Coulterville is located at the junction of Highways 132 and 49. This old mining town used to be a booming community along the first stage coach road into Yosemite Valley. Now with approximately 115 people it is just barely reaping some of the benefits of the tourist boom that other historic mining towns have seen in more recent years. Coulterville is slightly removed from the main mining tourist town areas therefore not as many people drive … [Read more...]
Gold Country, CA – Greeley Hill
Greeley Hill is located on Highway 132, the back way into Yosemite National Park. This is a very small town. When you first enter the outskirts of this town you will see a sign that says "Greeley Hill: Population friendly, elevation just right". Sounds good! This town is located about 8 miles from Coulterville up a winding grade that climbs from the dry chaparral of Coulterville to the pines of Greeley Hill. This town is not a true mining town … [Read more...]
Gold Country, CA – Groveland
Groveland is a town of about 3,000 people located on Highway 120 about 20 miles from the Yosemite Park entrance. There are several small restaurants, hotels and one hostel in this town. The center of town basically consists of the narrow Main Street with historic buildings located on both sides. Because of its small size, one can easily park and spend some time strolling the picturesque Main Street. The Iron Door saloon (one of California's … [Read more...]
Gold Country, CA – Mariposa
Mariposa is the next major gold mining town if you continue south on Highway 49 from Coulterville. Mariposa county used to be the largest county in California in the 1800's, extending all the way to Los Angeles. However, it is much smaller today. Mariposa, meaning butterfly in Spanish used to be called Logtown. It used to be a central mining town in the area. Today it is centrally located to Yosemite National Park and is a stopover for many … [Read more...]
Gold Country, CA – Restaurants
The following is a list of restaurants for all southern central California gold mining towns covered in this guide. Prices are subject to change without notice. All Phone Numbers unless otherwise noted are in the 209 area code. ANGELS CAMP Cruscos Ristorante serves quality Italian cuisine in the heart of Angel's Camp. Parking (if found) is in front of the restaurant on the street or in a nearby parking lot. … [Read more...]
Gold Country, CA – More Info
For a great picture and caption book on the northern and southern California gold region I highly recommend "California's Gold Rush Country", a book that highlights the gold country from 1848 to 1998. This is not a book that provides much travel information. Leslie Kelley is the author and photographer. He took three years to travel and do research for this book. The book … [Read more...]
Lake Tahoe, CA – Mileage
Mileages from Lake Tahoe to: … [Read more...]