tours, and kids can try gold-panning. (weekdays too, mid-June until Labor Day). The town even sounds authentic-no cars allowed here, though you will hear the clip-clop of horses.įree historical tours of the park depart from the museum weekends at 11 a.m. There’s also a Wells Fargo express office and other relics of California's early mining days. Catch a ride on an authentic stagecoach, order a cold, locally made sarsaparilla soda in a Western-style saloon, or feel the heat in a working blacksmith's forge. Costumed docents do more than lead tours of this carefully preserved Mother Lode town-the state’s second largest city at the peak of the Gold Rush they actually live and work here in a variety of period-appropriate shops and trades. With throwback charm and a treaure trove of historic artifacts, this park presents the Gold Rush in living, breathing color.
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