If you love California history as much as we do, then you may already be familiar with California State Route 49—also known as Highway 49, the Golden Chain Highway, or the Gold Rush Trail. This historic highway runs right through the heart of California’s Gold Country, passing through dozens of well-preserved towns that played a pivotal role in the California Gold Rush of 1848-1855.
Highway 49 is named after the “49ers,” which is the nickname used for settlers who came to California during the Gold Rush. In fact, all California state route highway shields are shaped like a miner’s spade to honor the state’s Gold Rush history. The highway still follows the original path that gold seekers used in the mid-1800s, traversing the Mother Lode region through historic towns and landmarks that have preserved their 19th-century character to this day.
Essential stops on Highway 49
The northernmost point of Highway 49 begins in Vinton, which is north of Reno near the California-Nevada border. It then travels 307 miles through California’s Sierra Nevada Foothills, ending at the junction with Highway 41 in Oakhurst, which is about 14 miles south of Yosemite. Keep reading for an overview of the most essential stops along the Gold Rush Trail.
- Downieville – Founded by Scotsman William Downie and a group of African American miners, Downieville offers outdoor recreational activities along the Yuba River. This is also where you’ll encounter The Lost Sierra, a scenic region with unspoiled wilderness, abandoned mines, and great hiking and mountain biking.
- Nevada City – Nevada City’s downtown has numerous well-preserved Gold Rush-era buildings, which make for a great backdrop during their annual Victorian Christmas celebration.
- Grass Valley – The state’s richest and most famous gold-mining district, also known for large underground quartz mines and Cornish heritage. You can still visit Empire Mine State Historic Park, which has historic buildings and a preserved mine shaft.
- Auburn – A major express and supply center during the Gold Rush that still has many well-preserved structures.
- Coloma – Home to Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, where James W. Marshall first discovered gold in 1848.
- Placerville – The region’s only town with a municipally-owned gold mine and a notorious history leading to its nickname of “Hangtown.”
- Amador City – California’s smallest city by land area, home to a few historic buildings, including a Gold Rush museum.
- Sutter Creek – A mining camp-turned-prosperous boomtown with a very well-preserved Main Street, home to original brick buildings and mansions.
- Angels Camp – One of CA’s richest mining districts, known for the wacky Calaveras Frog Jumping Jubilee in May, which is inspired by a famous Mark Twain book.
- Columbia – Home to Columbia State Historic Park, a living history park with the state’s largest collection of Gold Rush-era structures and a recreated 19th-century mining town complete with costumed performers.
- Sonora – Known as the “Queen of the Southern Mines,” Sonora was settled by Mexican miners from Sonora, Mexico.
- Jamestown – Nicknamed the “Gateway to the Mother Lode,” Jamestown offers a Gold Rush experience at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, where visitors can board an antique steam locomotive or pan for gold.
While Highway 49 may not have the reputation of Pacific Coast Highway or Highway 1, it’s certainly one of California’s most underrated road trips. From the scenery of the Sierra Nevada Foothills to the preserved historic structures, the 307-mile journey is worth experiencing as a trip back in time through Gold Rush history.