This place was really cool. We took a tour that went well over an hour, walked all around the area,…read moreand learned so much about its history. Ed was a great tour guide.

Had a pretty good time here with my mom. Was able to go the museum there. The museum was pretty…read morenice. There are some trails there as well. There are signs that are by the structures that has information. It's a pretty outing if you're looking for something to do for the day.

Great experience here! The mine was cool, a short and sweet self guided tour. Which I actually…read morereally liked. You can get through both the mine and the blacksmith demo in a little over an hour. Sometimes little attention spans can't handle a full days worth of historical education (myself included). Do not skip the blacksmith demo. The blacksmith we had was a great guy. Very knowledgeable and passionate about his craft. We very much enjoyed chatting with him, and we even bought 3 hand forged pieces he made. I forget his name but he was a totally cool guy. A retired fire captain with a ton of cool knowledge and fun stories. We loved him he was the highlight of the visit. We enjoyed chatting with the gal in the stamp room too.

My family and I trekked up the mountain to meet our friends at Gold Bug Park yesterday in…read morePlacerville. It was the first visit for all 7 of us and we had a great time! Our first stop was the mine cave that was very cold inside and educational - they give you a phone that plays audio with all of the historical facts while walking through the mine. It's about 15 minutes and we really enjoyed ourselves. The staff member who handles the cave tour was great with getting the 7 of us situated and explaining the rules. We also checked out the Blacksmith and the Stamping Mill - both were also very entertaining and educational. My daughter got to hammer a square nail into a tree truck - cool way to leave a little mark on the place. Gold Bug Park also offers Gem Panning which would did not check out, but we saw a couple of kids having fun while doing it. Entrance to the park is free, but the mine cave tour is $12 per adult, $8 per kid - 5 and under are free! Overall, we had a lot of fun! So many cool artifacts and history to explore. I thought every single staff member was knowledgeable, friendly and did a great job keeping our kids engaged! We would definitely come back to Gold Bug Park next time we are in Placerville!

So there's not a lot to this location but it's a great piece of history for those wanting to learn…read moreabout the gold rush. When we stopped in here there was a living history actor portrayal of the gold rush times. It went on for about three days. There are several buildings and mining machinery viewing areas. There is also a brick wall in front of the river where the gold was found. It's not huge but there is a decent parking lot. Public bathrooms are available here as well.

1/5/2019: Driving on Cold Springs Road from Placerville is a shorter drive verses driving on…read moreHighway 49 . . . Advice voluntarily given from a local resident. Driving along Cold Springs Road heading towards Coloma CA, I noticed Wakamatsu Farm on the right side but, the Farm was closed-waaaaah~I wanted visiting seeing the silkworms! Well . . . Just a couple miles down the road from Wakamatsu Farm, there's a sign for Marshall Monument and humorously, Highway 153 IS the shortest highway in California and I really found out how short Highway 153 truly is . . . It's about 1/2 mile to 3/4ths of a mile! Now, Highway 153 . . . THAT'S the shortest highway I have ever traversed~LOL! Driving on Highway 153, bearing right, you'll grace the backside of MARSHALL~lol-just check out my photos . . . Just a quick glance of Marshall's side profile will make you smirk. After gazing upon Marshall's Monument on all POVs, you'll continue driving around Marshall, veering left, and you'll notice the cabins on your right side; however, it was raining so, I didn't leave my truck because I didn't want getting wet (Actually, I was lazy-Okay~I admit it-alright? LAZY!)! Highway 153 I guess ends at St. John's Catholic Church where I read couples may hold their wedding here inexpensively: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=26369 FYI: St John's Church: $500.00 for a three-hour time slot reservation; a rehearsal costs an additional $100.00-the church seats 65 guests. Also, there is an additional damage deposit of $250.00 applied to a reservation. This deposit is refundable as long as nothing is damaged; liability insurance is required for events. Notably, Saint John's church is a historic building, built in the 1850's: The church has no ADA (Americans Disability Act) accessibility, there are no restrooms, heaters or air conditioners located in the church either. Incidentally, if you would like to make an appointment to view St. John's or receive a Wedding Packet, please contact the park Special Event Coordinator at (530) 295-2174 or marshallgold.events@parks.ca.gov. Or, you may visit the Gold Discovery Park Association's website (non-profit organization) to download our wedding packet via www.marshallgold.com. I guess it's safe assuming down the street, Emmanuel Church might be retrofitted holding a sizable wedding with possibly ADA compliant landscaping and hopefully, an ADA toilet, a dressing room, and seating for 100 guests or more . . . HOPEFULLY~because St. John's Church lacks serious, dire amenities. Anyway, meandering down Highway 153, you veer left onto High Street. On your right side, there's a family producing organic honey and their next door neighbor is the historical Miller House: This residence is of the oldest surviving structures located in Coloma; this house was built in 1852 for Hugh Miller, proprietor of the Fashion Billiard Saloon on Main Street. Miller House has been renovated several times and from 1964 to 1983, it was the home of noted artist George Mathis and known as the "Friday House"." The building has been a bed and breakfast inn since 1983. BTW: Not too many native Californians truly know the historical background for Coloma CA . . . Here's the breakdown/lowdown backstory behind Coloma CA involving Sutter and renegade Navy man, John C. Frémont, The Pathfinder: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_C._Fr%C3%A9mont John C. Frémont is THE DUDE who named the City of Fremont CA (gee-whiz fact) and he owned a ranch in Mariposa CA, i.e., GOLD was found in Mariposa CA, too but, John got into heated lawsuits for mining rights on his land in Mariposa. John's buddies, Sutter, Lewis, Clarke, Pike's Peak expedition leader, Zebulon Pike, and Kit Carson all hung out together heading WEST from the East Coast in search of a better life and GOLD! John knew so many well-renown people like THE BIG FOUR who founded CA's Railroad System: Composed of Leland Stanford, (1824-1893), Collis Potter Huntington, (1821-1900), Mark Hopkins, (1813-1878), and Charles Crocker, (1822-1888). In addition, Frémont was the first human being setting eyes on Lake Tahoe-cool, eh? Anyway, John helped Sutter establish Sutter's Fort and also, John helped Sutter build Sutter's Mill located in Coloma CA sole purpose was solely procuring gold from the American River just down the street from the Coloma Post Office and Argonaut Cafe. Moreover and actually, President Polk wanted placating John's father-in-law, Senator Thomas Benton (his daughter was Jessie Benton who was John's wife) due to Senator Benton was John's exploration benefactor equalling $$$$$$$$$$-what an egregious lap dog Polk was with his greedy political ploys. From all the gold John and Sutter discovered, both men became very wealthy which President Polk wanted a piece of John's and Sutter's Coloma CA gold discovery-DENIED~LOL! -30-30-30-

It was hot and we were visiting the area. My husband used his mapping skills and found this area by…read morethe water. When we arrived I was stunned it was so empty! Not a huge fan of trying to relax amidst a ton of people. There is a 6 dollar per car entrance fee. There were butterflies everywhere. It is a put it here for the rafters. It is located at the south fork of the American river which I have rafted many times but never from here. If you haven't rafted the American river I absolutely recommend! Back to the park, there is a grassy area to lay down a towel and have a picnic. I didn't see Bbqs or bathrooms but I didn't look all that hard. The beach area is rocky. Beautiful rocks, most smooth. Perfect for skipping! The water is Cold but that didn't stop us. My daughter in law is very pregnant and her poor feet appreciated the frigid water. The guys, they just jumped in. I edited real quick to add, if you get in know that the water is moving fast. Be aware. Next time we come I will bring some chairs. You can also pan for gold here if you desire. Pet friendly! Wonderful spot to cool off and listen to the water I tell ya!

Great beginners trail for toddlers! My daughter is 16 months old and did this walk. We got there at…read more10 and left at 1. We saw only a few people on the trail on a week day. Saw only a handful of dinosaurs. Wouldn't recommend a stroller, you'd have to pick it up at some points, but is maybe doable. Really nice river spot to relax at maybe half way, 3/4 of the way. It's an easy loop to follow. Starts at one side of the parking lot and ends at the other.

This is a nearby nature haven for families. Lots of free…read moreparking right off the road. Pit toilet in the parking lot. Down an accessible path about half a mile is a nice beach on the river. Sandy. Rocks to sit on and throw! The path is wide and mostly poison oak free. Along the path your kids will find small toys hidden on the rock walls, in the madrone bushes, hanging from the puzzle-bark pines. Nice picnic areas have been cleared of brush and poison oak and have picnic tables. Our four-year old loved the walk, enjoyed the beach, and managed the return hike, too! We could have stayed all afternoon if we had thought to bring a blanket and sand toys. Next time we will also bring small toys to add to the fun of the search! This is a loop trail, a little over a mile, but only the first half mile is wide, accessible and clear of poison oak. We returned via this trail because the rest of the loop narrows and poison oak was everywhere. Older kids might like it.

Sos, needed a park for the kiddos and found this little park…read more Not a lot of parking spots but enough and there is places to park outside the park. Bathrooms are pretty clean. Kiddos can run jump in play in a field or on a play structure. Yes homeless people might sleep in their cars in the park but they don't disturb you!

The best park a small town can offer. Conveniently located off Mother Lode Dr directly across from…read morethe Train Station Coffee Shop. Its easy to drive past this park without even noticing it. However when you actually pull i to the parking lot you realize what a gem this place is. Its small enough so that you don't have to walk a mile to reach the playground yet large enough to host a football/soccer field and a huge playground even by adult standards. Grab yourself an ice cold drink and decompress under the shade as you let your kids tire themselves out. Or throw grab some buds and relax with a good old bbq.

We enjoyed exploring the powerful waterfalls and roaring rivers of Coloma, CA!…read more We did the Dutch Falls Hike Length: 2.5 miles Type: Out and back Level: Moderate Elevation gain: 272 ft Be sure to bring hiking poles, hiking shoes and get ready to get a little muddy (worth it, I promise!)

This trail is pretty well reviewed on Alltrails and Google but I could not find it on Yelp. As is…read moretypical, reviews on other sites can be short and quite limited so from what I read I was excited to try this trail. It is lovely right now, but you can tell it is on the precipice of drying up for the year and turning brown and dusty. Speaking of precipices, there were many areas where the path was unstable of the cliff face had collapsed. The trail was just not well maintained and there were tons of bugs, especially mosquitos due to the sitting pools of water and long grass. Even being coated in bug spray, I found dead bugs in my shirt when I came home and my hiking partner had bugs go in his mouth and eye. We saw poison oak and although I checked my dog thoroughly for ticks after the hike and found none, she is good at staying on the trail so I would be cautious with wandering pups. Overall, the trail is moderate and if maintained would be spectacular. However, the blatant disregard for the trail is a solid reason to take away a star. The other reason is that there is no parking in the area, with the exception of the museum parking lot and we paid $10 to park over a half mile away from the trailhead on a hike that will take you an hour max. Still, while this trail was disenchating, we did drive past a few other parks and trailheads in the area with free parking that we were previously unaware of and will most likely be back another day to try those.

Beautiful park. Nice playground area and a large field/baseball field. A great spot to picnic and…read morelook out onto El Dorado Hills. There is a nearby restroom, a small area with a picnic table and parking is limited, probably 10 or so spots.

This a small neighbour park with nice green grass and a Nice view overlooking the homes of El…read moreDorado Hills and the lake. They have a small kiddie playground and a small picnic area , two clean public bathrooms, and small parking lot. It's pleasant, but I would not come out of way to visit here again . It's really mostly for the surrounding homes to enjoy . It took a total of less then two minutes to circle the park. We did sneak a walk in the gated neighborhood next to the park. Very beautiful homes here !

Lions Park in Placerville, CA, is quite a gem. She's a beaut! The park was dedicated in 1968 by the…read morePlacerville Lion's Club. 24 acre park with two tennis courts, four pickle ball courts, two softball fields, frisbee disc golf course, children's play area, restroom, walking trail, and picnic tables and bbqs. The courts are locked though. City residents can purchase a key from the City's Parks and Recreation Office to access the courts. The park was extremely clean and well maintained. On my weekend visit, I was surprised to see a groundskeeper working on a weekend afternoon. He was no slacker. No wonder this place was so neat and tidy.

Great park. We came…read morefor a really good friend's baby shower. It's $50 to rent to the gazebo great price. Tennis court Park Baseball field Frisbee golf Two bathrooms Charcoal bbq ((should be scraped down once a month or something)) Lots of shaded area to sit. Pretty far out but great park Lots of parking available for your group