TuolumneCalifornia

History and hiking in California’s Gold Country

Tuolumne County is the front door to Yosemite exploration, Gold Country discoveries and High Sierra adventure during a California vacation. Just 2 ½ hours east of the San Francisco Bay Area, it’s easily accessible year-round for all-season fun and adventure. With endless outdoor recreation, sightseeing, history, shopping, wine and cider tasting, first-rate theater and more, Tuolumne County is the ideal destination for families, couples and friends. From camping to full-service resorts, visitors find lodging for every budget and taste.

Yosemite and the Highway 120 Corridor

Over half of Yosemite National Park is located in Tuolumne County--it’s the least crowded half too. While in Yosemite, visitors walk in the majesty of towering giant sequoias in the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias or in the incomparable and open scenery of Tuolumne Meadows. Also, a hike around Hetch Hetchy Reservoir to uncommon waterfalls that are comparable in beauty to their Yosemite Valley rivals is a must-do.

Highway 120 West, the Northern Yosemite Highway, is the access point to endless recreation on the Stanislaus National Forest. Camping, hiking, white-water rafting and swimming are just a few options. Travelers also pass through Groveland, one the County’s Gold Rush towns, which is a great place to get a bite to eat in a historic saloon, shop, golf, bike and horseback ride.

Gold Country

Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown is a visitor favorite with a working roundhouse, steam locomotives and railroad cars of the Sierra Railway. The highlight of the park is Sierra No. 3™, known as the movie star locomotive. It has been featured in hundreds of movies, TV shows and commercials such asHigh Noon, Back to the Future IIIandPetticoat Junction.

Also in Jamestown, the “Walk of Fame,” where park paths and sidewalks are dotted with plaques featuring many of the movies filmed in Tuolumne County delights movie fans.

There’s no better place to get immersed in California’s Gold Rush history than in Columbia State Historic Park. It’s where visitors walk wooden sidewalks, ride an authentic stage coach, pan for gold and chat with docents dressed in period attire. Historic inns, restaurants and shops supplied with old-fashioned treats and trinkets add to the ambiance of this working town.

Sonora is a great base camp for a visit to Tuolumne County. It’s an easy access point to all of the fun in the surrounding area with many lodging options. Its historic downtown is home to shops, museums and more, plus two casinos are nearby.

The High Sierra and Scenic Highway 108

No matter one’s definition of adventure, it awaits along the Highway 108 corridor. Uplift your spirit in the High Country while hiking, biking, backpacking or horseback riding on hundreds of kilometers of wilderness trails in the expansive Stanislaus National Forest. Dive in, cast a line or launch a boat on pristine mountain lakes, rivers and streams, or pitch a tent or park your RV under a blanket of stars that’s truly out of this world.