10 Unique Old West and Mining Towns to Visit in California

California Old West Towns

When gold was discovered in California in 1848, it brought a flood of people to the state, hoping to make their fortunes. To accommodate these people, mining towns began to spring up.

Some of these towns developed into big cities such as Placerville, Auburn, and Nevada City. Over the decades, some became ghost towns while others remained quaint little towns that still flourish today. Here's a look at some of the charming old mining towns, along with a couple of distinctive ghost towns.

1. Columbia

Known as the "Gem of the Southern Mines," Columbia was founded in 1850 and quickly became one of the largest cities in California. At its highest point, the town had a population of 25,000–30,000 people.

Unlike many of California's mining towns, when the gold dried up, the town didn't die. It continued to live on and was declared a state landmark in 1933, and then it was turned into a state park in 1945.

The buildings from the 1880s that still remain include the Wells Fargo Express, Masonic Temple, firehouses, saloons, the schoolhouse, and even an old-fashioned candy store. You'll also notice the Columbia Gazette building (pictured above,) which was a short-lived local newspaper.

While there, you can experience some Old West activities such as panning for gold, taking a stagecoach ride, watching a blacksmith at work, and trying your hand at Old West bowling. If you like visiting pioneer cemeteries, be sure to check out the city cemetery. It has some really interesting headstones.

2. Sutter Creek and Amador City

When you see all the charming 19th-century buildings along Main Street in Sutter Creek, it's hard to imagine that, at one time, it was a rather violent town with frequent shootings.

Located along the 49er Gold Rush Trail about an hour away from Sacramento, this popular mining town was founded in 1844 but quickly built up after the discovery of gold in nearby Coloma.

You'll find cute shops, restaurants and some very nice inns if planning to spend the night. I recommend a stop at Miner's Bend Park, where you can see various mining artifacts.

Only a couple of miles up the road is Amador City, another mining town that got its start in 1851. The town also has many historical buildings, including the Amador Whitney Museum, which is a free attraction that covers the area's mining history.

3. Jamestown

About 38 miles from Modesto is the town of Jamestown, which was founded after a 75-pound gold nugget was discovered in a creek near what would become the town. In its early days, it was quite a rough-and-tumble place as there was no sheriff, so nothing happened if you broke the law.

Known as the "Gateway to the Motherload," the town has numerous historic buildings, and the town and its surroundings have been the backdrop for several TV shows and movies, including Back to the Future III, The Wild Wild West, and High Noon.

Recommended

Where to Eat in the Philippines: The 10 Best Buffets I've Eaten

You can try your luck at gold panning here, and I suggest also stopping by Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, where you can see vintage trains and a roundhouse.

4. Calico Ghost Town

Calico was founded in 1881 when silver was discovered. With over 500 mines, the town quickly grew and boasted a town square, post office, school, a variety of stores, and numerous saloons.

When the time came that it was no longer economically feasible to mine, most of the people left, and it pretty much became a ghost town until Walter Knox purchased it in 1951. He restored the five remaining buildings and rebuilt the rest of the town to look as it did in its heyday.

Today, you get the feel of a real Old West town when you stroll through it, and you can have your own mining experiences. There's a self-guided tour through the Maggie Mine, the only mine that is still open.

There's also the Calico Odessa Railroad that takes you on a guided tour of the former mining area of Calico, which I highly recommend as it really gives you a feel for how vast this mining area was.

You can also try your hand at panning for gold. The people who work here are very friendly and quite knowledgeable about the town's history, so feel free to ask any questions you may have. You can find Calico just 12 miles from Barstow.

5. North Bloomfield-Malakoff Diggins

Located in Nevada County, about 10 miles from Nevada City, is the town of North Bloomfield and the Malakoff Diggins. The Diggins was home to the largest and richest hydraulic mine in the world until 1884, when this kind of mining was no longer permitted.

There are several original and reconstructed buildings, including a saloon, drug store, church, barber shop, and livery. There are also displays of the old mining equipment used. When you look out at the mountains, you can see where the water has sculpted them.

You're free to roam around the town as you like, but if you go on the weekends, you can have a free tour of the town.

You can access this either by two-wheel or four-wheel drive, but if you have a four-wheel, I suggest taking it. The last time I went, I drove a minivan, and the brakes began to smell like burnt rubber.

6. Murphys

Murphys began as a trading post in 1848 by brothers John and Daniel Murphy when the Gold Rush began. Soon, lots of tents were sprung up, followed by the building of this quaint town.

Initially, quite a few unsavory characters inhabited the area, including gamblers and outlaws, but then the town grew and became a respectable place to live. What's interesting about the original buildings here is that many were built using stones and bricks versus wood like many other towns used.

There are lots of historical markers to learn the history of the buildings here, and you don't want to miss the Clamper's Courtyard on the outside wall of the Thompson Building. You might also want to check out Murphys Hotel, which had many famous guests check-in in the past, including Mark Twain, U. S. Grant, J. P. Morgan, and C. E. Bolton, aka Black Bart.

7. Old Sacramento

In the heart of Sacramento is Old Sacramento which is where the city was originally built back in the 1850s. Over 50 original buildings still stand, including the Eagle Theater, which is California's first permanent theater, and the B. F. Hastings building, which was once home to the California Supreme Court.

Complete with cobblestone streets and horse-drawn carriage rides, Old Sacramento is a popular tourist attraction filled with shops, restaurants, and museums.

Now, if you want to know what life was like back in its Old West days, I suggest taking an underground tour. There's one appropriate for all ages, and the other is an adults-only tour that tells of the seedier side of Old Sacramento, including the murders, gambling, and ladies of the night.

8. Bodie

Bodie, located in the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, is an Old West mining town that sprang up after gold was discovered there in 1859. Over $100,000 worth of gold was produced and at its peak, the town had 10,000 residents.

Bodie had its own mill, firehouse, jail, Chinatown, red light district, and 65 saloons. It was a pretty lawless town with its gunfighters and robbers.

The town is 13 miles off the 395, and the last few miles are a dirt road. However, the road is smooth, so if you're in a two-wheel drive, you should be fine. Located inside a state park, you can park your vehicle and walk around the town; be prepared to do quite a bit of walking as it's quite spread out.

Though you can enter some of the buildings, others you can only look through the windows. Even with that, it's still quite interesting because of all of the artifacts inside the buildings. Only a fraction of the original 2,000 buildings still remain due to two previous disastrous fires. However, there is still plenty to see, and it's definitely worth a visit.

9. Downieville

Nestled in Tahoe National Forest, about 43 miles from Nevada City, is the picturesque town of Downieville. The town came about after Frances Anderson discovered gold in the area in 1849.

In its prime, Downieville hosted 5,000 residents with a town boasting 15 hotels, four bakeries, four butcher shops, and numerous saloons. Today, about 300 people reside here.

The downtown area is beautiful with its historic buildings and tree-lined streets. When visiting, check out the Mountain Messenger, which has been publishing since 1853, with Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) being a former writer.

If you look at the picture above, you'll notice a bridge. In 1851, the bridge became the site of the first woman to be hung in California history for killing a man. Speaking of hanging, the town has the only remaining original gallows in the state in the town's jail yard.

10. Pioneertown

Pioneertown is an Old West town about an hour away from Palm Springs. What makes this town different is that it wasn't built during the Gold Rush days. It was actually founded in 1946 by a group of Hollywood actors who wanted to create a Western movie set.

In all, over 200 movies and TV shows were filmed here, including The Cisco Kid, The Gene Autry Show, Howling 7, and Adventures of Judge Roy Bean. As Westerns faded, so did the film set. However, these days, it's a popular destination for anyone who wants to feel like they've stepped back in time to the Wild West days of yesteryear.

Built at 3/4 scale, you'll find everything you would expect in an old west town, including a general mercantile, saloon, hotel, livery, jail, and more. There are tons of great photo opportunities.

There's a motel if you want to stay the night, and it's the same motel that actors and film crews would stay in while filming. Most everything is closed during the week, but the town comes to life on the weekends. Park your car just outside of the town, as only people and horses are allowed inside, and yes, there are corrals if you want to bring your horse.

Old Mining Towns in California

As you can see, there are plenty of old mining towns to visit in California, and this list isn't even complete. I suggest checking the weather before traveling as some get very hot in the summer while some get snow in the winter. So have fun and enjoy your Old West adventure.

© 2023 Janis Masyk-Jackson