Road-Trip Through Gold Country in Amador County, California

In the Golden State, few places gleam brighter than Amador County in the spring. The Sierra foothills bloom with bright orange California poppies, yellow prettyface flowers, and crimson paintbrushes. And the area’s Gold Rush history shines through its well-preserved boomtowns and mines, where forty-niners once chased their fortunes. Ascend the region’s two main roads, highways 49 and 88—from vineyard-rich valleys to 9,000-foot mountain vistas—to discover new treasures. Today, the county offers a mother lode of brothels-turned-boutique-hotels, farm-to-table dining, and creekside spots where you can pan for your own sparkling nuggets.

Plymouth to Ione

Plymouth first earned its name when a nearby eponymous mine hit pay dirt in 1870. Today, it’s a gateway to the California Shenandoah Valley, where dozens of small wineries have sprouted from the soil’s unique blend of quartz, volcanic rock, rare granite, and, of course, some gold. Hire a driver from Amador Wine Country Tours and sip the region’s renowned zinfandel on sunny patios.

Breathe in a floral bouquet at Amador Flower Farm, a year-round Eden and home to 4 acres of flowering gardens, including an estimated 1,200 varieties of daylilies. Book one of the farm’s picnic tables and eat under the shade of 300-year-old oak trees.

Twelve miles south on Highway 124, in Ione, hit the train tracks on a four-wheel rail bike from Rail Explorers. The pedal-powered vehicles (with an electric motor assist) roll past sweeping Sierra vistas on the 8-mile round-trip trek to the old Newton Copper Mine.

Ione to Sutter Creek

From Ione, meander about 10 miles south and east on highways 104 and 88 to photogenic Sutter Creek, where 19th-century buildings and pockets of daffodils (the city planted 10,000 bulbs in 2020) beckon. Starting in 1873, workers at the town’s Knight Foundry began transforming molten iron into pickaxes, rock crushers, and other equipment needed in the area’s Mother Lode gold mines. Today, America’s last water-powered ironworks is a living museum. Stop by on a second or fourth Saturday of the month to feel the heat of the blacksmithing forge and hear the clang of antique machinery. 

Two blocks away, at the artist-run Gallery 10, browse locally crafted sculptures, paintings, and jewelry in a rehabilitated saloon and bordello. And then pick up an updated miner’s uniform of Levi’s jeans and a flannel shirt at Tigby Hill Vintage. Many of the shop’s flea market finds have been upcycled with colorful swatches by gregarious co-owner Mary Panzarino. (A recent pair of altered overalls featured fabric from a 1950s apron, a 1970s dish towel, and a cheeky patch on the back pocket.) 

Once a bustling stage stop, the 21-room Hotel Sutter on Main Street remains in the thick of it all. Stay for the night or just for a bite. The restaurant’s decadent Traveller Whiskey Burger (piled high with bacon and onion strings) earned it a spot on the new Amador Burger Route.

Sutter Creek to Jackson

About 4 miles south of Sutter Creek, Jackson sits at the intersection of highways 49 and 88. Begin on Main Street with breakfast at family-run Rosebud’s Cafe, where the menu of egg dishes, salads, and sandwiches is peppered with ingredients sourced from local farms. Afterward, hunt for the 21 bronze plaques marking notable buildings in this historic district, now lined with shops, wine-tasting rooms, and galleries. 

A five-minute drive from town, the Kennedy Gold Mine extends 5,912 feet down. The mine produced around $34 million in gold before it closed in 1942. Try your luck panning for the gleaming mineral and then take a 90-minute above-ground tour. 

Sleep at the storied 173-year-old National Hotel, where John Wayne reportedly once lost around $50,000 in an all-night poker game. In addition to the property’s many Victorian-era antiques, Room 201 contains furniture the actor gave the hotel to help repay his gambling debt. Rise and stretch your legs south of town on Electra Road along the Mokelumne River. Vibrant California poppies and purple lupines often blanket the spring hillsides here. Go it alone or RSVP for a wildflower walk led by a resident expert.

Jackson to Pine Grove, Volcano, and Pioneer 

Feel the elevation rise on Highway 88 as you drive 11 miles east to Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park in Pine Grove. The park is named after its chaw’se, a large outcropping of marbleized limestone where Miwok people pounded acorns into meal. Thousands of years of use pitted the slab with 1,185 bowl-shaped indentations. Keep an eye out for the rock’s 363 fading petroglyphs too.

Nearby, Gold Country Campground Resort offers furnished rustic cabins, RV hookups, and tent campsites that make it an easy home base for exploring the Sierra foothills. For starters, reel in some trout in Lake Tabeaud’s well-stocked waters or go for a gentle stroll along the shore.

Northeast, in the village of Volcano, take in a show at the intimate 47-seat Cobblestone Theatre. Even the “worst” seats are only 17 feet from the stage. Further down the road, descend into a dramatic underground world of sparkling crystals and a bright blue lake at Black Chasm Cavern. 

As you head higher and further east into the Sierra, swing by Gibson’s Roadhouse Café in Pioneer to listen to live music outside while fueling up on fluffy pancakes, biscuits and gravy, or one of eight burgers. You’ll leave Amador County feeling satiated, but with plenty more to dig into on your next visit.