Visit Gold Bug Park in Placerville: Mine Tour, Historic Stamp Mill, Hiking and More
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Located in the historical town of Placerville in Northern California, Gold Bug Park features hiking trails, gem panning, a historic stamp mill and the park’s main attraction, Gold Bug Mine.
Originally called Hattie Mine, it was constructed in 1888 by William Craddock and John Drench. The original name, Hattie, was the name of Craddock’s oldest daughter.
The mine would change ownership several times throughout its operation and would eventually cease operations in the 1940’s.
Today, the park and mine are open to the public for self-guided tours via a handheld audio device. It may not be as impressive as Bodie, but Gold Bug Mine is a fantastically preserved example of California’s rich mining history.
In this post, I’ll discuss a variety of topics, such as what to expect during the tour, entry fees, parking and more. At the end, be sure to let me know in the comments if this is a place you and your family would enjoy visiting. Let’s get into it.
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Getting There, Parking & Entrance Fees
Gold Park Park is conveniently situated almost right off US-50 and only around 45 miles from Sacramento, and 60 miles from the heart of South Lake Tahoe. It’s also an easy visit from nearby Apple Hill.
From US-50, take the Bedford Ave. exit and continue for a mile before turning right onto Gold Bug Ln and into the parking lot for Gold Bug Park.
Parking is fairly limited near the visitor center, but there is a much larger lot further up the road near the stamp mill, if needed. Both options are free, by the way.
From the smaller lot, there’s a wooden boardwalk leading to the mine entrance. To the left of the boardwalk is where gem panning takes place and to the right is the visitor center.
To get to the entrance to Gold Bug Mine, go up the stairs from inside the visitor center to the check-in desk. There is where you’ll pay your entry fees.
In this room, there are several exhibits of mining artifacts, some of which were discovered in Gold Bug itself. One such exhibit is a caged canary (pictured below) which miners used as a way to detect the presence of carbon monoxide.
With their small size and rapid breathing rate, canaries would quickly succumb to the effects of carbon monoxide, giving the miners a heads up to looming danger.
While guided tours are offered from time to time, self-guided tours are what most visitors will experience. Fees for the self-guided tour are as follows:
$12 - Adults
$10 - Senior (55+) and Military
$6 - Youth (6 - 17 years)
Free - Ages 5 and under
In 2024, Gold Bug Mine is open from 10am - 4pm, with no new tours allowed after 3:30pm. Additionally, those under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Prior to the tour, each person will be given a handheld audio device (no headphones) and an optional yellow hardhat. To begin your tour, simply exit the room to the adjacent mine entrance.
Gold Bug Mine Self-Guided Tour
The entrance to the mine is tall enough for most people to walk through without having to bend down the entire time. Additionally, the floor is easy to traverse as it’s been boarded. It’s fairly slim in some spots, so groups going in opposite directions would need to step aside to allow the other to pass.
The 353-foot long mine drift has several yellow cards, each with a number, placed into the wall at about eye level. These cards indicate when to start playing your audio device to hear the narrator’s discussion of that particular section of the mine.
If I remember correctly, there were twelve stops in total, with each stop taking three to five minutes for the narration, plus however long we stayed to look around and take photos. You can pause and play the device as you go. There is no time limit.
We were lucky in that we had the mine to ourselves for the majority of our time there, with a small group arriving while we were working our way back out.
Based on that brief encounter with the other group, I can see it being difficult to concentrate on the narrator on your own device when there are several others playing concurrently.
While trying to listen to the last one or two sections, we kept hearing the other groups narrator from the echoing in the mine, which was a bit distracting. So arrive early or outside the summer months to avoid a crowd if that’s important to you.
At the terminus of the drift, you’ll see an ore cart that was actually used in the mine. Additionally, you’ll see several examples of how dynamite was used by the miners.
We spent a little more than an hour exploring the mine. This included time to listen to the narrator at each stop, as well as to look around and taking photos.
When finished, you’ll simply make your way out of the drift and back to the check-in desk to turn in your audio device. From here, there are several other attractions to explore, including hiking trails and the historic stamp mill.
Joshua Hendy Stamp Mill & Hiking Trails
To get to the stamp mill from the mine, walk or drive further up the road to where it terminates at another parking lot. It’s housed inside a grey-colored building, the entrance of which can be found by walking up the dirt path.
The stamp mill will be recognizable right away, as its commanding presence hits you as soon as you enter the building. The interior is multi-level, allowing for multiple views of the stamp mill.
On the bottom level, there’s a working scale model of the stamp mill that demonstrates the ore crushing process, as well as several mining artifacts on display.
After checking out the stamp mill, be sure to exit the building and head further up the dirt path to see a live blacksmith demonstration. Additionally, back at the parking lot, there’s the trailhead for the Springhill Trail.
I didn’t hike it, but from the trailhead I saw these interesting, multi-colored trees so I walked to the top of the hill to check them out. The inside portion of the branches were grey, with the outside being bright red. They were incredibly cool to look at and photograph.
Gold Bug Park has something for everyone and is a fantastic example of how important it is to preserve our history whenever possible. I feel everyone, from history buffs to families, would enjoy their time here.
Planning a trip to Northern California? Read 10 Awesome Things to Do in Yosemite Valley on Your First Visit. If considering Lake Tahoe, read Emerald Bay State Park Guide. Also check out The Complete Guide to Muir Woods National Monument.
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