Highway 49, Self-Guided Drive from Auburn to Placerville

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Hear miners' stories on a journey back in time to gold's discovery on this self-drive audio tour. Experience the magic of GPS-playback on this Highway 49 drive from Auburn to Placerville.

Tours In Coloma

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Explore California’s Gold Country on a driving tour along Highway 49, and some of the state’s most peaceful backroads from Auburn to Placerville. I’ll share the history of the California Gold Rush as you visit the gold rush towns of Auburn, Placerville and Coloma, where gold was first discovered in January 1848. You’ll also hear stories from miners’ diaries that’ll bring history to life.

Along the way, you’ll have the opportunity to visit the Gold Rush Museum, a stamp mill, and a blacksmith shop. You’ll also find examples of some of the tools used in placer mining, the method used to find minerals in stream beds, which gave Placerville its name.

Your drive from Auburn to Placerville takes you along the spectacular American River. We’ll offer plenty of suggestions of places to get out and stretch your legs, and walk along the river where early prospectors panned for gold.

On this tour, you’ll have the opportunity to:

• See where gold was first discovered by James Marshall at John Sutter’s Mill whilevisiting Marshall Gold Discovery State Park
• Learn how gold was mined
• Find out how miners traveled to California in 1848
• Explore Gold Bug Mine, an actual hard-rock mine from the late 1880’s
• Take in the beauty of the peaceful, untouched backroads of California
• Hike along the Gerle Loop trail at Magnolia Ranch Trailhead where you’ll catch glimpses of the American River
• See the James Marshall Monument and learn more about the man who first reported gold in the area

This driving tour is the first part of a series of four driving tours that explore California’s Gold Country, covering the area from Auburn to Jamestown, California. Each tour in the series may be enjoyed on its own or together, as part of the series. All stops along the way are optional. Fees to visit parks, trailheads, wineries, or museums are not included in the price of this tour. For detailed information about the stops on this driving tour, please see “Places to stop along the way” in the tour description.

This 32-mile driving tour may be completed in about 2 hours without any stops. On the other hand, this is your adventure. You may stop where you want when you want and for as long as you want. It’s up to you. Happy Adventures!