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VISITTUOLUMNE.COM 2025 Tuolumne County Travel Guide YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK CALIFORNIA GOLD COUNTRY HIGH SIERRA 175TH ANNIVERSARY OF TUOLUMNE COUNTY 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF BACK TO THE FUTURE III We're Celebrating in 2025! CountyAll Roads Lead to Tuolumne County! TUOLUMNE COUNTY VISITORS CENTER Our friendly staff is here to help plan your visit and provide area information, maps, directions, brochures, clothing, and souvenirs. Visitors Center: Sonora, CA 209-533-4420 ◆ 1-800-446-1333 193 S Washington St Sonora, CA 95370 VisitTuolumne.com Embrace every moment in wide-open spaces and fresh air with endless outdoor recreation opportunities for every type of nature enthusiast. Explore historic towns with unique shopping, dining, wine, cider, and brewery options. See the arts come alive in quaint galleries and live entertainment venues. It’s all just 2½ hours east of the San Francisco Bay Area. All-season roads allow for year-round access to fun adventure and memory-making moments! Rest your head in a variety of lodging options, from campgrounds to modern lodges and resorts or anything in between. Lodging for any budget is available throughout the County near Yosemite National Park, next to scenic High Sierra lakes, and in the heart of historic Gold Rush towns. Find and reserve lodging at VisitTuolumne.com. Thank you for adventuring safely and responsibly in Tuolumne County. Experience uncrowded Yosemite Discover authentic Gold Country Explore the scenic High Sierra Find more inspiration for your next trip on our social media: Facebook.com/TuolumneCounty Instagram.com/TravelTuolumneCounty Pinterest.com/TuolumneCounty Tiktok.com/VisitTuolumneCounty Tag us on social media or use #VisitTuolumneCounty #MyTuolumneCounty for a chance to be featured! Sacramento San Francisco Tuolumne County Welcome to Tuolumne County! Kennedy Meadows Credit: Tiffany Phillips VISITTUOLUMNE.COM / 3Relief Reservoir Credit :Local Freshies® High Sierra Visitors Council New Melones Reservoir Credit: Menka Belgal RV on Highway 120 Credit: Menka Belgal On the cover: Columbia Stage Line and Stable, Credit: Michael Sharps The 2025 Tuolumne County Travel Guide is copyright ©2025 by Visit Tuolumne County, which has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, but assumes no responsibility for errors, changes or omissions. Design & Production: Heather Jing Design, heatherjing.com = Advertisers 05 Discover Gold Country 06 State Historic Parks 08 Gold Country Itinerary 10 Gold Country Pioneer Spotlights 12 Experience High Sierra 13 High Sierra Pioneer Spotlight 14 High Sierra Itinerary 16 Explore Yosemite National Park & Nearby Areas 18 Yosemite Area Itinerary 20 Yosemite Area Pioneer Spotlights 22 Weather 23 Adventure Responsibly 24 Things to Do 27 Family Friendly Travel 27 Film Commission 28 Visiting with Pets 34 Culture & Heritage 37 Travel with Meaning 38 Events 41 Relocate to Tuolumne County 42 Where to Stay 52 Visit Tuolumne County Partner Index 58 Do Business in Tuolumne County 59 Groups & Meetings Contents Shop the new Visit Tuolumne Merchandise Shop online! 4 / 2025 TUOLUMNE COUNTY TRAVEL GUIDETuolumne County’s Gold Country offers an authentic Gold Rush experience with its rich, lively, and thriving historic towns such as Jamestown, Sonora, and Columbia. Your treasure, new or old, is waiting to be discovered in unique specialty shops or fine art galleries that line the streets. Enjoy food and drink in an historic inn, take in a superior live theatre performance in a venue where shows have entertained residents and visitors for over a century, or try your luck with 24-hour gaming action. Springtime offers massive wildflower displays along several popular trails. Wineries, craft breweries, and a hard apple cider distillery enthusiastically share their local beverage creations in unique locations. Two California State Historic Parks, Railtown 1897 and Columbia, transport visitors to a past era when the West was bustling with those searching for gold or a new way of life. Read more about the Gold Country at visittuolumne.com/gold-country Discover Gold Country Lake Don Pedro VISITTUOLUMNE.COM / 5Columbia Schoolhouse Tours & Information: 209-588-9128 Museum: Main & State Streets, Columbia parks.ca.gov/columbia Known as the best-preserved Gold Rush town in California, Columbia is a place where visitors are truly immersed in authentic California history. Gold was discovered in Columbia on March 27, 1850. By 1870, the “Gem of the Southern Mines” produced more than $1 billion (in today’s figures). Today the town still bustles with shops, exhibits, and the lively activity of the 1850’s. You’ll know you’ve arrived when you hear the clang of a hammer at the blacksmith shop, smell the candles and soap at the candle store, visit authentic brick buildings, and taste treats from the candy store, bakery, or tea house. Embrace your pioneer spirit! Pan for gold, sip a sarsaparilla, pick up provisions or supplies. Take an adventurous ride on the stagecoach. Enjoy live theatre at the Fallon House. See the house that Grace Kelly called home in the film “High Noon.” Docents staff the park museum, dressed circa 1850-1870. Columbia hosts many events throughout the year that celebrate the Gold Rush era including a Victorian Easter Egg Hunt, Cinco de Mayo, Glorious 4th of July, lamplight tours at Christmastime and many more! Admission to the park is free, and there are plenty of dining options both inside and outside the park. Nearby RV parks and the Columbia Airport are within walking distance to Columbia State Historic Park. Matelot Gulch Mining Company Credit: Menka Belgal Columbia State Historic Park 6 / 2025 TUOLUMNE COUNTY TRAVEL GUIDE209-984-3953 5th Ave & Reservoir Rd, Jamestown railtown1897.org railtowninfo@parks.ca.gov The “Southern Mines” of Tuolumne County hit their second heyday in 1897 with the completion of the Sierra Railway tracks to Jamestown, Sonora, and eventually, in 1900, to Tuolumne City. This meant boom times for the lumber, hard rock, and cattle industries. Later, the railroad was key to building dams that created Lake Tulloch, Don Pedro, and Hetch Hetchy Reservoirs. Railtown 1897 brings this era to life. The 26-acre park is open daily for tours featuring the active roundhouse complex, belt driven machine shop, historic locomotives, passenger cars, and movie props like smokestacks, headlights, and station signs. Railtown 1897 is known as “The Movie Railroad” and its trains, including the famous Sierra No. 3®, have been featured in over 300 films, television shows and commercials since its first movie in 1919. Excursion train rides are available on weekends April–October, holidays, and for special events. The Depot Store is well-appointed with toys, souvenirs, books, and more about railroads and the California Gold Rush. The park is operated by California State Parks and supported by the California State Railroad Museum Foundation. Railtown 1897 is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Sierra Railway Shops Historic District. Credit: @Honeytrek Railtown Depot Credit: The Taste Edit Railtown 1897 State Historic Park Credit: Railtown 1897 State Historic Park VISITTUOLUMNE.COM / 7Downtown Sonora Gold Country Itinerary Discover Tuolumne County’s Gold Country Highway 49, which in its entirety spans 300 miles of California’s Gold Country from Madera County in the south to Sierra County in the north, is known as one of “America’s best drives.” Embark on a tour of Tuolumne County’s section of the legendary route to immerse yourself in a time when people were looking to strike it rich and begin a new way of life. JAMESTOWN Jamestown was where gold was first discovered in Tuolumne County in 1848, making it the perfect place to start your road trip. Places to visit: MAIN STREET During a stroll along Jamestown’s Main Street, visit several of the town’s buildings dating back to the 1870s and 1880s that are occupied by quaint historic inns, restaurants and shops, micro- brewery, and wine tasting room for your enjoyment. Rocca Park features an introductory exhibit to the “Walk of Fame,” which highlights Tuolumne County’s show business history. Also, find the Jamestown Museum in the form of a replica blacksmith shop and a historic jail. RAILTOWN 1897 STATE HISTORIC PARK There’s nothing quite like the sights, sounds, and smells of the railroad. At Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, take a guided or self-guided tour of the grounds and historic railroad shops or take a train ride on the weekends April through October. See more about Railtown on page 7. OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN Hike the fantastic trails at Red Hills Recreation Management Area to enjoy seasonal wildflower displays and wildlife viewing. Partake in some local wine tasting with scenic vistas of the foothills or try your luck at the all new Chicken Ranch Casino Resort featuring 24-hour gaming action, luxury hotel, multiple restaurants, and conference center. Visit Chinese Camp, a California Historical Landmark, which was once home to 5,000 Chinese miners in addition to as many Americans and Europeans. Today, the town is mostly abandoned, and the buildings are being reclaimed by nature. SONORA The largest and only incorporated city in Tuolumne County, Sonora is a great base camp for a visit and is an easy access point to all the fun in the surrounding area. 8 / 2025 TUOLUMNE COUNTY TRAVEL GUIDEDowntown Jamestown Cover’s Apple Ranch Credit: Jennifer Rapoza West Side Trail Credit: Local Freshies and High Sierra Visitors Council Places to visit: DOWNTOWN Sonora’s historic downtown is home to shops, galleries, restaurants, and fascinating museums. Step inside the impressive Tuolumne County History Museum, housed in the former jail, established in 1857. Another notable stop is The Red Church, which is one of the most photographed icons in the County. Downtown is home to 2nd Saturday Art Nights, which feature art of all kinds and live music on the second Saturday night of each month year-round. OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN Located near downtown, a hike on the Dragoon Gulch Trail offers a great way to stretch the legs. Over three miles of trails of varying difficulty lead the way through the oak and Manzanita landscape with great views of downtown Sonora along the way. Tee off on the 18-hole Teleli Golf Course spanning over the rolling foothills outside of town. Players who are out later in the day are treated to one of the most scenic sunset viewing spots around. A short distance east of town, discover Indigeny Reserve whose organic hard apple cider will ruin you for any other hard cider. Distilled carefully with pride and love on the family-owned and operated property, the cider pairs perfectly with a relaxing picnic on the spacious, beautiful grounds or on a nice hike around the orchard. TOWN OF TUOLUMNE The small town of Tuolumne is located just a short way off Highway 49, southeast of Sonora. It is steeped in interesting history. Places to visit: THE CENTER OF TOWN A visit to the Tuolumne City Memorial Museum is worth the trip to learn about the town and its inhabitants through time. Stop by the nearby 9/11 Global War on Terrorism Memorial to pay respects and reflect. Across the street is West Side Memorial Park, which is nice for relaxing and picnicking. On Wednesday evenings in the summer, enjoy Concerts in the Park and Outdoor Market. NEARBY The West Side Trail, is an easy hiking trail that was once part of the network of rail lines owned by the West Side Lumber Company. The trail features scenic views along with interpretive exhibits and spectacular spring wildflower displays. Treat yourself at Cover’s Apple Ranch. Not only is it a local favorite bakery and restaurant, but the kids (and grown-ups) will enjoy a miniature train ride and petting zoo. You must try the Mile-High Apple Pie! Black Oak Casino Resort offers exciting nightlife, restaurants, a family-fun floor with high-tech bowling alley and arcade, plus hotel and RV park. Elevate is a 20,000 square-foot indoor playground for all ages and includes a trampoline park, golf simulators, Ninja course, and more. COLUMBIA The small town of Columbia is home to Columbia State Historic Park, a living, breathing, Gold Rush-era town, RV parks, historic churches, general aviation airport, community college, and more. Places to visit: COLUMBIA STATE HISTORIC PARK An immersive experience awaits, complete with old-fashioned shops, stagecoach rides, gold panning, schoolhouse, live theatre, and saloons pouring sarsaparilla. The park is free to visit and dog-friendly! See more about Columbia on page 6. NEARBY Enjoy live music and local wine and beer tasting at tasting rooms or play a round of disc golf at the newly developed and wooded Pioneer Park Disc Golf Course. Get a look at the replica of Mark Twain’s Cabin where the infamous author resided during the winter of 1864-1865. The replica is built around the fireplace and chimney of the original cabin, located about one mile off Highway 49 near the northern boundary of Tuolumne County. The Sonora Selfie Trail Step onto the Sonora Selfie Trail, and take a memorable journey through the captivating tapestry of the City of Sonora where every street corner holds a piece of history, and every selfie captures the essence of a bygone era. Explore cultural and historical treasures, natural gems, unique artistry that graces the town, and modern-day highlights. VISITTUOLUMNE.COM / 9Next >