9 Family-Friendly Gold Rush Adventures

The most popular whitewater-rafting river in the West, the American tumbles through the Gold Country, an inviting jumble of churning rapids, deep pools, and tumbling cascades. While its rich riparian ecosystem long supported Native American tribes, the next wave of humans—the legendary ‘49ers—saw the waterway as means to their fortune, panning for gold in the river silt and blasting banks with hydraulic spouts, hoping to reveal veins of the precious metal. While remnants of old mining equipment still poke up in or near the river, the rush for gold has mostly been replaced by the rush for adrenaline. Each of the American’s three forks serve up their own style of watery fun, and outfitters offer everything from family-friendly half-day floats to white-knuckle multi-day adventures.

Which fork works for you? The most popular is the South Fork, with Class II-III rapids that are perfect for families and first-time rafters. The lower segments of the North and Middle Forks offer easy Class II rapids—a great place to try out whitewater canoeing or kayaking. But it’s a whole other story upriver, with upper segments of both forks boasting Class IV-V rapids with names like Bogus Thunder and Texas Chainsaw Mama.

"There is nothing quite like spending the night alongside the river, trout rising on the surface of the silvery water as evening falls and a frieze of stars paints the night sky."

While day trips are always a blast—especially on hot summer days when good-natured water fights between rafters break out with inviting frequency—there is nothing quite like spending the night alongside the river, trout rising on the surface of the silvery water as evening falls and a frieze of stars paints the night sky. Some outfitters go all out to create unique getaways; O.A.R.S. offers craft beer-tastings on some of its overnight trips.

When glittering nuggets and veins of gold were discovered in the Sierra Foothills in 1849, a massive tide of humankind, hell-bent on finding their fortune, raced as fast as they could to the Gold Country. Sailing as far as they could up from San Francisco Bay east on the Sacramento River, the gold-hungry pioneers pulled up at the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers, the furthest point they could go in their sailing ships. A town sprang up almost overnight, with many buildings constructed out of leftover ships timbers and sails.

Sacramento was born.

Today, on the sycamore-shaded banks of Sacramento River, get a sense of those raucous early years in renovated Old Sacramento, now a 28-acre/11-hectare National Historic Landmark. While there are the requisite trinket and t-shirt shops and ice cream parlors in restored buildings, there are also excellent museums, including the California Railway Museum and the California Museum. A restored riverboat, the Delta King, invites you on board for brunch, dinner, and even an overnight stay. Horse-drawn carriages offer rides, and docents in period costumes lead historic walking tours—a great way to learn about some of the district’s secrets, like underground passageways and chambers. (Kids love the spooky ghost tours, offered in October.)

Climb aboard a historic steam locomotive for a scenic ride on the Sacramento Southern Railroad. If you prefer to be on the water instead of beside it, hop aboard a scenic one-hour Hornblower cruise.

It’s unbelievable but true: you can still wade into the shallows of the South Fork of the American River and find flecks of gold, just like the fortune-seeking pioneers first did over a century and a half ago. One of the best places to do this is in Jamestown, one of California’s original Gold Rush towns.

Try your hand at prospecting—shops around the town sell gold pans. Ask to be shown the special swirl technique that helps to separate tiny bits of gold from river silt. Admittedly, it is hard to know what’s what in the bottom of your pan, especially with plenty of 'fool’s gold' (technically worthless iron pyrite) glittering in the bottom of your pan. For better luck, plus geological and historical trivia while you search and swirl, try panning with a guide.

Afterwards, you can experience Jamestown history in another way at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park. Combining industrial heritage and railway history, 'the movie-star railroad' (as it’s long been known) has been a popular filming location for nearly its entire existence; credits range from an early talkie to Back to the Future Part III. Walking tours of the still-working railway roundhouse, which includes a look at props from past films, are a big hit with children and devoted train fans. And every weekend from April to October, park visitors can hop aboard a vintage passenger coach pulled by an authentic locomotive—for a six-mile, 45-minute journey through the scenic Sierra foothills.

While you’re there, make sure you take the time to wander around this picturesque California Historical Landmark town; many of the buildings date back to the tail end of the gold rush or earlier. The National Hotel and Restaurant dates to 1859, and the Willow Steak House, established in 1864, used to be a bar that catered to the builders of the Sierra Railway. Both continue to serve visitors today.

Get a one-two punch of experiences with a visit to this remarkable site in Grass Valley, roughly 60 miles/92 kilometres northeast of Sacramento. First, spend time in the Visitor Center to learn about one of California’s oldest, largest, deepest, longest, and richest gold mines, where, in the course of a century, 5.6 million ounces/159 million grams of gold were mined—enough to fill a box 7 feet/3 meters long, 7 feet/3 meters high, and 7 feet/3 meters deep by the time the mine shut down in 1956. To get a sense of the size of the mine, see the scale model representing the mine’s 5-square-mile/13-square-km network, then walk outside to visit the entrance of the actual shaft—a tiny peak into a staggering underground maze of 367 miles/591 kilometres. 

Now shift gears—mentally and physically—with a walk through the grounds of William Bowers Bourn Jr., who took over management of the mine in 1879. Bourn Cottage—a humble name for this magnificent country estate, where no expense was spared to create a two-story stone citadel patterned after the noble estates of 19th century England, complete with redwood interiors, and leaded-glass windows.  

Guided tours are offered May through September.  The Mine Yard Tour sheds light on the rough lives of the miners who worked here. Get the flip side on the Cottage Grounds Tour, which includes a visit to the sumptuous Bourn Cottage.