Native Americans, Boomtowns and Literary Legends: A Highway 49 Drive

Companion Hiking and Walking Tours of the Gold Rush Country may be found here - Use the QR code on this brochure to view the hiking map of the area

All listed opening and closing times are as of April 2022 and subject to change at any time. THE FOLLOWING STOPS ARE OPTIONAL. Parking fees for stops are not included in the price of this audio tour.

For basic information of individual California State Parks visit their website

If you enter and pay for parking at a California State Park, keep your parking receipt as it is good for parking at any other California State Park you visit on the same day.

JACKSON: See self-guided walking tour in companion brochure

AMADOR COUNTY MUSEUM: (front entrance 225 Church Street, Jackson / we approach from parking lot on Summit Street) / Open Friday through Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

KENNEDY TAILING WHEELS PARK: (1200 N. Main Street, Jackson) / Open year-round / Restroom on site open 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

JACKSON RANCHERIA CASINO RESORT: (12222 New York Ranch Road, Jackson) / Open 24 hours / Must be 21 years old to enter casino or restaurants / Fee to Park

INDIAN GRINDING ROCK STATE HISTORIC PARK: (14881 Pine Grove Volcano Road, Pine Grove) / Open Daily 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. / Dogs are not permitted on trails or in buildings / Restroom near parking lot / $8 fee to park / Chaw’se Regional Indian Museum located on park grounds included in parking fee

VOLCANO: See self-guided walking tour of Volcano

BLACK CHASM CAVERN NATIONAL MONUMENT: (15701 Pioneer Volcano Road, Volcano) / Open daily except for Tuesday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. / 50-minute walking tour of cavern offered first come first serve / Adults $19, Children younger than 12 $11, Under 5 years of age free (discounts for military and seniors) / Restroom on site.

MOKELUMNE HILL: See self-guided walking tour in companion brochure

CALAVERAS COUNTY MUSEUM, SAN ANDREAS: (30 Main Street, San Andreas) / Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. / Parking free / Admission to museum $3 Adults, $2 Seniors, $1 Children under 12

RED BARN MUSEUM, SAN ANDREAS: (Government Center 891 Mountain Ranch Road, San Andreas) / Open Thursday through Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. / Parking free / Admission to museum $3 Adults, $2 Seniors, $1 Children under 12

ANGELS CAMP: See self-guided walking tour in companion brochure

This area of California may be enjoyed at any time of the year. But if you have an option, visit in the spring, summer, or early fall. Spring and fall because of the cooler weather. Summer, though more crowded and much warmer than other times of the year, has the largest open hours for parks, and museums. See PLACES TO STOP ALONG THE WAY for current museum and park hours.

Speed limits on the highway during this driving tour average between 35 and 50 miles an hour. Take your time, be cautious and mindful as you drive these winding backroads. Pull over at turn-outs if you find cars piling up behind you. Obey the speed limit and any California Transportation workers instructions.

When we are touring through the old towns along this tour please keep your speed limit at or under 15 miles per hour.

If you park and leave your car for any reason, cover all your valuables, securely lock your car doors and take your keys with you. Cars are too often broken into, so it is best to take ALL valuables with you.

If you take any of the optional hikes along the way, stay on the paths and be careful as you walk, as the paths are uneven. Avoid touching poison oak which is prevalent near most paths.

When walking in any of the towns on this tour please be careful when crossing the street. Make sure cars coming in any direction have seen you and stopped before proceeding across the street. Watch for tripping hazards and be mindful of your surroundings.

CELL RECEPTION
This tour relies on GPS, not cell reception, so your tour will run well even on back roads, however you will not have reliable cell reception in some areas along this driving tour, so you will not be able to send or receive texts or receive calls along various stretches of this highway.

USING VOICEMAP
Search for VoiceMap AUDIO TOUR on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Download the free App. Sign Up for a new account with your email and a password of your choice, go to the EXPLORE option and search for “AMADOR COUNTY” and purchase the tour you are interested in.
Download the tour while you have good WiFi reception. Click on the gear icon on the lower right corner and put the tour into yd/mi mode and turn off Tour Player Autolock and Audio Lost Alert.

Then, select the “ACCOUNT” option, select the tour you are going to take and read the information in the “ABOUT” option in the upper right. If you need directions to the starting point select “DIRECTIONS”. It will open another window in Apple Maps. You will need to close that window or use your phones interface to go back to the VoiceMap app to start the tour.

Go to your starting point, press “START” and follow the instructions of the narrator. Place your phone in a hands free holder on your car dashboard as there is a map on your screen that will show our travel route.

We also suggest that you have your phone plugged into an external charging port so that your tour isn’t interrupted by a dead battery.

You may pause this tour at any time using the pause button and resume it at any of the locations along the tour. If you decide stop along the way and take a meal break, or take one of the optional hikes, you should exit your tour by pressing the “END TOUR” downward facing arrow on the top right, then just restart it from the closest location by restarting the tour using the “RESUME” button. You will be prompted with 3 stops. Chose the stop closest to your location.

PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES
Using the Video setting on your phone will shut down the VoiceMap app (and every other open app) and you will need to reload your tour. So, if you are using your phone for photos, try to use the Photo setting.