Tag Archives: mining

Placerville Hangtown Days

hangtowndays
2019 photo by Bill Robinson

Hangtown Wagon Train Days

califrepublic

Living History in Downtown Placerville, California

Historic Gold Country. Walking parade, re-enactments, costumes encouraged. Street dance party (5pm). Live music all day, food, drinks, games. Free admission.

Annual event: June
Saturday 2-8 pm, One Day event
530-391-2190

Placerville, CA

hangtowndays.org

 

hangtownparade
2019 photo by Bill Robinson

Gold Rush Days

gold country grange

Gold Rush Days
California Gold Country

Numerous locations hold historic themed street fairs, parades and festivals in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

Gold Country Events

this list is only a partial list, and more will be added soon

Amador County Fair

Arnold Independence Day Parade

Calaveras County Fair

Calaveras Grape Stomp

Coloma Gold Rush Live

Coloma Lotus Celebration

Gold Country Fair

Grass Valley Cornish Christmas

Mark Twain Wild West Fest

Mariposa County Fair

Murphys Homecoming & Duck Races

Nevada City Constitution Day Parade

Old Auburn Country Christmas

Wagon Train Hangtown Days

NOTE: The Gold Rush Days in Old Town Sacramento is now called “Waterfront Days Old Sacramento

califrepublic

Gold Country Historic Parks

bluewagon

Gold Country Cities & Towns

58 counties
58 Counties in Calif

JB Ranch Water Wagon 1

Gold Rush Daze 6

Gold Country Rivers

listed alphabetically

Gold Country Forests

listed from north to south

Plumas National Forest
Tahoe National Forest
Eldorado National Forest
Stanislaus National Forest
Calaveras Big Trees State Park
Sierra National Forest

Covered Wagon with 2 Horses 1

Whiskey Flat Days

Parade, Rodeo, Carnival Rides, Frog Jumping Contests, Food & Craft Booths, Epitaph, Costume & Whiskerino Contests, Line Dancing, Gold Panning, Wood Carving, Pet Parade, Blue Grass & Country Western, Art Show, Gunfighters….

Old Kernville Town
Kernville should have never painted this building white.

Annual event; February
always held on Presidents Day weekend

KERNVILLE CA

Kernville Chamber of Commerce
760-376-2629
(866) KERNVILLE

kernvalley.com/news/whiskey.htm

Camping for Thanksgiving

Turkey Casserole
Turkey Leftovers?

California Camping on Thanksgiving

If you’ve had it with the traditions, the big meal prep, or just sick of the family. Maybe you are a solo traveler, or a new transplant to California and need to explore more. Take a holiday away – for once this time.

Camping for turkey day? What a concept.

VWBus Death Valley
California is the perfect place for camping, all year long!

 

Stick to the lower elevations, look for canyons, and seek seclusion

California mountains often have snow during November. Avoid camping in snow @ 4000-5000′ elevation and above; Freezing temps above 3000-4000′ elevation.

Deserts, coastal regions and foothills are top choices for late Autumn car camping. Always check the weather ahead of departure, and have a plan B as an alternative. NorCal will be much wetter than the rest of the state.

MEALS: Prepare dinner meals ahead of trip departure. Bake turkey days before your trip and create meals based around that. Make mash potatoes at home and don’t forget to bring the butter. Pack pre-baked turkey for sandwiches, plus other quick snacks & meals for on-the-go travel.

seafood
Non Traditional: Seafood Feast

Desert Camping is premium at this time of year. Luckily the eastern half of Southern Cal is desert. The lower the elevation, the better the temps will be overnight. Be prepared for wind when the ‘storm fronts’ approach, the winds do get a cranking! Dirt roads can become flowing washes during a good rainstorm, so know the weather forecast.

Coastal campgrounds may need advanced reservations. Be prepared for wet weather, especially up north. The redwoods groves are gorgeous anytime of year.

Gold County Reservoirs are prime areas for relaxing in nature, while everyone else is out shopping. Oak hills, rivers and canyons. RV campers love these large lakes; boating, fishing, mountain biking trails, kayak rentals, hiking near historic Gold Rush towns.

River Canyons of California are always beautiful destinations in the autumn months with fall leaves changing color. Many campgrounds can be found at lower elevation, river access areas.

California’s abundant Hot Springs are also top picks for holiday weekends.

Joshua Tree Campout

Joshua Tree National Park may be busy during this weekend. Instead try nearby Mecca: Box Canyon and Mecca Hills Wilderness, BLM desert lands near Interstate 10.

Anza Borrego Desert State Park is always a nice, easy and relatively close get-away for any holiday. Open camping on the backroads (for free) makes it one of the most attractive camping options in all of SoCal. Many dirt roads are accessible for passenger cars, if extreme caution is used. Don’t plan on driving more than a few miles on dirt.

froaders

Masses of off roaders love to camp out, especially on Thanksgiving weekend. Wheel all day, eat, drink, bon fires every night and rumor has it ‘they roast their big bird outdoors – deep in a dirt pit’. Really?

El Centro, Glamis, Imperial Dunes, Ocotillo Wells, Truckhaven Hills, Johnson Valley. All popular off roading areas in Southern California, so consider yourself warned.

Imperial Dunes

Mojave Desert, near US Hwy 395
Jawbone Canyon expect to see RVs, toy-boxes and families outside enjoying the weekend. OHV style. Often the group tries to create a round corral with their huge convoy of vehicles, to keep thru traffic to a minimum around “their camp”. Just stay well away from those gear-heads. In general, it is a very busy area around Mojave up to Hwy 178 during the holidays. Try high desert Horse Canyon instead.

Bodie State Park
Bodie State Park

Tent Camping

Death Valley National Park is one of the best destinations for Thanksgiving, cuz Panamint Springs serves their free turkey dinner.

Did someone say FREE?

Leon at Mahogany

Kongsberg, California

Historic Town Site: Kongsberg, Eastern Sierra, California

Silver Mountain City

Historic Jail
Remains of City Jail @ Kongsberg, CA

Located on the lightly forested slopes of the Carson River. About 7 miles east of Ebbett’s Pass, Highway 4 (CA SR 4)

Silver Boom Town in 1866
population 3000

Founded as Kongsberg in the late 1850’s by Scandinavian mining prospectors, the town name was later changed to Silver Mountain City. This wild, remote locale was the county seat for Alpine County from 1864 to 1875. The mining camp town was abandoned by 1886.

Nearby Towns:
Markleeville, CA

kongsberg_town

This canyon stretch of SR 4 highway has limited primitive camping options along the water. Flat dirt clearings and maybe a rock fire ring. No facilities, no bathrooms.

Silver Creek runs parallel to the highway and meets East fork of Carson River. Google Maps has this named Alpine State Hwy (which is closed in winter)

Drive less than 55 mph to take in all the scenery, slower if you want to find a decent place to stop. Look for easy pull-offs on dirt, a few trails, parking spots, picnic trees, some favorite fishing spots. Campfire permits are needed for dispersed camping.

Carson River
Carson River SR 4

Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

NFS Campgrounds nearby :

  • Silver Creek Campground @ 6800′ elev.
    NFS developed camp w/ fee (open June-Sept)
  • Centerville Flat Campground @ 5900′ elev.
    undeveloped sites. Silver Creek meets East fork of Carson River

pctPacific Crest Trail access –
PCT trail crosses highway near Ebbetts Pass

Gold Country California

Gold Country Sierra Nevada

historic murphys hotel

1849:
California Gold Rush began

These foothill regions below are the rivers & mountains of the infamous California Gold Rush of the mid-1800’s. Many mountain dirt roads will lead to your secluded, private camp site, near a creek or river. Or plan on camping in a developed Campground near a recreation lake lined with amenities, pine trees & oaks. River rafting & kayaking can be found throughout this area, as well as backpacking, mountain biking and hiking trails. Fishing is very popular as well.

Waterfalls, back roads, granite features, historic mining camps, big fishing rivers all abound. Wilderness backpacking in the High Sierra can be accessed by Hwy 108 (Sonora Pass) Hwy 4 (Ebbetts Pass) Hwy 88 (Carson Pass), Sierra US Route Hwy 50 & Interstate 80. Numerous small towns populate Historic Highway 49 for every tourists need – meals, laundry, grocery, coffee, lodging & shopping.

waterfalls Sierra Nevada

Gold Country California forest & parks –

Hwy 4 Ebbetts Pass & Hwy 108 Sonora Pass

Stanislaus National Forest
Columbia State Park

Arnold, Columbia, Dardanelle, Jamestown, Long Barn, Mi-Wuk, Murphys, Pinecrest, Sonora, Strawberry, Twain Harte

Sierra Nevada

Hwy 4 Ebbetts Pass & Hwy 88 Carson Pass, US Hwy 50

El Dorado National Forest

Amador City, Bear Valley, Georgetown, Jackson, Kirkwood, Meyers, Placerville

Sierra Nevada

Interstate 80 Donner Pass

Tahoe National Forest

Alta, Colfax, Foresthill, Grass Valley, Norden, Sierraville, Soda Springs, Tahoe City, Tahoma, Truckee

Sierra Nevada

North Hwy 49 Yuba River

Malakoff Diggins State Park

Downieville, Nevada City

red brick alley

Joss House Weaverville

joss_house_interior

The Joss House

Historic Chinese Taoist Temple

A small but impressive State Historic Park located in downtown Weaverville, a small Northern California town located near the Trinity Alps Wilderness and the Trinity River. State Park

DSCN8505This darling park is only open Thursday through Sundays (mid day) and tours can be arranged. A one room museum tells the story of the Chinese miners who came to the Trinity River region in search of gold. The neighboring temple is a historic masterpiece and has been preserved for all to enjoy. The wooden building has withstood deep snow falls and logging trucks rumbling by on the highway a block away. Neighboring museums, outdoor displays and lush creek side parks make for ideal picnic spots.

parks.ca.gov/?page_id=457

Moon Festival, Weaverville, CA

Annual “Moon Festival” at this park location in October.

joss_decore

Weaverville Joss House.
Not to be confused w/ the Chinese Josh House in San Francisco.