Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park

Where the Gold Rush began—gold panning lessons, ~20 minutes from Auburn.

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park marks the spot where James W. Marshall found gold at Sutter's Mill on the South Fork of the American River in 1848, igniting the California Gold Rush. The 576-acre park along Highway 49 in Coloma preserves much of the historic town, a National Historic Landmark district, with a replica sawmill, more than twenty historic structures, and a museum. Visitors can join short guided walking tours, take a gold-panning lesson and try their luck with real flakes, hike, and picnic. Established in 1942, the park interprets a moment historians describe as triggering one of the greatest mass migrations in the Western Hemisphere. People come because it is the literal birthplace of the Gold Rush, blending hands-on panning with living-history exhibits in a scenic riverside setting.