Plumas-Eureka State Park
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Perhaps the best kept secret within the California State Park System, Plumas-Eureka State Park is steeped in history and is rich with recreation and natural resources. Located in the southern part of Plumas County, five miles from Graeagle on Johnsville Road (County Road A-14), the 4,500-acre park is located at the foot of Eureka Peak (originally called Gold Mountain) which produced some $25 million in gold from hard-rock mining during the late 1880s.
The park features unmatched landscapes, a myriad of hiking trails leading to four lakes, and a 67-site first-come, first-served campground set along Jamison Creek underneath towering pines.
Be sure to visit the park's indoor-outdoor museum, which includes early gold mining equipment and relics, a complete blacksmith shop, a partially restored stamp mill, and a restored miner's home. You can also peer inside the entrance to the Eureka Shaft and see the old timbers.
Visitors examine the old stamp mill.
Once a month during the summer, costumed docents re-create a miner's lifestyle on Living History Day. Blacksmith demonstrations, mining lore and samples of homemade ice cream and other foods help take visitors back to the 1890s.
Beginners try their skill at gold-panning.
The park surrounds the historic former mining community of Johnsville. At an elevation of 4,720 to 7,447 feet, it has an abundance of plant and animal life. Interpretive events such as campfire programs, nature walks and history tours are offered during the summer season. Supervised gold-panning is offered in Jamison Creek.
In the wintertime, the park is transformed into a winter paradise. Visitors can drive the well-cleared roads to enjoy the various cross-country ski loops, or continue on to Eureka Bowl, the birthplace of downhill ski racing and the site of the Historic Longboard Ski Revival Series races organized by the Plumas Ski Club in January, February and March.
Park admission is free, and it's open year-round. During the winter the museum has limited hours when staff is available. Museum admission is a donation of $2, ages 17 and older.
For more information, call the park at (530) 836-2380 or visit the website at www.parks.ca.gov.
Download the complete Plumas-Eureka State Park brochure
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