	Columbia State Park CA History
	California: Columbia State Park

Columbia State Park CA:

In 1850 a group of prospectors turned up 30 lbs. of nuggets in a couple of days in the area that would become Columbia State Park in California.

In about a month, an estimated 5000 miners flooded the Columbia area and Columbia California was born. Several fires throughout the following years devastated much of the town. It was the fire in 1854 however that burned such a significant portion of Columbia that citizens decided to rebuild it entirely in brick. And so.. brick replaced wood as the primary building material in the reconstruction of Columbia California to minimize future losses from fire.

In 1945 California State began a park program to restore and preserve historic towns such as Columbia as a State Park "protected" within the Park system. Columbia quickly became a State Park early in the Park systems history due to the number of significant buildings that were still in good condition.

As the wisdom of the early citizens of Columbia State Park accurately assessed, the brick reconstruction meant that virtually all of the main street buildings remain intact even today, resulting in a remarkable preservation over the last century and a half and subsequently a beautiful town.

The old Gold Rush-era business district has been preserved, with shops, restaurants and the two popular hotels; You will find lodging still is available and possible "full up" at the Fallon Hotel and Columbia City Hotel.

Visitors have the chance to time-travel to the 1850s, imagining life when gold miners rubbed shoulders with businessmen and the other locals. Experience a bygone era watching proprietors in period clothing conduct business in the style of yesterday.

Now offering "Guided" gold panning excursions for this area. Gold Panning Trips near Columbia State Park area.

Gold Country Map

Columbia State Park

From Columbia California State Park:

Angels Camp
2 miles S. Parrots Ferry Rd
NW 10 miles on HWY49

Sonora
2 miles S. Parrots Ferry Rd 4 miles S. on HWY49

Sacramento
2 miles S. Parrots Ferry Rd 40 miles N. on HWY49
35 miles on HWY16

San Francisco
2 miles S. Parrots Ferry Rd 10 miles S. on HWY49
30 miles W. on HWY120
65 miles W. I-5 to I-205

Yosemite National Park
2 miles S. Parrots Ferry Rd 10 miles S. on HWY49
65 miles E. on HWY120

Lake Tahoe Casinos
2 miles S. Parrots Ferry Rd 15 miles N. on HWY49
75 miles E. on HWY4
14 miles N. on HWY88
11 miles N. on US 395
12 miles W. on US 50

Reno NV Casinos
2 miles S. Parrots Ferry Rd 15 miles N. on HWY49
75 miles E. on HWY4
14 miles N. on HWY88
45 miles N. on US 395