Went tent camping here during the middle of the week. There were only 4 other campers there out of the 40 sites available - had a quiet peaceful time enjoying the park. Be sure to follow the written driving directions on the website - google maps will take you on dirt roads. Don't count on using your cell phone - poor or no reception. Bring all of your needs - no stores in the park or near by. The Visitor Center does sell ice and wood. They only take cash. Great Visitor Center - a museum of mining and relics from the town. They have brochures and some souvenirs. North Bloomfield is population 7 now. The park rangers are very helpful - Sue was awesome. Lots of trails to hike. Really liked the Slaughterhouse and Blair trails. We'll maintained campground. Grill / fire pits, Bear Lockers, trash bins. The bathrooms were a pleasant surprise - running water, nice toilets, toilet paper, seat covers, paper towels and soap dispensers. No lights. read more

Get outside. Start and end point at the Rim Trailhead. Dogs allowed but on leash. We heard a bear, mountain lion, few wild life at the civil hours. The hike not the most comfortable. Even with bug spray, mosquitoes and other flies swarmed my head and many in my eyes; felt like Pig Pen from the Peanuts. Trail was narrow & overgrown brushes, a ton of over and under fallen trees, steep ledges but shaded. A unique highlight is the historic town you run into if passing through the campsites and the beautiful river. The ride up to the trail, dirt roads and uneven. Would suggest sunshades, our pup hiked 8.5 miles of the 14 we did but brought a dog backpack, bells to make noise, trekking poles. Did once, won't hike again. read more

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Went up in the morning before Humbug Day (2nd Saturday in June). Hike a couple miles visiting overlook, church, school and town site. Drove in on the dirt road over the Yuba River and Edward's Crossing. Also drive through campground and used restrooms that were clean. read more

I recently spent a few nights at Malakoff Diggins, and it was really nice. If you're going there, make sure to read the directions on their website, or you'll end up going eight miles down a dirt road for no reason, like I did. The correct way is to take 49 to Tyler Foote, NOT North Bloomfield (although Tyler Foote eventually takes you to the paved end of that road). The drive into the park is beautiful. The gold tails almost look like sand dunes, and, on my drive in, the pools between them had turned interesting colors of green due to Mineral discharge. All of the staff was great, from the rangers to the maintenance to the museum host. The campsites themselves are fairly large and well spaced, as compared to somewhere like Yosemite. There is about a fifty foot walk through brush to get from the parking space to the site. Reservations can be made online at least two days in advance. I noticed that they still have a lot open for this summer, including in two of the three cabins (which are located in the old town area). There are several trails in the park, but they are all short. An avid hiker could easily cover them all in one day. Malakoff Diggins is essentially a wasteland of where a forest used to be. You don't really go there to enjoy the beauty of nature as much as to see how much humans have destroyed it. Where there used to be whole mountains, there are now miles of cliffs washed away due to hydraulic gold mining. You can also see this in lots of other places in Northern California, including Folsom. Where there used to be a valley, there are now mounds of rocks half as tall as the adjacent mountains. It's weird because you can tell that a lot of the redwoods are buried, and you are hiking by their tops. The Valley itself was so miserable with mosquitoes that I was inspired to buy my first mosquito net. Lemon Eucalyptus was not enough. Deet was not enough. My favorite hike through the park was at the end of the rim trail, where I found some really big pine cones and ancient looking manzanitas. I think this park is great for kids, especially for showing them the gold mining ghost town or the effects of gold mining. For adults who are super into hiking, this probably won't be your new favorite park. I enjoyed the beauty that was still left, the nice shaded campsites, and the fact that I was able to make reservations about a week ahead of time. read more

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Great camp sites and the town tour was packed full of useful information.the lake was not to good but the steams were wonderful

Best of California This is an amazing State historic area. Hiking is fantastic. Learn about the history of the malakoff Diggins and how an environmental disaster turned into this beautiful place. This is a very easy place to visit. Pull up, walk into the visitor center, and pay your $10. Find the trails and hike until your heart's content. I visited in mid July 2020. Weather said it was 98, but it certainly felt hotter. Be sure to bring plenty of water. read more

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This park is an amazing opportunity to learn about the environmental damage that the miners cause in our area that changed the landscape of CA. Hydraulic mining caused the rivers to fill with sediment and even made the SF Bay brown before it was banned. This old town of a Bloomfield still has several original buildings left to show you some of the history of this mining town and they have done their best to preserve this special place. I love ghost towns and didn't realize this was here until recently. We lucked out and Donna was here opening up shortly after we arrived and we got a nice private tour of the town while she made her rounds. They have recently had some vandalism which just makes me sick. These places have been preserved for over 100 years and to see it destroyed is devastating. Park Rangers like Donna who are very passionate about preserving and protecting this history are a pleasure to meet and we loved our tour and the experience you gave us while we were there. Thank You! read more

What was done here won't be done here any more for the rest of time. Sure they made a lot of money they washed from these mountains but the ruined a lot of land for a lot of people. You can almost feel it as you drive through the mountains around this area. The damage to the geography if still visible and isn't changing anytime soon. A long drive from a lot of places, this for me is one of the most interesting places on earth because of what was going on during the gold rush. I couldn't help myself from looking at all of the rock. Very closely. For signs of gold! You know it was all around. Is it all gone? I think not. Hydraulic mining became the devil due to the byproduct of the operation ruining agricultural interests and you simply can't mess with the food process. Massive lawsuits brought hydraulic mining down completely. The all stopped the operations around the same time a very long time ago but you can still see it and feel it. Do a satellite map of this and the surrounding area and you will see way more of these mines right in the same area. Super cool and I shoulda taken more pics! read more

Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park - My favorite state park in California - Parks Near Me - Nevada City, California

Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park is just soooo cool. If you like Bryce Canyon NP, it'll remind you of it. Malakoff Diggins SHP is caused by hydraulic mining, but what is uncovered from it is just so neat to look at. We stayed at Hamilton Smith Jr Cabin which was $35 a night. It's expensive and like camping cuz they only have 2 wooded bunk beds (bring your own thermarest pads, sleeping bag, pillow..EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR TENT CAMPING. Inside there is a wooden stove and wood fireplace. Lucky someone left us some wood, cuz it was Hella Cold on Sat 4/14/07!! Like under 30 degrees cold! We were the only fools there in the Entire Park. This park is best in Summer. There are 30 campsites at the campground which we drove thru..Nobody crazy like us at the campsite either. WARNING: They have bears in the area so u have to hang your food if you camp. Bears can break into your car there, that's why u gotta hang your food--but only if you camp. Cabin you can leave your food in the cabin. Only 3 cabins though so make reservation thru http://www.reserveamerica.com/, but then you have to pay extra $7.50 to use it..greedy bastards. Anyways, this park is just too cool. They have a Ghosttown called North Bloomfield and you can check out the general store, drugstore, saloon, church, hotel. Nobody is in there of course but cool to see. If the Ranger that was supposed to work that day was only there we could have walked in, but everything was locked up and we had to do our own Self Guided Tour with a brochure that got wet from the rain. Usually on weekends there is a guided walk at 1 and 1:30pm, check the museum for details. We also saw all the points of interest at Malakoff Diggins SHP. The best trail to do is The Diggins. It's only 3 miles but it took us like 4 hrs to do cuz we kept getting lost. Trails are not well marked, and the walkway over the Pond was falling apart. The Hiller Tunnel is cool to see. We couldn't go in cuz the water was too high, probably best in Summer when it's dry. Bring a flashlight to go in then. From a flyer: June 9, 2007 is the 41st annual Malakoff Diggins Humbug Days! 10a-4p. Living history, games, wagon rides, bbq picnic, dancing, gold panning, candle making, tin punching, Music by Mountain Laurel & Alkali-The Last of the 49ers, world's shortest parade & shooting the water cannon! We didn't have time to check out Humbug Creek Falls. Found online write-up: http://www.waterfallswest.com/ca_humbug.html My Pics above. Highly Recommended to visit! Day parking $6. read more

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Just returned from camping 4th of July weekend. The campsites are nice and large. And lots of space between campsites. The bathrooms have running (cold) water , flushing toilets, soap and paper towels and were very clean. It was also pretty quiet considering it was a holiday weekend. Blair Lake is more of a large pond... a swimming hole really ... with a few points of entry .. it has picnic tables and bbqs as well as garbage cans ... it was perfect for hanging out in floats for the day... The only negative was having to load everything including our coolers (which we bought because they were bear proof) into the bear box every time we left the campsite... with such large spots and six people in a campsite for 3 days... we really needed an additional bear locker!!! read more

This was my 4th-5th time staying at MDSHP. Make sure to follow the driving directions on the MDSHP website rather than google maps. The road provided on the website is totally paved and all other directions bring you to an unpaved road. I do enjoy walking around the abandoned town (shops, schoolhouse, church, cemetery) and then walking to where the miners participated in hydraulic mining. We rented the three cabins adjacent to the abandoned town. Each cabin has two sets of bunk beds, a table, a wood burning stove, and a sink. The sink though drains to just outside the cabin...to the dirt, no sewer or anything like that so a bit of mud puddles. The two flush toilets are just down the road and are lit. No electrical outlets/electricity so headlamps and lanterns are a must. Each cabin has it's own good sized bear locker just outside the cabin. I did not see any bears while there but was told by a park aide there were two mama bears and their cubs that were pretty aggressive in the area. Thankfully, we didn't meet them. There were also plenty of bees at chowtime. No one was stung. Cell service is nonexistent which is one of the reasons I love going there. It was VERY hot when we were there but a nice breeze along with enough mature trees to provide shade definitely helped during the day. This is not a place that provides tourists activities. The maps/pamphlets could use some major improvement. There is a tiny museum that sells ice. No Food/Beverages are sold there. There is a small pond to fish in...you can see the fish but none got onto the hook. Kids were driven about 30 minutes away to go dunk in the river. Other than that, kids mined for a bit in a creek adjacent to the abandoned town and just played games with water pistols. Board games and reading were a bit hit with the adults. There is enough room to kick a ball around or play frisbee. It's an enjoyable place to visit but if you need constant stimulation, it's not that type of place. read more

The cliff walls are spectacular at the site of one of California's largest hydraulic mines where at one time entire mountains of gravel were washed away by concentrated streams of water in search of one thing ... gold. Malakoff Diggins was once the mining town of North Bloomfield until the California government abolished the practice of hydraulic mining in the late 1800's as an act of protecting the environment as well as cities such as Marysville, Yuba City and Sacramento which were often flooded from the streams' runoff. Much of the old mining equipment remains intact although severely beaten by the elements of Mother Nature through the years. The park's headquarters is housed in one of the old buildings along with a museum which has recreated some of the interior scenes of that era for visitors to enjoy. Most of the main buildings in the old town are still standing and these include a church, a general store and a drugstore. Most of the old mining equipment is unprotected from visitors and you can walk right up to them and explore at your own risk. Malakoff Diggins features several hiking trails both long and short. One of the more popular trails is the Diggins Loop Trail. We lucked out when we met and hooked up with another couple who were very familiar with the trail and seemed to be frequent visitors to the park. The trail was poorly marked but we trusted the guidance of one of our new found friends who led us around the trail without incident. There were several areas along the trail where overgrown brush or twigs completely wiped out the existing trail, but we flipped out our folding knives and actually helped to clear parts of two of the areas. The highlight of the trail has to be the Hiller Tunnel, one of the drainage tunnels where debris from the rushing waters use to go through as runoff. The tunnel is opened to curious visitors but it is dark and wet and signs of caution are posted warning you of the risks of going in, and depending on Mother Nature's moods, maybe not coming out. Our guide suggested a trip closer into the tunnel was ill-advised since we were not carrying flashlights. There are numerous camp sites near the state park as well as lodging in cottages and inns. My friend and I ended up car camping at the Shonter Hill Campground located about a mile outside of the park. We visited Malakoff Diggins for just one day, but given the time I'd return to spend a few more days in this beautiful park. A big thanks goes out to our new found friends, Richard and Mindy S. who set a comfortable pace for our hike and made sure we got pics of many of the highlights along the way. read more

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GREAT and remote camping site. But note, it is totally remote. You drive (forever) then drive some more on a dirt road until you finally reach your destination. It makes for a bumpy and dusty ride but once you get to the little town just before the campsite you almost feel like you're back in society... almost. This is a great campsite that offers tons of space between sites. It's set off in the middle of nowhere offering peace and quiet. There's a cute little town just before you get to the actual campground that offers a place to purchase ice and firewood, and look around the museum of the surrounding hydraulic mining. The little town also has cabins to rent, if you're not feeling tent-camping is your thing. There are also guided talks and tours given from the park rangers that are free. No showers available at this campground but there's a great river that runs about 20 minutes before you arrive at Malakoff Diggins State Park. We may or may not have used this fresh, clean, flowing water to bathe ourselves after several days of camping. It was incredibly refreshing and totally clean. Just beware of the fish that love to surround you in the water. Would definitely go back and enjoy this great camping spot again. read more

Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park - Parks Near Me - Nevada City, California

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I had a very mixed visit to Malakoff Diggings. I had gone here on a childhood field trip and decided to revisit. A few tips: 1. I'd avoid this in the winter months. This may be obvious (it wasn't to us until about halfway through the trail), but many sections of trail turn into small streams and creeks. Bring rubber boots instead of hiking shoes if it's rained recently. 2. Even though Google Maps suggests it as shorter and faster, don't take North Bloomfield unless you really want a slow scenic route with lots of bumps and dirt roads. Instead, take Highway 49 to Tyler Foote Road. 3. In addition to being wet, a lot of the trails are very poorly marked. We ran into a park ranger and he mentioned that the silt tends to bury trail markers or alter paths. Aside from getting a little lost and surprised by the bog-like conditions, you are treated to some very nice views in an isolated and peaceful state park. read more

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I camped at the group site here in mid-July. The site is decently big, we were 8 families, each with pretty big tents and there was plenty of room. The cooking area had a nice size prep table which was about 12' long and had 2 really wide charcoal grills. At the center of the site there are about 8 picnic tables within an "open structure" which seems like you could drape really large tarps over to cover the eating area if it were raining. The fire pit area has about 6 benches positioned around the pit. This site has it's own 2 bathrooms and a utility sink. Altogether we had around 14 kids and they had enough room to run around and be crazy. My only criticism was that for such a large site, there were only 2 bear lockers. The garbage cans were bear-proofed & clean, so we ended up using one of the trash cans as a third bear locker. We did see one bear nearby the camp. There were mosquitos, so bring along bug spray! One day we hiked to Blair lake where a few of us swam (it's a little difficult to get in/out and it pretty "lake-y") and then on to the ghost town area, where we caught the guided tour & the kids went gold panning. Everyone had a great time--it is pretty remote though, make sure your GPS has all necessary maps pre-downloaded--a few of our group got very lost getting here (especially at night) read more

I am a serious California history buff, and convinced my husband and a friend to camp here rather than near Independence Lake like they wanted. We were all very happy with the place. I am not going to talk about the scenery because there are lots of photos here and online, same with the history of the place. We stayed in the campground (Chute Hill) and picked site 30. It is the farthest on in, and right next to the the Slaughterhouse Trail to the town site. The site was very large, had 2 big heavy picnic tables, fire pit with a grate, and a big bear box. There is no need to hang food, as another commenter mistakingly said. There are plenty of nearby toilets to any site, and a spigot outside each. There are flush toilets and regular bathroom sinks. There are no showers or hot water. The bathrooms are clean and the campsites are very comfortable. There are regular bears in the area, but we didn't see any. Same with rattlesnakes, but hey, this is CA, what do you expect? They sell wood in the townsite, 24 hrs a day: you are on the honor system after the store closes. And when I say store, I don't mean grocery store, this is the store for the state park and has minimal conveniences, but some nice little souvenirs. The nearest real store is 7 miles away, but on a paved road. We got up and drove to somewhat-nearby Bowman Lake. This is a dirt road through the woods to a gorgeous Sierra lake. Most of it was easy, on a well worn logging road. You pass through a cool version of the ghost town at Malakoff Diggins, only this one is still lived in! It's called Graniteville, and is really a step back in time. After that, the road gets dicey (low clearance cars are going to bottom out) and ends up at the most beautiful lake. There is a tiny boat launch (all dirt and only for excellent drivers) and spectacular views. Only 4WD can get beyond the lake, and we were in a PRIUS. We kayaked and fished (skunked on the fish), then raced to get everything in the car after the sky opened and drowned us unexpectedly. If you explore the woods around Malakoff Diggins, be prepared for crazy weather. Take a camera wherever you go at Malakoff, there are all kinds of hidden treasures to take a picture of. read more

Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park has a campground you may consider visiting. If so, expect overflow-at-best campground with minimal privacy and about as much outdoors excitement as camping out in your front yard. During summer, we encountered very persistent faceflies that dogged us over an entire 10 mile hike. On 100 degree valley days, the heat is oppressive since the elevation isn't high enough to get out of the heat. Hikers should be aware that it's a very active bear area. If you do score a cabin, you'll find it to be very ... rustic ... and during the summer heat, it can be uncomfortably warm inside. The rangers are friendly and helpful and there's a nice visitor center/museum that's good for a half hour visit. Summary: if you're desperate for a campsite with no alternatives, it's OK. Otherwise, I'd pass in favor of better alternatives. read more

We had a great time here. We explored the cemetery and all of the historical buildings and took lots of cool pictures. We opted out of hiking cause it was kind of rainy while we were there. We stayed at Carter cabin. It's a smallish two room structure with two entrances-one in front, one in back-one locks and one doesn't (so barricade the door at night if you've seen too many horror movies-as I have.) There is a nice porch with chairs, a set of bare bunk beds, a cupboard, a sink, a table/benches, and a wood-burning stove. Plus a big picnic table and charcoal BBQ pit outside. Restrooms are not gross and within close proximity. Bring everything that you would need to go camping (sans tent) and more lanterns/flashlights then you think you'd need-we underestimated and wished we had more powerful light sources. It was a really fun experience. Cooking on the wood-burning stove, exploring the town, playing games by lantern-light, watching Chappelle's Show on my laptop....it was just like living in the 1860s! If you like camping and dorky historical stuff, this is a really great place to go. Be sure to make the trip before our awesome governor shuts it down forever. *A note about the roads: Tyler Foote Road is an easier drive. North Bloomfield road is much scarier. There is a long stretch of swichbacking on very narrow mountain roads. The road is often not big enough to accommodate two cars and some creative maneuvering is required. read more

Malakoff Diggins SHP is way off the beaten path and is a destination rather than a casual stop. I have visited all the other mining camps and parks in the former Gold Rush areas of California, but there was something even more special about the Diggins. The park is located about 1 hour north of Nevada City off Bloomfield Road, but be careful with your GPS. My navigation took me through a remote section of the South Yuba with tough roads and a rickety wood bridge over the canyon. Stick to the directions from the state park website for a much more relaxing journey. You should time your trip to take advantage of the tour. The park rangers offer guided tours of the park which allow you access into the beautifully restored buildings and a nice history lesson. Part of the park's legacy is to showcase some of the massive environmental disasters caused by the mining industry. This is the closest you will come without traveling to West Virginia to see the modern environmental disaster of mountaintop removal. Before or after the tour, you can drive further into the park to view the mining area which is still scarred from the massive scale of operations. Walking around feels like a disaster area with lots of rocks and pebbles still covering the landscape. Nature is slowly recapturing the area which makes for an interesting contrast. Once you get here, there is a lot to do and the area is very beautiful. Unfortunately, the park is so remote that you really have to commit to making this your trip. If you do make the trek, you will be rewarded with rich history, beautiful landscapes, and really remote camping. read more

We really enjoyed this place even though it rained all through Memorial Day Weekend. The campsite we stayed at was large, and it seemed most of the campsites are larger than your usual campgrounds. It is a fast hike from the campground to the ghost town, about 1/2 a mile downhill. The ghost town is fun to explore, but we didn't stay too long there. We also went to the man-made hydraulic canyon and made up our own disc golf course. The only thing you should know is that there are no showers so prepare to "rough it." Bathrooms were kept clean throughout the weekend. read more

This park is beautiful in the winter in the snow. And the camping is amazing! We came up here to watch a meteor shower. Perfect! Idk why people are coming in on the gravel road. Just take HWY 49 N up through Nevada City and stop at Mother Truckers on your way in. Super easy, super paved. read more

We visited Malakoff Diggin's 4-24-2015 on a Friday and the museum was open. A ranger provided a nice tour of several buildings. Visit the museum first in order to understand the unique history of this place before hiking around. We got there at 10 a.m. and packed food and drinks. It was easy to spend most of the day there. By all means, look at a road map while planning the trip. Take HWY 49 to Tyler-Foote Rd. You will stay on blacktop roads all the way to the park. Easy. N. Bloomfield Rd. is a nice route but it is not paved all the way to the park. read more

We tent camped for the weekend in Chute Hill campground. We made the reservations through ReserveAmerica.com, but you can't request a certain site until you arrive. This is slightly annoying, but at least it allows you to get a lay of the land and choose a spot that fits your needs. About half of the sites were taken when we got there, but we were able snag #14, which is big and flat and has two picnic tables. (Other sites are smaller and more secluded, but we wanted our three kids room to run around.) The site worked well for us, although the campground was a little louder than expected. But things quieted down fairly early (11 pm-ish). The rangers warn of bears in the area, and the first night there was quite a commotion as a bear had wandered into the campground farther toward the rear. People yelled and banged pots and it wandered back into the forest without incident. (We saw a couple of deer, too.) The rangers also warn of rattlesnakes, and one said he recently removed five from the town site. We didn't see any, but keep it in mind. The town of North Bloomfield is interesting, but looks like they're suffering a little from budget cuts. Still, lots of great history, and the park employees are friendly and helpful. I hiked to the Blair Lake (about a half-hour from the camp) to see if it was suitable for swimming, but there's no real beach, and the bottom is pretty weedy. However, I saw a ton of fish, and it's really a pretty spot. We chose to drive about 45 minutes up Hwy 49 and found a day use spot on the North Yuba River. (There are closer places, but apparently there are no places to park unless you get there first thing in the morning.) The kids had a blast swimming, and the water wasn't too cold. We tried our hand at gold panning but came up empty. But there are lots of blackberry bushes, so at least we found different kinds of nuggets. All in all, a great little spot. It's pretty remote, so I don't know when we'll get back. read more

In a way it's kind of sad to think of entire mountains washed away by high powered streams of water shot out of cannon-like mechanisms just for a little gold, but what is left of the mountains is quite beautiful to look at. I saw the roots of many of the trees planted atop the mountains protruding from the sides of the mountain, and it just gave me an eerie feeling. I'm glad the mining technique was abolished. It was such a massive waste of nature. I would have probably liked this park less had it not been for our luck of finding a couple who were frequent visitors to the park, and we ended up spending much of our visit with them learning fascinating facts of the park. We even did some trail maintenance that I'm certain hikers behind us would have really appreciated. read more

We decided to go somewhere we'd never been to camp for Labor Day weekend. There were sites available at Malakoff Diggins, so we booked one. You don't choose an actual site until you get there, so just know that in advance. The Good: Beautiful location. There weren't a lot of bugs other than sunrise and sunset, and you are surrounded by a million hiking trails. The views are spectacular, and the area is rich in hydraulic mining history. The campgrounds have an overlook to the Diggins area which is just amazing. Park Rangers are friendly and always around. Also, there are frequently activities going on. One day there was an ice cream social in Bloomfield, and the next day we took the daily tour of the town. It was free, informative, and very interesting. Getting to go inside the buildings was awesome! Most campsites are spacious and every one includes a bear locker, picnic table, parking space, and fire pit with grate. The museum offers a lot of information on the history of the area, including an 18 minute video. I had my arm twisted into sitting down to watch it, but it was actually very interesting. It was definitely worth the time. The Bad: Not much! You can't pick your spot until you get there, so while you definitely HAVE a spot, it might not be one you like. Many spots are a little too open or close to the neighbors for my preference. If we aren't group camping, I don't want to be so close. Also, not all spots have good access to the restrooms. The first spot we chose required a bit of a walk. Fortunately the Ranger pointed that out to us! The Bathrooms: Only two per grouping of campsites. We frequently had to wait to go. However, I'll wait all day long for a flush toilet versus having a bunch of available porta-potties or pit toilets. Also, running water in the sinks is nice, too. I don't believe there were lights, which was my only complaint. The kids HATE going to the bathroom at night if there isn't electricity. But other than that, a win. I didn't check out the showers, so no info there. Overall, this was a nice campsite amid beautiful scenery. The weather was great, bugs were minimal, and there were additional activities offered. I would recommend it! read more

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What a fabulous gem of a park. Our experience started with a phone call to Debbie the park ranger. We had never been and had questions regarding the size of the bear boxes at the Chute Hill campgrounds. Debbie was super helpful and answered all of my questions (near boxes are huge by the way) and even offers up advice as to how to get to the campgrounds with our trailer ( via Tyler Foote). Roads to get there are paved and scenic. Chute Hill campground takes reservations, but they are not site specific. I suggest picking your site and parking someone in it, then go down to the little town of North Bloomfield to the museum to get checked in. You can get ice there and firewood. The campsites range from huge and flat to long and skinny so choose accordingly. The bathrooms were very clean and well stocked. There are tons of trails and a tour to take, also lessons on gold panning too. Very fun! The only reason that I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was because there is not much ranger presence at night. Both nights we stayed people were up and making noise well past midnight. Not "partying" noise but loud talking and laughing that kept us awake. It would have been nice to have a camp host or someone around to help enforce the quiet times. So if you come here, pack ear plugs just in case. read more

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Super idyllic and well maintained little park. The town site of Bloomfield is beautiful and well worth a day trip. The hikes around the mine are fantastic. The service around the place is sorely lacking. The museum/visitor center was supposed to be opened at 10am and was still closed when we got there on a weekend at 11:30am. The reservation website said that the cabins were available for walk-ins the day we came but the ranger said they never do walk-ins. The daily tour they have posted wasn't happening either for unspecified reasons. If you go, double and triple check everything because most of the posted information on the web site and at the visitors center is erroneous. The cabins were meticulously clean, peaceful and well maintained but very rustic and uncomfortable. Bring any chairs, padding and lightening you think you may need. All in all a great place to visit but keep your plans flexible as you can never be sure what may be happening there. read more

A fun place close to Grass Valley. The hills destroyed by hydraulic mining were the cause of the first US environmental laws, and provide for a picturesque landscape nowadays. First, the logistics: driving from Grass Valley is long, and you have essentially two options, each takes about an hour. One is a fun North Broomsfield road with half of it being a gravel road with lots of dust, significant potholes and an uber-cool one-way bridge. Choose if you like California backcountry and drive a rental SUV. Another one is the Tyler-Foote Crossing road that is beautifully paved. Once inside the park (the park fee is $10, payable at the museum in North Bloomfield), other than the regular walking in the woods, you have few places to explore: - views. The best overlook is at the loop at the end of the Chute Hill campground. - trails. You can get down-and-dirty (the vegetation has been gone since the XIX century, so expect fair amounts of dust) by going onto the Church trail or Diggins loop. - the main street of the long-lost boomtown of North Bloomfield that used to have a more adequate name of Humbug. With the buildings mostly restored and not truly historical, it is still worth visiting along with the museum. A guided tours of some of the buildings is typically conducted at 1:30PM. Overall, an interesting way to spend few hours. In summer, choose the cooler days. read more

The other reviews describe a dirt road to get to the park, but you can also go HWY 49 to Tyler Foote Rd and follow the signs. Humbug Day in mid June (6/11/16) is fun - food, music, a parade and general merriment. The little town is interesting with buildings to explore and a museum. Bring a chair and enjoy the day and the music. read more

Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park - from Malakoff Diggings Museum - Parks Near Me - Nevada City, California

Park rangers were very helpful...we stayed at the Carter cabin. We didn't see any snakes or bears but there were plenty of mosquitoes! read more

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The park is terrific and the camp site is a wonderful, weekend retreat. If you want real tent camping in a beautiful, wooded setting, this is it! The camp site spaces are fairly private for a state park. We could barely see any other campers from our site. There are no showers so we only stayed a couple nights, but it was a wonderful, woodsy experience - exactly the camping experience we were seeking for our family of four. There are many scenic trails varying from very short to several miles - for all levels of walking/hiking. Also, this park and campground have the nicest rangers we have ever met. They seem to sincerely enjoy their jobs and it definitely shows. We had a fun evening around a campfire enjoying a show put on by the rangers. read more

This is a great piece of California history, and a fun place to camp or pseudo-camp. We stayed in one of the three cabins in North Bloomfield, which is the ghost town. So it was like we were on the set of Little House on the Prairie. The cabin had a wood burning stove and a sink with running water (I think only in summer), but that was about it. Like Ann L. said, bring everything else. Sleeping pads if you have em, cuz the bunk beds are just wood frames. In the little town, there's a mercantile, church, school house, post office, all set up as it was during the gold rush, which you can peer through the windows. The park office there is the only building you can actually go in to, and they have firewood, water, gold panning stuff, and a museum in back which shows an informative video of the history of the park, and how Hydraulic gold mining was done. We hiked the Diggins trail and got lost a little bit, but eventually found Hiller Tunnel, which had water running through it but we were still able to walk through in our Keens and headlamps. it's only a 500 foot walk, but man, you can't even see the end of the tunnel at first. Plus the rushing water at your feet and the cold drafty air and slippery footing, it is pretty damn scary. Highly recommend for the fear factor! After going here, you can then visit the Bay Model in Sausalito to see the effects of hydraulic gold mining and it's effect on our Bay, even today. read more

Absolutely beautiful, nature at is best. My first time hiking & it was great. A lot of rest spots along the trails. A lot of really nice views, streams & trees. The town tour was nice however the guide wasn't very knowledgeable & not quite engaged in the tour. read more

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This historic site is a must see. We went during winter to hike, but I will definitely be going back in the summer when the visitor center is open and they are doing tours. The thing that I really liked about our hike was that the trail was very well marked. We did the Diggins loop and it took us about an hour, but we were stopping constantly to check things out. There were lots of signs telling us when trails were merging or turning and there were also yellow markers to guide you through the trail. I will definitely be back to explore Humbug Creek trail, but unfortunately we did not have time. The drive in took quite a long time as it is about 10 miles on a dirt road. We did make it there with no issues in a corolla, but it was quite bumpy. read more

We went since we were in the area and they were dog friendly. Not all of the hiking trails allow dogs but that didn't stop us from walking around the historic sites. The ranger at the time was Tom Stark and not only was he over the top friendly and helpful he was extremely knowledgeable of the area and the old buildings. I highly recommend going and hopefully you'll meet up with Tom. Now I need to go find out how to donate to this specific park as the $5 per car fee was not enough to cover the day we had read more

There are a couple of things to see in the park. The best is the dig site itself, which is basically a man-made canyon. It looks pretty impressive (reminded me of Bryce Canyon in Utah). There is also the remains of the mining town, but it's rather small. The only downside to this park is the difficulty of getting there (1 hr drive from Nevada city) Read more/check out some photos here: http://blog.compasstales.com/2012/07/26/malakoff-diggins-gold-mine/ read more

There is no water to swim in or fish. If you are looking for nature , it is ok. Lots of red dirt in the camping area. No showers but the bathrooms are very clean. It's a nice place for a drive but I wouldn't camp here again , ever. read more

This is the kind of place that would get 6 stars if they had it. Hiking, camping, swimming, fishing, caves, bird watching, history, artifacts,you name it. No matter what your reason for 'getting away from it all' you can find it here. The rangers are friendly (they even brought some homemade banana nut bread to our campsite once). The annual fishing derby for kids is fun for all. The park association makes sure all of the special events are packed with activities, and the locals are always there to make sure it goes well. About half of the campsites are secluded, with the other half still spread out far enough that while you can see your neighbors, you don't have to worry about hearing them. The cabins are always a treat, but nothing beats the tent camping. It will also accomodate class C rv's, but take it slow going in, as your brakes will appreciate you more. Also, don't take the short way in if you are in a car, have a trailer, or are in an rv. The road is just too uncooperative. Best to stick to the Tyler Foote route unless you know the roads well. read more

First of all when you call to ask the question, the old lady that answers the phone snaps and cuts you off before you get to finish asking the question whether you can go metal detecting and jumps on you with a sharp rude no. You can enjoy the things she likes, such as paying for tours,paying for how to pan, cabins and tents. But if you pan, your not allowed to use a shovel. I told her then I'm going elsewhere were I can metal detect and pan, and free dispersed camping. She then started to raise her voice, so I hung up! It's a money trap, don't waste your time and money. Somebody also said the campground is too crowed and no privacy.Plus in the summer you bake in the scorching heat with mosquitoes! I canceled plans after the phone call. read more

We stayed in the Carter cabin for one night in late July. Our friends rented the other two cabins. This is a great spot to go with friends or family, especially if you can rent all three cabins. The cabins are not in the campground, they are across from the New Bloomfield Museum. Each cabin has two bunk beds, a table, a sink, and a wood stove. Each cabin is a little different. The Carter cabin has two rooms, the beds are connected together and would be a tight fit for 4 adults, and the kitchen table is smaller than in the other cabins. However, Carter has the best outdoor space and is furthest from the main road for privacy. You could set a badminton net up at this site. There is some decent shade, but bring a canopy if you have one. We fit twin airman tresses into the bunk beds. The beds are wooden and do not have mattresses on them. The Smith cabin has one large room and wider bunk beds that are not attached, and a large kitchen table. It also has a second stove. The outdoor area is smaller. All cabins have a grill, outdoor picnic table, and tall fire pit and a bear box. The bathrooms are very clean and have flush toilets and sinks. There is a pond you can walk to to swim and many hiking trails in the area. On Saturdays at 1:30 you can take a tour of the Bloomfield mining town and at 3:00 there is a gold panning demonstration and some sort of campfire/smores event at 7ish. We did not do these activities, but may try next time. I definitely plan to come back to the cabins. Don't follow GPS here, do not take Coyote Road. It is not paved and in poor condition, it adds extra time to the trip. Take Highway 49 to Taylor Foote Road, it's paved and much quicker. We also drove through the campsite. The sites are all quite large. read more

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