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County in California, United States
Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
El Dorado County is in California. From the Gold Country in the west, this county extends east across the Sierra Nevada mountains.
S. Route 50, which runs from the intersection with Interstate 80 in West Sacramento to the Nevada state line, is the main east-west route through the county.
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The California Gold Rush began in Coloma in 1848 with the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill, and today travelers can visit the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park to see the exact spot where gold was found. In addition, the park has a re-creation of Sutter's Mill, exhibits documenting the Gold Rush, and the opportunity to pan for gold in the American River. While much of the original town is now essentially a ghost town, there are a few lodging options and restaurants. For visitors seeking adventure, the American River is a popular whitewater rafting destination, and a number of outfitters offer trips that start in Coloma.
El Dorado Hills is a city in El Dorado County in California's Gold Country.
Placerville is a town that played a key role in the Gold Rush, with a historic downtown that hearkens back to when it was originally incorporated as California's third largest town in 1857. Travelers looking for a place to stop on the way from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe can visit the downtown and shop in the oldest continually operated hardware store west of the Mississippi, or learn about the area's history in a museum housed in a former soda works. In addition, the town hosts the El Dorado County Fair each Father's Day weekend, an event which has been held since 1859 and attracts about 65,000 visitors over its four day run.
Pollock Pines is a city in El Dorado County in California's Gold Country.
South Lake Tahoe is a city in the Lake Tahoe region of California in El Dorado County. South Lake Tahoe, the largest town around the lake, sits on the south shore, and offers beautiful views of mountains covered with fir and pine trees, deep blue water year-round, and a wealth of outdoor activities.
Lake Tahoe is a popular vacation and recreation region straddling the border between California and Nevada. The closest large city is Reno, Nevada.
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