My family and I trekked up the mountain to meet our friends at Gold Bug Park yesterday in…read morePlacerville. It was the first visit for all 7 of us and we had a great time! Our first stop was the mine cave that was very cold inside and educational - they give you a phone that plays audio with all of the historical facts while walking through the mine. It's about 15 minutes and we really enjoyed ourselves. The staff member who handles the cave tour was great with getting the 7 of us situated and explaining the rules. We also checked out the Blacksmith and the Stamping Mill - both were also very entertaining and educational. My daughter got to hammer a square nail into a tree truck - cool way to leave a little mark on the place. Gold Bug Park also offers Gem Panning which would did not check out, but we saw a couple of kids having fun while doing it. Entrance to the park is free, but the mine cave tour is $12 per adult, $8 per kid - 5 and under are free! Overall, we had a lot of fun! So many cool artifacts and history to explore. I thought every single staff member was knowledgeable, friendly and did a great job keeping our kids engaged! We would definitely come back to Gold Bug Park next time we are in Placerville!

Gold Bug Mine is such a cool experience! It was amazing to walk through an actual mine and listen…read moreto all the historical facts during the tour. This place makes for a great educational field trip -- fun and informative. We even got to see a blacksmith in action and learned a lot about the craft during a live demonstration. Everyone who works here is super knowledgeable and really helps complete the whole authentic vibe. It truly felt like a blast to the past! The kiddos especially loved panning for natural gems. Highly recommend for families, history buffs, or anyone looking for a fun day out!

This park is in downtown Placerville, CA. It's one of the prettiest neighborhood parks that I've…read moreever seen. Gorgeous aspen (or pine, one of those) trees surround the park. In its four acres is a lighted little league baseball field (home to the Hangtown League) complete with an electronic scoreboard and snack shack, play ground, picnic tables with bbq pits, and restrooms. The park is on Clark Street which is a narrow neighborhood gravel road. Drive cautiously because the street turns into hybrid part parking lot and street. On game days, the parking lot fills up quickly. When that happens, parking on Clark Street is scarce and the best bet is to park on Pacific Street and hike in. There are some handicapped parking spots located at the far end of the parking lot behind the little snack shack. From that end, there is a walking ramp that leads to all areas of the park including the walking path around the back field. So if you have folks in your group that would benefit from using the ADA ramps, it's best to unload from back there. Besides that access point, there are stairs, with hand rails, in the front parking lot. The parking lot has only one entrance and exit point. A big shout out to the Placerville Rotary Club for creating this park and helping to maintain it. Great community partnership.

The Eldorado National Forest consist of nearly 600,000 acres with lakes, streams, and rivers;…read moremeadows and mountains; and campsites and picnic areas. There are over 400 hiking trails that pass through various terrains ranging in technical difficulty. The terrain ranges from meadow, oak foothills, to the 10,000 foot Sierra Nevada. Some hiking trails require reservations for day use permits. There are also campgrounds. Some areas, such as the areas affected by the recent fires, are off limits. For up to date information, It is advised to check out the fs.usda.gov website. The area is beautiful. Gorgeous alpine backcountry. Old growth forest. Pristine streams. There are access roads that will drive into the area. But most of the access roads are ruff, not paved, and could be hard to maneuver without a SUV.

Where do I start?! I absolutely love hiking here. It's a long drive for us, but it is so worth it!…read moreIf you love Yosemite, then you will love it here as well. We hiked Horsetail Falls Trail, and I can't even explain how magnificent this place is. It is a 4 mile hike surrounded by mini waterfalls and rock formation throughout the hike. Your reward is getting underneath the main waterfall at the top of the hike. You will do a lot of rock climbing the further you hike, and it gets really steep. There are absolutely breathtaking views at the top. I love it! I recommend this hike to everyone. My tip for this hike is to bring lots of water because you will need it. Come early to snag a parking spot because it fills up fast and there is a $10 fee for parking. ENJOY!

It was hot and we were visiting the area. My husband used his mapping skills and found this area by…read morethe water. When we arrived I was stunned it was so empty! Not a huge fan of trying to relax amidst a ton of people. There is a 6 dollar per car entrance fee. There were butterflies everywhere. It is a put it here for the rafters. It is located at the south fork of the American river which I have rafted many times but never from here. If you haven't rafted the American river I absolutely recommend! Back to the park, there is a grassy area to lay down a towel and have a picnic. I didn't see Bbqs or bathrooms but I didn't look all that hard. The beach area is rocky. Beautiful rocks, most smooth. Perfect for skipping! The water is Cold but that didn't stop us. My daughter in law is very pregnant and her poor feet appreciated the frigid water. The guys, they just jumped in. I edited real quick to add, if you get in know that the water is moving fast. Be aware. Next time we come I will bring some chairs. You can also pan for gold here if you desire. Pet friendly! Wonderful spot to cool off and listen to the water I tell ya!

First of all , we were visiting from out of Town and staying at the best western inn in placerville…read more. Our toddler had so much energy and there were zero parks close to us until we found this little gem . It is in the middle of many buildings and I believe it is associated with the church next door( I seen a stair case) so that means no restrooms however plenty of parking and shade . We managed to enjoy the slide and monkey bars . There is some unfortunate writing on the structure . We still appreciated the small location for our toddlers to get some energy out . It got the job done .

Tiny playground with no benches or bathrooms, BUT what a huge blessing it is to have a place to…read morestop and let the children get some energy out! I wouldn't come here unless I had to, but I'm so thankful that it was here when we needed it.

Our first camping trip and I gotta say, it was pretty sweet to be right on the lake with our…read moreprivate entrance! Zero issues with geese (we had read that in other reviews) ... would be nice if the ground were flat ... but overall, it's a great lil spot! The diner staff ... 10 outta 10 ... great group of people!

Great beaches and nicely tucked away. Great campgrounds. I will go again for sure. Getting ready to…read morego to the lake today, The lake is beautiful.

This is a great little state park with lots of things to explore. It's the home of Sutter's Mill…read morewhere gold was first discovered, and it's really close to the American River. There are lots of little trails and structures to explore. We hiked up to the John Marshall monument, not too far from the base. We didn't get a chance to see the museum but I'd love to come back again sometime. Definitely worth the $10 state park parking fee.

Great stop! You could spend between 1 hr to days here! A cute museum, across the street is sutters…read moremill, many things to see within 1 mile! Great!!

Not gonna lie- I was hesitant after reading the bad reviews on this campsite but I took a chance…read moreand I was glad to be proven wrong. Camp host didn't interact with us, just did his job and verified that we paid for our campsite. The campsite was very nice and clean, we were at a perfect distance to walk with our kayaks to the lake. The only bad thing were the bathrooms...they are SMELLY. There's definitely better bathrooms out there but these will do lol. Definitely coming back!!

I camp here with my family and our 2 dogs for 3 nights. There are bathrooms. Great clean spaces for…read moreall your camping needs. Each cite has table and a bear box for your food. Be aware there are bears. We did see and hear bears close to our campground.Only at night so make sure you lock all your food. Everything even your coolers. Beautiful lake just a few minutes walk from the campgrounds.

What a cool park!! My son and his family live near here and…read morestumbled on this track walking the trail. So when we visited this last time my husband brought his bike and the boys hit the track. We had a delightful conversation with a county employee there, he explained how they built it ALL by hand! We had it to ourselves for a long while, then the kids started piling in. It's a big space. Clean bathrooms. Picnic tables. My husband's bike will travel with us now when we visit.

Calling all BMXers and those in training to be an Xer, Placerville opened a new BMX bike park…read more.. Old Depot Bike Park. It opened this past September. It is off Missouri Flat Road on Old Depot Road. The enclosed park is 2.5 acres with an asphalt pump track, dirt ramps, children's play area, bike repair station, picnic tables and restrooms. The play area is not your typical swing and slide set. It looks like a scaled down version of an agility exercise station for elementary school aged children. The City is still working on building a parking lot. Right now in certain areas along the side of the gravel road, parking is allowed. But if those limited spots fill up, further north down Missouri Flat Road is the El Dorado trailhead parking lot. You can park there and walk or bike the short distance along the El Dorado Trail to the park. The trail runs right next to the bike park. My young grandnephews and their friends enjoy this park. They live nearby and have been eagerly awaiting the park opening. The atmosphere is family friendly. There is an important rule that must be adhered to in the park. It is that anyone riding inside the park must wear a helmet, no matter the age. Good rule because I did see a few kiddos take a few flops but quickly bounced back.