Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park adventure.
This riverside park and museum commemorate where gold was first discovered.
See the site where gold was first discovered, kicking off the California Gold Rush. Located along the South Fork of the American River in Coloma, the park is named after James Marshall, who made the key discovery in 1848 while building a sawmill. Today, the park is home to a museum, a replica sawmill, more than 20 historic buildings, costumed interpreters, and several riverside hiking trails. Visitors can explore exhibits, tour the park, or try their hand at gold panning. Camping is not permitted, but private campground options can be found nearby along the American River, around Placerville and Folsom Lake, and at Forest Service campgrounds in Eldorado National Forest.
Spring and fall are the prettiest times to visit, and also offer the most pleasant weather for exploring. It can get quite warm in the summer, and tours and gold panning lessons are not available when temperatures exceed 92°F. Both are otherwise offered multiple times a day. Popular events include Coloma Gold Rush Live in October, Christmas in Coloma, and Gold Rush Discovery Day in January. The visitor center is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.