California’s Central Sierra Foothills - home to impressive gold rush era towns

[OhioGuy]

I had a few days off work early last week and decided to head east to the Sierra foothills and check out several old towns that were first settled in the gold mining era. I started off in Sonora and headed north from there, eventually finishing in Nevada City. In between I stayed for a night in Folsom, a far eastern suburb of Sacramento which also dates to the Gold Rush era. I had great weather both days and I’m glad I made this trip while the hills were still relatively green.

1. Sonora (Incorporated 1850)


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21. New Melones Lake/Reservoir & Robinson’s Ferry (seen during the drive north from Sonora to Angels Camp)


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25. Angels Camp (Dating to 1848)


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40. Mokelumne Hill (Founded 1848)


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54. Jackson (Settled 1848)


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70. Sutter Creek (Settled 1848)


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93. Folsom (Settled 1849)


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122. Placerville (Incorporated 1854)


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144. Old Town Auburn (Dating to 1848)


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154. Downtown Auburn (about a half mile northeast of Old Town Auburn)


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167. Grass Valley (Dating to approx. 1850)


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186. Nevada City (Settled 1849)


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I enjoyed visiting these old towns and I hope you enjoyed the photos!

[jmecklenborg]

Reminds me of the various small tourist towns stretching from Pennsylvania to Indiana that at most have 2 blocks of active antique shops, but transplanted to a different climate, and with much more money.

[202_Cyclist]

When I was attending grad school at Sacramento State, I went to Auburn a couple of times to go mountain biking. These gold country foothill towns are beautiful.

My aunt and uncle retired to Grass Valley, north of Sacramento, for a few years. These towns would be a great location to retire to if not for the increasing threat of wildfires.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

I love it! These old mountain towns are awesome. Fantastic tour

[homebucket]

Great shots and great tour!

[LAsam]

Love this part of California and those towns! I've been to a few of them... not some of the others. Next time in Folsom, you should check out the old Powerhouse. Thanks for sharing!

[craigs]

Great photo tour of some really underrated parts of California. I know these towns well--my sister lives in Folsom, and you photographed a friend's shopfront in Placerville.

I know this is going to open a can of worms, but the people who call these cities home identify as Northern Californians who live in the "Gold Country." The descriptor "central Sierra" is not geographically incorrect (Grass Valley and Nevada City notwithstanding), but I've only seen hydrologists use it.

[OhioGuy]

Originally Posted by craigs

I know this is going to open a can of worms, but the people who call these cities home identify as Northern Californians who live in the "Gold Country." The descriptor "central Sierra" is not geographically incorrect (Grass Valley and Nevada City notwithstanding), but I've only seen hydrologists use it.

I used Central Sierra based on categorization of the Sierra snowpack zones. The map isn't very detailed, but the central zone does extend north of the latitude of Lake Tahoe which appears to include Grass Valley and Nevada City. https://cdec.water.ca.gov/snowapp/sweq.action

[craigs]

Originally Posted by OhioGuy

I used Central Sierra based on categorization of the Sierra snowpack zones. The map isn't very detailed, but the central zone does extend north of the latitude of Lake Placid which appears to include Grass Valley and Nevada City. https://cdec.water.ca.gov/snowapp/sweq.action

Going on the hydrology map you linked, I can see why you think as you do--that map classifies the southern Cascade and Trinity ranges as "North Sierra." Which is weird. The three are separate mountain ranges, and the boundary between the Cascades and the Sierra is, depending on the source, somewhere between 30 and 84 miles from Nevada City.

But enough about all that--this is a great thread and everyone should love the photos. Of all the towns that you captured, it's hard to pick a favorite. Placerville, Grass Valley, and Auburn are all busy and fun; Folsom is a large, modern suburb with a small historic 'old town' serving as the terminus of one of Sacramento RT's light rail lines; and the smaller towns are charming and cool.

[OhioGuy]

Originally Posted by craigs

But enough about all that--this is a great thread and everyone should love the photos. Of all the towns that you captured, it's hard to pick a favorite. Placerville, Grass Valley, and Auburn are all busy and fun; Folsom is a large, modern suburb with a small historic 'old town' serving as the terminus of one of Sacramento RT's light rail lines; and the smaller towns are charming and cool.

Yeah they're all pretty nice. I think Sutter Creek felt the most charming to me. It seemed like the shops were a little nicer and higher end and it felt like somewhere I'd want to spend an afternoon or evening enjoying some wine and a nice meal. I also thought Nevada City was visually quite appealing along the main retail corridor.

As for Folsom, if I had to live in a suburb, it seems like a pretty decent one with that nice historic downtown and also the riverfront and nearby trails (plus the mass transit connection to Sacramento).

[DetroitSky]

These towns look like how I'd imagine a lot of the west's ghost towns did in their prime. They're crazy intact. They hardly look touched by construction post-turn of the century.

[craigs]

Originally Posted by OhioGuy

As for Folsom, if I had to live in a suburb, it seems like a pretty decent one with that nice historic downtown and also the riverfront and nearby trails (plus the mass transit connection to Sacramento).

My sister has been raising her family in Folsom for about 15 years now, and the whole extended family has gathered in Old Town Folsom for meals for ages. It's a very cute district. One of the best things about it is the light rail link--when I lived in San Francisco I would show up there by train.

Originally Posted by DetroitSky

These towns look like how I'd imagine a lot of the west's ghost towns did in their prime. They're crazy intact. They hardly look touched by construction post-turn of the century.

Unsurprisingly, these towns went through a period of dilapidation and failure. As a kid, my family used to pass through almost all of these towns on our way to camping in the Sierra, and in the bad old days they were nearly empty and falling apart. But just like how the glorious Victorians of San Francisco were restored, these towns are well on their way to their former glory. I'm so happy to see the dedicated investment and public interest in these wonderful places today. These Gold Country towns have great bones.

[EastSideHBG]

Beautiful!

[Buckeye Native 001]

A couple of very good friends of mine moved to Auburn a few years back. I really need to get up there to visit. Insanely charming

[JMKeynes]

Gorgeous

[sopas ej]

Very beautiful, OhioGuy!

I've been to a few of these myself but not all of them.

My partner and I have discussed off and on a possible "Gold Rush towns of California" road trip, but we've never gotten around to doing one. Your photo thread really makes me want to do it!

[geomorph]

I love how this thread shows several towns but is shot in the same weather and even time of day so that it is like a snapshot of all the towns at once. Angel's Camp is my favorite in the thread because of the lines of hanging clothing over the main street!

[xzmattzx]

Great pictures of all these Gold Rush towns! I think this is the area of California that I haven't been to and want to see the most.

Do you know why Angels Camp hangs fake laundry (or real laundry) over the main street? Is it a Gold Rush nod? Or a "down home" nostalgia thing?