//
Historic gold-mining region in Northern California
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Gold Country is a region of California that includes foothills of the western Sierra Nevada mountains and many historic towns that date to the 1849 California Gold Rush. Today highway 49 winds its way through small towns that protect the legacy of California's early settlers.
Most of the area is national forests and mountains, so there is really no major highways connecting the entire area.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Sacramento · International · SMF
Loading places around the airport…
established as a mining camp in 1849; its rapid growth led to it becoming the county seat of Placer County just two years later in 1851. Today travelers can visit the historic downtown, including the Placer County Courthouse which now houses a museum. Outside of town, the Hidden Falls Regional Park boasts over 30 mi of multi-use trails, and the Auburn State Recreation Area provides boating and hiking along 40 mi of the North and Middle Forks of the American river. Other area trails host a variety of extreme endurance challenges each year, including the 100 mi Western States Endurance Run.
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 recreation 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.
Grass Valley is a city in Nevada County in California's Gold Country.
Jamestown is a historical town in Tuolumne County, in the Gold Country region of California.
Mariposa is in the Sierra Nevada region of California near Yosemite National Park.
the small town of Murphys is a Gold Rush era town that today features over a dozen wine tasting rooms and a surprising number of excellent restaurants on its historic Main Street. The town also hosts an annual Irish festival in March that draws thousands of visitors. There are several wineries nearby, and visitors may also want to make the one mile journey north of Murphys to take a paid tour through Mercer Caverns, a short cave filled with a large number of speleothems, stalactites, and stalagmites.
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.
Roseville is a city in California's Gold Country. It's a suburb of Sacramento.
Articles and travel topics about Gold Country and United States.
Travel tipsFind the cheapest countries to fly to from the US and UK in 2026. Compare realistic round-trip flight deals, budget airlines, and prime booking windows.
8 min read
Travel tipsFind the best time to visit Hawaii in 2026. Compare whale seasons, big-wave surf, dry shoulder months, hotel rates, and island microclimates.
8 min read
InspirationDiscover the best places to visit in April. Compare Dutch tulip fields, Thailand's Songkran water festival, Roman spring gardens, and cherry blossoms.
6 min read
Travel tipsA practical guide to travelling with medication and refrigerated drugs like insulin and GLP-1s. Learn airline rules, customs papers, and cooling tips.
7 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.
