Hotel Location

There are tons of antique stores running from one end of the county to the other! Some towns of note: Amador City, Drytown, Sutter Creek...

Antique stores can be found from Angels Camp to Valley Springs and at many points in between.

Black Chasm Cavern was designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service in 1976 after being recommended by local members of the National Speleological Society, and as such is considered a "nationally significant natural area.” Visitors to the cave are enchanted by the beauty of a wide variety of formations including stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones and the vast arrays of rare helictite crystals, for which Black Chasm Cavern is justly famous. Above ground, kids love our gemstone mining at our mining flumes right outside the Visitors Center. Everyone is guaranteed to find some real gemstones; the perfect start to a rock collection! Try our new incredibly popular geode cracking too!

In 1849 or 1850, Captain Joseph Taylor was target practising on a rocky outcropping and noticed that his targets were being moved by a breeze which seemed to emanate from the rocks. When he investigated this curious phenomenon, he discovered the entrance to a cave which he named Mammoth Cave. In 1850, Captain Taylor opened the cave for public tours, making it the first show cave in the state of California. Click on the interactive map at left to see the original walk tour trail, in comparison with the current, longer walk tour trail which was established in 1980, after the cave was renamed California Cavern.

Moaning Cavern holds the largest vertical chamber in a public cavern that you can see in California. In fact, it's so big, it could hold the entire Statue of Liberty!

Welcome to the official website for Black Chasm Cavern, California Cavern, Gold Cliff Mine, and Moaning Cavern. Here you can find everything you need to plan your trip for some cool underground adventures from the mild, to the challenging and wild!

Discovered on Sept. 1, 1885, by Walter J. Mercer, Mercer Caverns is one of the oldest continuously operating show caves in California. Located in the heart of the California Gold Country in the Sierra foothills of Calaveras County just outside the historic gold mining town of Murphys, Mercer Caverns has been welcoming visitors for over 125 years. Visitors taking a tour of Mercer Caverns have the opportunity to view an amazing variety of cave formations such as stalactites, stalagmites, draperies, columns, flowstone, helictites and soda straws. At one of the deepest parts of the caverns visitors will be able to see a beautiful and delicate array of aragonite crystals for which Mercer Caverns won a Grand Prize at the 1900 Paris World Exposition. Visitors also have the opportunity to experience a world of total darkness when the lights in the caverns are briefly turned off. Designated as California Point of Historic Interest #004, Mercer Caverns is truly a jewel of the Motherlode.

Mokelumne Hill will celebrate the 4th of July with its annual parade and a day of patriotic revelry. Come on out, wave your flag, be a part of America at its small town best.

May 16-19, 2013 The Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee is one of the longest running events in the State of California. Its earliest roots date back to 1893, held that year in Copperopolis, the fair eventually found a permanent home outside of Angels Camp. In the spirit of the old movie classic "State Fair," the Calaveras County Fair is a blend of entertainment, exhibits, livestock, arena events, great food and our signature event, the Frog Jump. This piece of Americana will have you Leaping to return year after year.

The Fireman's Ball features live music and benefits the Volunteer Firefighter's Association. It is held near Valentine's Day.

Castle Oaks Golf Club is one of Northern California’s premier public courses – named “Best Public Golf Course in Nor-Cal” by Golf Digest when it opened in 1994 – it remains a Golf Digest Places to Play 4-Star rated course. Situated on the historic oak-studded Preston Farmlands and overlooked by Preston Castle, built in 1894, renowned architect Brad Benz designed a superb layout that will challenge players of all skill levels. Sutter and Mule Creeks wind through the course, along with numerous wetlands and lakes, making every shot a memorable one.

Dry Creek Ranch Golf Course will challenge your game and your shot making skills with a lot of trees, traps and narrow fairways. You will be rewarded for carefully planned and executed shots and punished for improper course management. In all respect we want everyone to have a great time while playing here.

Greenhorn Creek Resort is known for it's outstanding course conditions and well manicured greens, creating the finest golf, dining and lodging destination in the Sierra Nevada Gold Country. Voted best golf course in the Mother Lode (Central Sierra Foothills) since 2002 by area golfers.

The 9-hole "J.B." course at the J.B. Golf Course facility in Farmington, California features 889 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 27 . The course rating is 35.0 and it has a slope rating of 113. Designed by Jim Boone, the J.B. golf course opened in 1990. Jim Boone manages the course as the Owner.

Nestled in the foothills of the Sierras in the heart of the "Gold Country" La Contenta Golf Club has been a favorite destination for golfers for more than 35 years. Under new ownership La Contenta has undergone a complete facility remodel including a new golf shop, event center banquet facility, restaurant and lounge. La Contenta's management and staff is committed to offering the best value to our patrons whether through a membership program, hosting a fund raising outing or tournament, coordinating a memory filled wedding or through the casual elegance of the Vista Grille and Lounge. Honored by Golf Digest, La Contenta Golf Club continues to improve as one of Northern California's best public/semi private golf clubs and event centers.

Lockeford Springs Golf Course, is a public, par 72, 18 hole course located in the heart of the Lodi wine country. Our course has been designed to provide an enjoyable round of golf for the novice player, while providing a unique challenge for the highly skilled golfer. The guests at Lockeford Springs will find a warm, friendly atmosphere which will enhance the experience of their golfing and/or social outing.

Mace Meadow is located 19 miles East of Jackson on scenic Highway 88. At an elevation of 3,200 feet, our course offers a mountain setting with outstanding scenery above the valley fog and valley heat. Tall Oaks, towering Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir and Cedar trees abound to make this a challenging course for all golfers. We can host tournaments of any size and provide a hospitality concierge tournament service.

The 9-hole "Meadowmont" course at the Meadowmont Golf Course facility in Arnold, California features 2,931 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 36 . The course rating is 35.2 and it has a slope rating of 124. Designed by Dick Frye, the Meadowmont golf course opened in 1962. Bobbi Sue K. Dofflemyer manages the course as the General Manager.

Mountain Springs Golf Club is ideally located above the fog and below the snow in historic Sonora, California. Play this scenic 18-hole Robert Muir Graves designed championship course while enjoying the Gold Country and the scenic beauty of the Sierra Nevada foothills. Opened in 1990, Mountain Springs has rapidly matured into one of the most popular facilities in the Sierra Foothills. This Robert Muir Graves-designed course is a challenge for players of all abilities. Mountain Springs provides a stocked Golf Shop, driving range, putting greens, and four sets of tees to accommodate golfers of all abilities!

Pine Mountain Lake Golf Course, designed by William F. Bell, has been rated "4-1/2 stars Best Places to Play" by Golf Digest magazine and is open for play year-round. The challenging 18-hole championship course is available for tournaments and public play and is always in excellent condition. Our 18-hole, 6,382 yard, par 70 course offers everything a golfer, beginner or expert, could want from a round of golf: a classic park-like setting, a fair but challenging layout and enough trees to make you wish you had a chainsaw as your 14th club!

Rolling through the foothills, our 18-Hole championship course was designed by Carter Morrish and opened in 1996. This scenic and challenging course features both gentle and dramatic changes in elevation. Breathtaking views are just part of the experience, including dramatic views of the Sierras, Yosemite and a plentiful variety of wildlife. Natural lakes, streams and grasses frame each hole with flashed bleach white bunkers to excite your every shot.

The Twain Harte Golf Club is a recreational facility for residents and visitors of the Twain Harte area. It is a 9-hole golf course with associated facilities appropriate for a community based activity. Beginning in 1960, at a cost of approximately $40,000, Robert Baldock, of Fresno, designed the nine-hole course that features large greens, thick woods, and elaborate landscaping. The course was sponsored by the Twain Harte Rotary Club until its incorporation as an independent, non-profit organization in 1961.

Welcome to Amador City, a charming gold rush town located just minutes from the Shenandoah Valley wine region along historic Highway 49. in California's Gold Country. One of California’s smallest incorporated cities, with a population of just over 200 residents, Amador City is a little city with a lot to offer. Original mining-era buildings are now home to unique shops including antique stores, boutiques, art galleries, wine tasting and museums. Gastronomic options include an artisan bakery, old-fashioned soda fountain and lunch counter and gourmet lunches and dinners. The Imperial Hotel affords visitors an opportunity to stay the night and enjoy Amador City’s Gold Country small town way of life.

his building, originally the Kling Building is probably the oldest commercial building in town. It dates back to 1860. Throughout the years, it has housed many types of businesses including the Wells Fargo Drayage Company. Most recently, the building was owned by two gentlemen, Jerrold Whitney, and Clayton Pinkerton. Mr. Whitney was a gregarious antique dealer, and Mr. Pinkerton was a well known Bay Area artist. Upon their deaths, they bequeathed the building to the city of Amador to be used as a museum. In 1993 the building became known as the Amador Whitney Museum.

Calaveras Big Trees Association (CBTA) can trace its roots to the original Calaveras Grove Association organized in 1926 by a group of individuals intent on preserving the historic groves for future generations. Through their efforts Calaveras Big Trees State Park was born on July 5, 1931.

The downtown museum complex, which houses many of the exhibits and collections, is locted in the old government center with the Courthouse, Jail Yard, and Hall of Records. View selected exhibits online.

ndian Grinding Rock State Historic Park (IGR) is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills 12 miles east of Jackson, CA. The park nestles in a little valley 2,400 feet above sea level with open meadows and large valley oaks that once provided the Native Americans of this area with an ample supply of acorns. The park was created in 1968 and preserves a great outcropping of marbleized limestone with some 1,185 mortar holes -- the largest collection of bedrock mortars in North America.

Located in the heart of the California Mother Lode, Columbia State Historic Park is a living gold rush town featuring the largest single collection of existing gold rush-era structures in the state. Visiting Columbia is like traveling back in time to the sights, smells, and sounds of a nineteenth century mining town—merchants dressed in 1850′s attire, a whiff of coal smoke from the blacksmith shop, and the rumble of a stagecoach pulling into town! Spend the day enjoying fun activities for the whole family. Pan for gold, explore exhibits, ride the stagecoach, discover unique shops, and learn about the rich history of the California gold rush on a guided town tour.

Mining for gold began here in the spring of 1848 when Mexican, Indian, and American miners searched for gold in the rich gravels along Dry Creek. The town which grew up around the creek was called Drytown and it is the oldest town in Amador County. Although the creek may have run dry during the summer months, legend has it the town never did, as an old story claims some twenty-six saloons wet the miners' whiskers during the early 1850's. Bayard Taylor walked into town on November 15 of 1849, finding a population of between two and three hundred miners established for the winter. Some twenty-five to thirty cabins and tents were spread out along the creek, which was crossed by walking over a fallen tree.

The largest town in Calaveras County, Mokelumne Hill served as the County Seat from 1852 to 1866. The cosmopolitan population contained large numbers of French, German, Chinese, and Italian, along with immigrants from the Eastern States. Water arrived by canal, while stages connected the town to Stockton and ships completed the link to San Francisco. With the decline of "free" placer gold by the 1860s, the town declined, subsisting on an agricultural economy. Hard-rock mining boosted incomes around 1900 and helped the region weather the Great Depression of the 1930s. Mokelumne Hill’s historic charm and small town character is preserved by its location, surrounded by active family cattle ranches which stave off development.

The largest town in Calaveras County, Mokelumne Hill served as the County Seat from 1852 to 1866. The cosmopolitan population contained large numbers of French, German, Chinese, and Italian, along with immigrants from the Eastern States. Water arrived by canal, while stages connected the town to Stockton and ships completed the link to San Francisco. The Mokelumne Hill History Society was founded in 1985 to preserve and promote the history of Mokelumne Hill. The Society shares a downtown building with the Mokelumne Hill Branch Library, where it houses the town's Archives and displays artifacts and documents related to the town's history.

n May of 18 98, J. Monteverde with son James started erection of a building on Randolph street for a grocery." As my friend Larry Cenotto says from his Logans Vol. II", Was that the Monteverde store at the northeasterly corner of Randolph street (once Plaza) and Boston alley we know today? Almost certainly so.

A wonderful balance of old and new, today’s Sutter Creek maintains its Gold Rush facade while catering to the wants and needs of visitors from around the world. Shop, dine, slumber, stroll, wine taste, and enjoy the quaint atmosphere of Amador County. Sutter Creek, the jewel of Amador County & the Gold Country, is steeped in history being born of the California Gold Rush and nurtured by the deep rock gold mines of the 19th & 20th centuries.

For over 30 years, the Lockhart Family, of four generations, has been in the process of developing the finest fishing resort in the Western United States. Lake Amador Resort, located in the foothills of the Sierras, is only one hour from Sacramento or Stockton and two hours from anywhere in the Bay Area. Years ago, we realized that Mother Nature, alone, could not provide the quality of fishing that our anglers deserved. So, we set out to raise the best eating, hardest fighting, and biggest trout found anywhere in the country. We imported a special strain of crossbred trout from Switzerland, the Donaldson Trout. They are part Steelhead, part Cutthroat, and part Rainbow. Anglers from all over the world now rave about the spectacular jumps and awesome fight that these unique fish exhibit.

Lake Camanche is best known for great bass fishing, though it is also a favorite of trout anglers. Each year, 60,000 pounds of trout are stocked between October and June, each weighing at least a pound up to trophy sized 8 pounders. The large trout pond at South Shore is a perfect place to take children fishing.

New Hogan Lake is located in the oak and brush-covered foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The 4,400 surface acre lake was created in 1964 with the completion of New Hogan Dam. When full, the lake has 50 miles of shoreline and extends nearly 8 miles upstream to the confluence of the north and south forks of the Calaveras River. The dam provides flood protection to the city of Stockton and water for irrigation, drinking and hydroelectric power.

New Melones Dam and Reservoir are part of the Central Valley Project - New Melones Unit operated by the Bureau of Reclamation. Located 60 miles upstream on the Stanislaus River from the confluence of the San Joaquin River. The reservoir has a capacity of 2.4 million acre feet of water with 100 miles of shoreline, and a water surface area of 12,500 acres. New Melones is located between the historic mining towns of Sonora and Angels Camp on Highway 49 and is nestled in the Foothill Oak Woodlands of the Sierras at the 1100 ft elevation. Summer temperatures range from 85-100F and winter range from 32-60F.Gloryhole Recreation Area has two campgrounds (Big Oak and Ironhorse) with 144 campsites, 3 day-use areas, 30 miles of hiking/biking trails, a fish cleaning station, a swim beach, and 2 boat launch ramps with parking lots. A full service marina and store complete with fuel and boat rentals are available.

Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range of Northern California, Pardee Lake is among one of the most beautiful settings the Mother Lode landscape has to offer and is an easy drive from valley and bay area locations. The perfect outing for that day or weekend of picnicking, camping, or just fun relaxing time for the entire family.

The Kennedy Mine, famous for being one of the deepest gold mines in the world (at 5912 feet), demonstrates how gold changed an entire way of life in California. Although gold was known to be present and was mined by the Spanish and Mexicans, the California Gold Rush did not begin until after James Marshall's discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848. Between 1848 and 1858, California exploded from being a largely unpopulated agrarian state into a vital, fast growing and exciting part of the United States. Prospected in 1860, reorganized in 1886 and continuously run until 1942, the Kennedy Gold Mine produced approximately $34,280,000 in gold according to the CA Dept. of Conservation. One of the tallest head frames in existence today can be seen at the Kennedy Mine. The mine also had one of the largest stamp mills in the Mother Lode, moving tailings by means of huge wooden wheels, some of which are still standing.

NOTE: During ski season, there is a ski bus shuttle direct from the Hotel Leger to Bear Valley Mountain Resort - call Hotel for details! Since 1967 the ski and snowboard area has been the choice for snow sports enthusiasts of all ages. From the beginner runs, easily visible from the lodge, to Grizz, backside and mile-long trails to the village, Bear Valley Mountain has terrain to suit any level. Beginners to Advanced Bear Valley is the ideal mountain whether it’s your first experience to the snow or you’re a die hard powder hound.

Specializing in bold red wines, made the old fashioned way. Never filtered, never fined. Made the Old World Style with New World Charm. We are open and pouring wine every weekend! Come to our tasting room and enjoy a wine bar experience while sitting on the barstools made out of wine barrels.