1/5/2019: I wrote several reviews for James Marshall Monument and Coloma State Park; however, all my reviews mysteriously disappeared! Yah~YELP! Where ARE my reviews, eh? THEREFORE, I searched ALL the YELP! photos I posted: I found a few photos dated 1/5/2019 as PROOF I did write my reviews for both locations. Disappointingly, ALL my photos AND reviews for James Marshall's Monument and Coloma State Park event MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED AFTER 2019! UNHAPPY! Anyway, in June 2022, I attended a Military Funeral I personally arranged at James Marshall's Monument for my deceased Army friend who passed away plus, instrumentally preventing his family from spending an egregious, heinous sum for funeral expenses, i.e., I contacted the Coloma State Park's Head Supervisor Ranger on my friend's family's behalf. Blessed, the Head Park Ranger Supervisor contacted my friend's family a couple days later who only had to pay $75.00 for reserving James Marshall's Monument location for my friend's Military funeral! The location presided a PRIVATE, dignified, Military funeral which involved the US Army Color Guards who fired off a 21-Gun Salute for my deceased Army friend, ample parking provided for all attending the Military Funeral, conveniently located picnic tables for food/libations setup, and more importantly, an easy, short stroll to James Marshall's Monument where the 21-Gun Salute was presided. My friend's family were so grateful to Coloma State Park's Head Park Ranger Supervisor for allowing presiding a Military funeral which was quite a distance from the Coloma State Park's American River parking lot. Reiterating, reserving the James Marshall's Monument location for my friend's family and all who attended my friend's Military Funeral, it was so PRIVATE, awesome, easy, uncomplicated set up due to the picnic tables for the food and libations were conveniently adjacent to the clean restrooms, and overall, a gorgeous, tranquil, serene, appropriate location presiding a somber, dignified, Military funeral. Finally, presiding a Military Funeral at James Marshall's Monument for my friend's family will always be remembered and revered. Best of all, all who attended my friend's Military funeral have ALL returned exploring James Marshall's Monument--again, James Marshall's log cabin, checking the construction updates for both St. John's Catholic Church and Emmanuel Church, Sutter's Mill, gold panning the American River, sent snail mail from the Coloma Post Office, ate at my friend, Noah's Argonaut Cafe, and hiked all the trails, too! BTW: Since I'm 100% Service-Connected Vietnam Veteran possessing a Veteran's Distinguished Park Pass, reserving James Marshall's Monument would be NO FEE for me! FYI: Resource Building For PHYSICALLY Applying For A Veteran's Distinguished Park Pass Resource Building 1416 9th Street Sacramento CA 95814 (916) 657-4380 https://www.mapquest.com/us/california/resources-building-375367030 www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30958​ Contact CA Park Pass Sales Office: (800) 777-0369 ext. 2 Send email: parkpassinfo@parks.ca.gov read more

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Awesome historical stop. This cute 1800s old town brings the California Gold Rush era to life with over 20 historic mining buildings. You can still see a schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop, a cafe, event venue (Gold Trail Grange), museum and a charming little post office that is actually still functional. It's a great spot for all, kids enjoy the fun gold-panning activities, adults interest to learn the Gold Rush history, walking trail, picnic and hanging out by the river. We also walked around the Mt. Murphy Road Bridge, this bridge offers great views of the South Fork American River and the white-water rafting, please watch out for cars, the bridge is narrow! Highly recommend stopping by this place. read more

Had a pretty good time here with my mom. Was able to go the museum there. The museum was pretty nice. 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. read more

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This is a great little state park with lots of things to explore. It's the home of Sutter's Mill where gold was first discovered, and it's really close to the American River. There are lots of little trails and structures to explore. We hiked up to the John Marshall monument, not too far from the base. We didn't get a chance to see the museum but I'd love to come back again sometime. Definitely worth the $10 state park parking fee. read more

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

Great stop! You could spend between 1 hr to days here! A cute museum, across the street is sutters mill, many things to see within 1 mile! Great!! read more

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A great picnic area. Lots of kayakers, wading in the river and families picnicking and walking. $10 per car. Lots of parking, picnic tables, bathrooms, life jacket loans. A great spot. read more

A nice park with all the standard amenities, an interactive area where they teach folk how to pan for gold, then an area where they can go try it for themselves! Pretty cool. :) read more

I luv this California State park. It's a whole little collection of structures and exhibits of the Gold Rush times in the mid to late 1800s. In 1848, John Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's sawmill along the American River right here. That started the California gold rush... right here in the town of Coloma, CA. The structures are all connected by walking/biking trails. It has a visitors center, museum, and picnic areas with open green space. It's one of my favorite places to spend the day. Of course, on the weekends, this place is jam packed especially in the summer. The entry fee is $10 a car. You can park along the road or in the museum parking lot. The payment system is very old school paper base. You grab an envelope at the pay stations which are located throughout the park. Tear off the payment number stub (to place in your car dashboard) and and place cash in the envelope to return to the locked box at the pay station. Don't risk not paying, they do have lots of rangers out n about. If the blacksmith shop is open, please check it out. The volunteer blacksmiths are a hoot to talk to. Fun and engaging gentlemen with a wealth of historical knowledge. read more

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This is a fun park. Came for the history, stayed for the foliage on a misty November day. This is where gold was discovered in California and there's lots of displays to read out the gold rush days along with replicas of historic buildings, equipment and scenic views. There's a visitor center which I didn't get to visit along with some hiking trails. On my visit, I did a short walk along the river and admired the changing leaves. I was short on time but would love to come back and do some the hikes up the hillsides. Fees apply but they do accept the California state parks pass. Plenty of picnic tables and lawns to spread out and spend some time if you're not in a rush. Another gem in the state park system. read more

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This is such a fun place! I highly recommend this for visitors with kids. We joined a ranger-lead tour and learned a lot of about the Gold Rush including life before the Gold Rush, how gold was discovered in the American river and the Gold Rush which followed this discovery. The tour was very hands-on - we got to see where events happened and to experience the land. After the tour, we watched a blacksmith perform his craft and got to ask him many questions. This was a lot of fun! Later, we explored the Gold Rush museum. The museum is really well organized - our LO enjoyed exploring it! Our LO earned a State park Junior Ranger badge here. Great time was had by all! I Highly recommend Marshall Good Discovery! read more

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What a great museum showcasing the California Gold Rush and beginnings of statehood. This is THE location of where gold was reported being found that started it all. About 90% of the museum is outdoors. They have so many attractions from the mill, to stores, gold panning, a blacksmith, school, old stores/shops, military, Asian history, Native history, and a few more things that just don't come to mind. We were here on a school field trip and spent about four hours. There is a lot to explore. If you come here as a family or by yourself, they do have built-in grills in the picnic areas if grilling is your thing. Overall Amazing time learning about the gold rush and what led to the beginning of statehood for California. We'll worth the trip! read more

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My partner and I explored this state park for the first time on Thursday. It's pretty spread out so there is a lot of walking if you do more than the museum but it's beautiful out here. If you come on a weekday there is likely going to be a field trip so I would recommend a weekend. There is a cafe in the park that we tried and enjoyed (see my review for the Argonaut Cafe) and the museum was interesting but just walking around the park was my favorite part since there was a lot to learn outside of the museum as well. I found this place more interesting than Sutter's Fort so I would check this place out if you are interested in the history of the gold rush. read more

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Sunday, 10/15/2023 - Went to Coloma Gold Rush event today. It was pretty cool! People dressed and lived like back in the old days. We learned a lot. There's this guy that made these rolled thin wood things covered in beeswax. They use to use it to light a fire, cigar, pipe, etc. They used it for trading. There were tents that charges for wash, dry, iron. Tents that sold candy. Mercantile tent that sold all sorts of stuff. A doctor tent if your sick. Saw a puppet show. There's an old wagon ride you can go on. Vendor foods and stuff you can buy. Museum. Gift shop. Kids corner with all mins of activities. Learned how to milk a cow, made rope, made little dolls, etc. So much going on. It was really neat. We had so much fun, staffs were so nice, and we learned a lot. I hope they continue to do this every year! We had so much fun. read more

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Visited back in October 2022 with my wife... Beautiful nature walk with tons of historical artifac, stuff to see, pose near, reflect, refresh, and just get outside. Coloma is rich with history, and it's a wonderful day trip excursion to explore one of Northern California's landscapes 'rich' with facts about the gold mining era... read more

We had been to this park many years ago in our early marriage so this was a bit of nostalgia to return recently. Commemorating the site of the discovery of gold by John Marshall, this park is packed with history. A short, flat trail hugs the American River and leads you to the discovery site and a monument to the site of Sutter's mill. The river is lovely and full (not a creek) backed by scenic hills. We were pleased to see numerous upgrades to the park that have been made since our initial visit. An impressive, large, wooden gold sluicing structure has been created, as well as a wonderful museum. Many picnic tables are available overlooking the river which made for an enjoyable lunch. Finally, at one end of the park we drove up a hill to see a tall statue of John Marshall. Hiking is limited here, the park is not huge, but it's definitely worth a visit for its role in California history. read more

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My fiance and our two daughters went here to spend a day with nature. It was beyond beautiful and perfect for the family. The area is open and vast, we brought the kids scooters too! We laid out a blanket on the grass area and had our packed lunch and rested while the kids played. Then we hiked! So cool for kids, bring a stroller if you have tiny ones. My kids are 6 & 8 and they did just fine! The path on the hike is absolutely gorgeous and so aesthetic, bring a camera for sure if you're into that sort of thing (I am!) When you get to the top there's an area to rest and hang out. There's a creek or (lake?) area where we sat on the rocks and saw people float on by in their kayak's. People had their dogs out there as well if you have any doggies you want to bring along. The historic area is gorgeous and so fun for kids. You can see in the windows of some of the old establishments and my daughters thought they were on the set of a movie! It is a very nice area and I definitely recommend for a nature day with the family! read more

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Make every effort to take a tour or engage a docent on your visit. Make every effort to take a tour or engage a docent on your visit. It certainly would be worthwhile wandering this park and picturing yourself back in the 1800's as a settler discovering gold yourself. But hearing the back stories of the discovery, the Chinese corporation (such as they existed at the time) setting up shop in this location, the operation of the lumber mill, the "Mother Rock", etc. greatly enhanced our visit. A must stop if you are touring gold country. read more

What a fun day here! We chose this place over all the other stops on highway 49 because it seemed like there was the most to do. We arrived on a very hot day - over 110* so there were no tours. But it wasn't a big deal there were plaques and information everywhere. We opted to spend the $7 for a pan and vial drove over to the south fork American river and we mined for gold in the same river that James Marshall found the very first nugget that started the 1849 gold rush. I have to admit. There was so much gold dust/flakes that we all got gold fever. We spent 2 hours at the river before we realized we missed our reservation at the caverns. We loved this spot so much and I'm so glad we came here. Highly recommend. read more

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I have long loved this park and have an annual pass and walk there almost daily. However, I have been greatly disturbed by the recent management of the area. Very many healthy, mature trees are being cut down for no discernible reason. This not only mars the natural beauty of the park, but makes it barren and hot, with far less shade for walkers and picnickers. A couple of examples are that a beautiful olive tree at the monument picnic area was needlessly cut down, and there was a beautiful resilient oak tree up by the monument bathrooms that had toppled over, but continued to grow horizontally, and it was just lovely. In addition, they have taken out numerous tress in the picnic areas near the museum, leaving ugly stumps and no shade. I would completely understand trimming up low branches or thinning brush or taking out sickly trees in danger of falling on people or historic structures, but this is definitely not what is going on here. I have no idea who is making the decisions, but the almost clear-cutting approach to tree management at this park is just awful. Shame on them. read more

Adorable park with lots of historic buildings to see. We visited on Marshall Gold Discovery Day and it was lively but not too crowded. Plenty of activities and the volunteers were super eager to share information. Dog friendly outdoors (just not in the buildings). read more

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Having not grown up in California I was curious about the history of the Gold Rush and we checked out "Gold Country" one weekend. It's nice out here and the American River is gorgeous. Can almost picture those 49ers panning for gold. You can do it yourself, apparently, but I'll leave that to the kids. We hiked the Monroe Ridge Trail and Monument trail which was a nice 3-4 mile loop around the park. The trail head is near the James Marshall monument. In the park itself you can walk around and read about Sutter's mill, equipment used for mining, among other historical tidbits. There's a small area for the Native Americans who were originally in the area, and even a small area for the Chinese immigrants that came as a part of the migration. During COVID-19, the indoor facilities such as the museum are closed. read more

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Post Covid Review. This is a cute small section of Northern California that still preserves the history of the Gold Rush. This is a great little get away and a great educational spot for young mind. read more

As a relatively new resident of California, I found visiting this site to be very informative and fun. In a small but interactive area, you can learn a lot of history about the area and California more broadly. My girlfriend and I came on a summer weekend, and there were barely any people around. The indoor museum is small, and it is a must. I appreciate the angle it takes when discussing gold's impact on the Native Americans who were originally in the area. That thread is never lost throughout the exhibit, though in history, and often is. The large scale dioramas are entertaining but also very illustrative. It is definitely worth walking around outside as well. There are a lot of good examples of actual tools that were used for gold mining as well as the site where gold was discovered. You're truly walking into history. Well maintained and not commercialized. read more

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park - Lots of placcards with history - Parks Near Me - Coloma, California

If you have young children, this is probably a nice little spot to visit. There were lots of school buses when we visited and I am sure that for children this is a nice way to spend an educational day. For $10 you can get a parking pass for the day and visit the small museum here. There are outdoor exhibits and markers as well. We came in April and it was quite hot and dry with little greenery or shade, so I would not recommend coming any time after May as I cannot imagine the temperatures. We saw a sign that said $10 to pan for gold and there were some small children being helped to do so by people in period clothing but both the kids and the "actors" seemed quite bored. We tried walking a trail, but for all the rangers and employees we saw, the trails were not well maintained. We also stopped near the water but I just did not find this an exceptional place to spend the day so we headed out. If you just want to enjoy nature, there are plenty of free spots along the way but $10 for some history is a small price to pay. I guess it just depends what you are in the mood for. read more

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Great piece of history to visit. A little bit of indoors with a lot of outdoors. Tip: if you go across the one lane bridge to pan for gold, buy your pans at the resort general store across the street. They're $3 cheaper there. Watch for bees crossing the bridge though. We got stung. read more

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park - Parks Near Me - Coloma, California

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Grandson missed his school trip because of covid and had to do the video trip so we took him to make it like we did with his brother and mother so glad we did.. Also made it nice as my being a veteran is honored with parking pass.. so Thankful for the staff and how we were extended a powerful lesson for our grandson.. read more

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California has had many histories, and one of them started in 1848 on This Spot. From Highway 49, you can see a replica of a big mill that stood on that spot. On the other side of that mill is the American River, where John Marshall found a yuge gold nugget. This started the Gold Rush, and 1-1/2 years later, California became a state. Several buildings from old Coloma are still standing, and can be viewed. This state park, however, is not restored the way Columbia was. Most of the buildings are gone, replaced by signs saying "Wells Fargo / the Monroe General Store / the Odd Fellows Hall stood here." So it doesn't have the same feel of living history that Columbia does. But you can still get a sense of what the area was like 150 years ago. The best of the lot is the one-room schoolhouse, which is furnished the same way as when students were last taught here in the 1950s. It doesn't take a lot of time to explore, and it's worth a short drop-in. read more

Nice place to visit alone or with a family. Museum and actual old structures to explorenor at least look into. Large area to cover both side of the road down to the South Fork of the American River. Picnic areas available or Argonaut snack Cafe open at times. Replica of Sutters Mill worth checking out. Very accurate. read more

Even if you don't know much about or don't take a serious interest in the CA gold rush, this little state park is a nice excursion not far outside Sacramento. It's a quaint place with historic ruins (check out the jail) and a fabulous museum, especially for its size. Really--the life-size models are wonderful, and the staff is knowledgeable and engaging. Wander the grounds to find a replica of the old sawmill and the spot where gold was first discovered. Read up on the history of the town, the Native Americans who lived in the area (and worked mining gold--not by choice), the Chinese immigrants who mined and set up shop, etc. The old schoolhouse is neat, and there's a tiny shop that makes and serves pies. You can pan for gold on your own or with help. There was a rubber duck race and some vendors and a barbecue the day we chanced to visit, so check online for fun events. Also, this area of the American River is popular for kayakers and there are companies who do guided white water rafting tours. read more

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This is a great place. I went here with my dad yesterday. The man in the blacksmith shop is nice.

I wanted to go here and see the museum stuff. I didn't see a single bit of it, because my child has gold fever. All I did was sit by the river for a few hours while he panned for gold (I occasionally got in on it) and it was a perfectly lovely afternoon. We found a shady spot under a mulberry tree next to a blackberry thicket on the bank of the American River. We had a great time eating berries and cursing at pyrite for not being gold and dipping in and out of the water, which was clean and cool. I look forward to coming back to check out the rest of the park! If your kids are losers who don't care about museums, don't overlook this place. The river access alone is worth it. read more

Historic, scenic, monumental. Fantastic area for family fun with a bit of education. Trails well maintained, features monument of James Marshall, pioneer cemetery, old church house, group picnic area (with well maintained restrooms) and access to Sutter's Mill. read more

This is such a cool hidden gem. They do a fantastic job maintaining the park, accessible restrooms that are super clean, lots of hikes only limited by how much you want to explore, and plaques every few steps giving you the story start to finish. It's a great, covid safe, day trip read more

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park - Parks Near Me - Coloma, California

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We enjoyed the California History lesson and step back in time. The park and ranger staff were knowledgeable and helpful. Thank you!! We paid $7 to pan for gold and $3 for a guided tour led by a park ranger. Parking is $8. The machinery used for extracting gold, the history of the many people groups who settled here and learning their way of life made the trip worthwhile. Worthwhile visit. read more

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park - Substantial narrative of Chinese American history during the gold rush.... - Parks Near Me - Coloma, California

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I came here with my daughters class on a Field Trip. What a great experience. Everyone was dressed up and it really looked like we walked back into the past. There was so much to learn and look at. My daughters favorite part was the gold mining. We were there for 3-4 hours and still didn't get to see everything they had. We'll definitely need to take another trip here so we can take our time and look at everything. They do have bathrooms in a few areas. I saw a snack bar area. You can bring in your own food. There are a lot of different areas were you can sit to eat for lunch. read more

James Marshall found gold here. Most of the men who came to Coloma were hoping that they would become rich. They worked hard and long hours in the cold rivers with the hot sun shinning down on them. If you've ever done gold panning you'll quickly see how after 30 minutes your back will become sore. We participated in the walking and the gold panning tour. The walking tour was so eduvational. You could walk around without the guide but it is sure nice to learn about the natives, James Marshall, and the plants growing here.We also ate at the Argonaut Farm to Fork Café which was very tasty. There is so much history here and so much to see. A lot of it is within walking distance but you do have to drive to see the church, James Marshall cabin, and the James Marshall monument. read more

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Do it yourself state park. The museum is dated and minimal. The map of the park attractions is difficult to read and there few things to see require some walking around and exploration. That being said, my dad got us free day passes by being a disabled vet. I loved being in the river. So much so, that we came back a second day so I could keep panning for gold in their little gold panning beach. The water was cool and nice. Such a pretty spot. I also liked the Sutter's Mill spot and the jail. The post office was a real fully functional Post office and it was cool to go in and hand my postcards to the person inside. The blacksmith shop was cool with two people in there hammering away on stuff, like it wasn't 100+ degrees even with being next to a fiery forge. I also liked the Pioneet Cemetery and the Marshall monument. read more

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Recently went here for a field trip with my son's class. It was very enjoyable, lots to see and learn. Our tour guide Ed was very knowledgeable and patiently answered all our kids questions, however silly they were. I highly recommend asking for him specifically if you have the chance. The kids did some panning, made a little leather pouch, and learned a lot. Overall fantastic! read more

Visiting this state park was a great experience. I grew up in Ohio and only moved out west four years ago, so I didn't learn any California history as a child. Now having visited this park, I know so much more about the discovery of gold here in 1848. It's so interesting that the discovery was accidental and lamented in some ways by Marshall and Sutter. They wanted to build a lumber business and just happened to find gold in the rocks as they were building the lumber mill. So much for their plans for a peaceful small community! My fiancé and his Sacramento-based family and I came here on a toasty summer Sunday afternoon. It was fun to watch the rafters and kayakers navigate the roaring river. We enjoyed walking on the trails and reading the informational signs. I wasn't wearing hiking appropriate shoes, but that was no problem on the finely crushed gravel trails. The female employee to whom we paid our $8 entrance fee at the North Beach parking lot was very friendly. The Gold Discovery Museum was good for a quick walk-through and to take a break from being outside in the sun and heat. There are lots of bathrooms, drinking fountains, and parking spots in the shade to be had. The water in the south fork of the American River was freezing and refreshing to the touch! As a child of the 1990s, I played so much of the Oregon Trail computer game that I just love seeing the covered wagon display and thinking about pioneer life. The only downside of our visit was that we could not walk down to the neat sign that had been constructed along the river in 1926. The heavy rains this winter and spring washed away the path to it, and we obeyed the signs that said "trail closed." I'd like to come here again with proper hiking shoes and gear to walk to the James Marshall Monument and to the lookout point (elevation 1,276 feet, says the park map). read more

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park - Parks Near Me - Coloma, California