There’s gold in the hills of California! Very soon after the discovery of gold in 1848 near Sutters Mill, Major Pierson B. Reading discovered gold on Clear Creek. Mining, in one form or another continued on in earnest for 130 years. The result was a creek turned upside down.
Due to the wildly successful efforts to restore its salmon runs, Clear Creek now hosts goodly numbers of spawning fall Chinook. Although the best place to see this spawning is at the Gorge Overlook, you can witness this miracle of nature at several sites accessed directly from this trail.
If it is not salmon spawning season, you can still enjoy some of the earliest gold working features in California and expect to see some of the abundant wildlife within this biologically rich corridor.
Please remember to pick up after your dogs and bring plenty of drinking water.
Distance: 3.5 Miles
Difficulty: Easy – Moderate
