Came here from a recommendation we got from our hair stylist. It was only an hour away from Manteca and went really fast. The drive is beautiful and you get to see so many other cute towns. Murphys is so cute. They have a bunch of rentals in the downtown area and have a lot of real estate opportunities. We came for the opening weekend of Anderson Farms and landed in a local Christmas Event at Murphys Park. Can't wait to visit again! read more

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Love this little town, we were here for a wedding and I was concerned of being a minority here. Everyone we met, 95% was white and everyone was so welcomed us! People are nice and all businesses were welcome! More than 25+ wine tasting rooms on Main Street, this town is perfect for a weekend get away! "Murphys is located in the central Sierra Nevada foothills between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park, in Calaveras County, California. Rich in goldrush history, Murphys today is a vibrant, thriving community of approximately 2,000 residents, alive with art galleries and live theater, eclectic shops, cute restaurants, charming hotels and B&B's, and a multitude of outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities all just a short drive away. Often called the "Queen of the Sierra," Murphys has retained the charm of yesteryear, even as it has grown and developed into a modern community with all the amenities expected by today's visitors. Many original goldrush-era buildings are still in use today, including the Murphys Historic Hotel and Lodge, a registered State Historic Landmark which once hosted such luminaries as General Ulysses S. Grant, Mark Twain, Horatio Alger, and Charles Bolton, aka notorious outlaw "Black Bart." Towering, stately elm trees line Main St., providing a canopy of green that adds to the historic charm and ambience of the streetscape.Daniel and John Murphy settled the area in 1848, at the start of the great California gold rush. Shrewd traders and smart businessmen both, the brothers made their fortune supplying the legions of gold miners flocking to the area, and legend has it that they were millionaires by the time they turned 25. More about the history of Murphys. Located at approximately the 2,000-foot elevation level, Murphys is ideally situated above the central valley fog, yet generally below the snowline. Year-round weather is pleasant and mild, with temperatures ranging from the mid-30's to 60's during the winter months, and 70's to 90's during the summer." VisitMurphys.com for more details. read more

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I used to watch California's Gold with Huell Howser on PBS many years ago and enjoyed watching his show. He would always showcase a town or place that's off-the-beaten-path with plenty of history lesson to boot. Man, I miss that show and may he rest in peace. Visiting this old, historic town of Murphys reminded me so much of that show. I don't know if he ever visited this town, but this would be the kind of place that he would showcase on his show. From what I know, it's an old mining town dating back to the Gold Rush and it's obviously named after the maker of Murphy's Irish Stout. Of course I'm pulling your leg, but whoever Murphy was, he was definitely of Irish decent with all the four leaf clovers painted all over this town. You won't find any Leprechauns here, but you will find plenty of small wineries, restaurants and small mom-n-pop shops. It has remained a merchant town, much like it has since the Gold Rush days were over. It's a charming, quiet and quaint little town that has plenty to offer and plenty of libations if you are in the mood. The air is clean, the trees are green and it feels like you are in Mother Nature's nest. This town is perfect for a weekend getaway whether you decide to spend a day or two. Murphys is in Calaveras County and approximately a 3+ hour drive from San Francisco. It's on the outskirts of Stanislaus National Forest, North of Yosemite, East of Stockton with Moaning Caverns Adventure Park and Calaveras Big Trees State Park close by. read more

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It's definitely small. By car, it takes all of 15 minutes to see all of it. It's rustic. You're in the mountains, after all. It's way charming. What it lacks in size, it really makes up for in charm. The air is clean. The sky is piercingly blue. It's quiet. Turns out, Murphys is the perfect place to visit when you want to get away from the big city. And, if you actually prefer being away from the big city, you'll relish it. Old west, meets mountain town, meets Norman Rockwell. Murphys Hotel & Saloon, Arnold, & The Peppermint Stick, respectively. No one had to tell me that the Murphys Hotel & Saloon is haunted. I took one look & got it right away. But if I'd known Mark Twain & Cornelius Vanderbilt were former guests, I wouldn't have shied away from it like I did. After Big Trees, I said that all I needed was some lemonade. Back to Murphys, & lo & behold, I saw a lemonade stand. When was the last time you saw a lemonade stand? I mean, an actual lemonade stand?! Welcome to Murphys. Then, there are all the wine tasting rooms peppered about town, bringing sophistication to the mix. Farm to table dining & a fantastic artisan bakery take care of any gourmet cravings you might have. All surrounded by all those...trees. It's kind of perfect. 5 stars. read more

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If you are at risk to the Corona Virus do not go here. Visiting this weekend I was very disappointed to see that the majority of visitors were not wearing masks or some kind of PPE. In conversation with some business owners, they noted that many were locals as well. I will not be patronizing Murphys since there is no enforcement of health precautions. read more

LOVE this little town! Great shops, historical architecture, and beauty is everywhere! Wineries, great food and cute shops. Their park is so amazing and picturesque! White gazebo, bbq's picnic tables nestled through and near gorgeous Creek. Wild blackberry bushes line the walkways. Thriftstotes! Various festivals. Don't miss it! read more

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As a born and raised Gold Country resident let me say Murphys is one of the best little towns around! There are many wonderful restaurants, wineries, shops and SO many great outdoor adventures to be had. (I speak of the Angels Camp/ Murphys area as one because it basically is. They share a high school so if you grew up here all of the highway 4 corridor is pretty much your "hometown") Let me also give some advice to people coming here from larger cities... You are welcome! Please, come and visit! BUT... DO NOT move here because it is so quaint and cute then proceed to complain that there is no Starbucks (we have one now in Angels that put some smaller family places out of business), or that there is no McDonald's (got one of those too now). All of the reasons you people love it here so much are disappearing because you miss the convenience of bigger cities! So far Angels has taken the brunt of the damage, but I fear Murphys is not far behind. Also, do not move here and two years later call yourself a local (It takes at least 15 I believe). Do not move here and presume to speak for those of us who really are local. Just come and enjoy all of the things you loved about it to begin with. I know this is an old song, sung by many a small town, but it's a classic for a reason. Oh and by the way... Yes! believe it or not, most of us bumpkins have been to the big city (San Francisco, LA, whatever). Because although you need only walk out your front door to go designer shopping- comedy clubs- art museums- etc., for us to do those same activities we MUST travel. So please do not condescend and ask, "Have you ever been to San Francisco?"... Um, yea, it's only a couple hours away, I'v been there a few times. Let's just keep our rolls in perspective, you guys have the culture, and we have the wilderness and agriculture. All are essential to a well rounded society. read more

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Murphys is the best! Of course I'm biased, but even if I wasn't from the area, I would still give a 5 star rating. Some of my readers have asked "Where is Murphys?" Allow me: Murphys is located on Highway 4 in Calaveras County. It is in between Angels Camp and Arnold. If you've never been there, you should definitely visit. It makes a nice day trip or weekend excursion depending on where you are traveling from. Murphys has often been called the "Carmel of the Sierras". There are so many cute little shops, boutiques and restaurants to visit. The town has really grown and stepped it up since the Kautz family built Ironstone Vineyards. The Drammer family built many of the newer buildings including the now named Victoria Inn. It used to be called the Redbud Inn and I used to work there. Such a fun job but that is a story for another time. Here is my Top 10 list (in no particular order) of some of my fave places to visit when I go back home: 1. V Restaurant: one of the best restaurants in Murphys. It is really small and service is rather slow so be prepared. Reservations are definitely needed. 2. Grounds: fun place, yummy food. I love their fresh fish specials. Delish. 3. Nelson's Candy Kitchen: quaint, old-fashioned candy shop. They make their own fudge. My fave is the peppermint bark during the holiday season. TDF! 4. Kristine's: cute boutique with some pretty cool clothing brands. Can you say Michael Stars? Love their T's! So soft. 5. Aria: yummy bakery with fresh baked goods. 6. Alchemy: Love the market and deli. They have a nice selection of specialty foods and wines. The restaurant is good too. 7. Sierra Hills Market: OK, I know it's a grocery store, but they have a really nice selection of local wines, butcher counter and fresh produce. 8. Il Rifugio: Italian deli and shop. They make some really great homemade ravioli. 9. Murphys Park: totally small and cute park behind Main Street with a little creek running through the grounds. 10. Tasting Rooms: There are so many great tasting rooms located all along Main Street. Some of my faves include Twisted Oak, Frog's Tooth and Hatcher. read more

What a wonderful area! Although Bay Area natives, we hadn't heard of Murphys specifically until my husband saw it as a place to visit in some magazine. Murphys is only a 2 hour drive from the East Bay where we live and it couldn't be in prettier country. We planned a last minute visit for a day and a night. The town is really cute and contains quite a number of points of interest. So much wine tasting, apple farm up the road, within 30 minutes of driving you get into the mountains proper and into Big Trees State Park. Beautiful hiking and amazing Sequoias to be found Big Trees. We spent half the day hiking in the park, visited the apple farm, and managed to squeeze in a couple of wineries. Definitely an area I could see coming back to again and again. read more

Murphy's and Calaveras County are great places to visit, I love also Amador County and to the South is Tuolumne County (Sonora) Great places to visit, great places to live. The Mother Lode is a great place for Winerys. The following is a visual tour on Murphys http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimhildreth/sets/72157603533343220/ read more

Murphys - Kautz Ironstone Vineyards - Public Services & Government Near Me - Murphys, California

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I have been to Murphy's so many times I can't even begin to count them. Murphys is one of those towns that if you don't like the stores then leave and come back in a month and there will be new ones for you to browse through. There are over 20 wine tasting rooms along with many places to eat. Food??? There is anything and everything you can think of to eat in this little town of fun and laughter. They have a great city park with a nice stream running through it for you to dangle your feet in on a hot day in July or August. V is probably one of the best restaurants in Murphys. If you want good fried chicken then I would suggest the Murphys hotel. There are curio shops, knick knack shops, clothing shops, dog friendly shops, dog friendly restaurants and most of the wine tasting rooms are dog friendly and some are not. There are several places for you to stay overnight, or as many nights/days as you want and the prices are as reasonable as anywhere else and there are also some vacation homes for rent. All in all Murphys is in my humble opinion the best place in Ca. to spend a day, week or even a month. But best be warned, if you're just going to go wine tasting better plan on a two day event because you will not be able to visit all the tasting rooms in one day. And don't forget there are some great wineries outside of town also. Stop in a tasting room and get a map it comes in handy. I like to lovingly call this my town. Great job Murphys, keep it up. 5 thumbs up read more

Murphys has been the Special Place for me and my husband since the first time he took me three years ago. We come back as often as we can afford to (and as often as our livers will allow). Clarification for those who are confused -- Murphys is an actual TOWN, not a winery like the business listing suggests. I've submitted an edit request to the Powers that Be and hopefully it will be fixed. This place kicks the shit out of Napa. A thousand times more friendly and less pretentious for starters. And you know how the average tasting fee in Napa is between $10-25? Here the highest one we've ever seen is $5. Some are $3. Most are free. I will gladly pay $5 to taste a flight of delicious wines in a fun and friendly setting. The best part is that if you plan right, your driving will be little to none. We always stay at the Victoria Inn right on Main Street -- so all we have to do is park the car once and the rest of the weekend is on foot, walking from one tasting room to the next. My favorites on the "strip" are Lavender Ridge, Frog's Tooth, and the incredible Domaine Becquet. Nowadays we usually stick to the same few favorites and bounce amongst them, but there's always something new to explore since tasting rooms come and go. It's not all wine tasting either. There are a ton of little shops and boutiques to peruse (I have to warn you, stay away from the antique shops after 4 hours of wine tasting, or else you may end up purchasing a gold-plated sink that you have nowhere to put....not that I would know ANYTHING about that). And the food is great! You have to try V Restaurant at least once. Also be sure to check out Alchemy and Grounds -- Alchemy is great for lunch & dinner, and Grounds is nice for breakfast and lunch. Although we usually only spend weekends here, I do recommend trying to add a little extra time on to your stay if you can. Besides needing several days to try enough different wineries, the surrounding area has a lot to offer as well, including hiking, cave tours, and even zip-lines. We haven't tried the zip-lines yet, but the caves are fun! read more

I can't believe Murphy's is not already in Yelp as a destination. Perhaps I am breaking some unwritten rule regarding reviewing non-business entities? Oh well. I just had to review Murphy's because I believe people would enjoy it. It is different, but fun. There are so many weekend getaways that one can take from the SF Bay Area and I had never heard of Murphy's until a friend of mine started talking about buying some land there. Named "One of the Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America" by Frommers, Murphy's is a very interesting mix of wild west and the finer things in life. We spent a day just walking around town where we found great antique shops (if you go in for antiques), great food, a little boutique shopping and lots of wine tasting rooms. We spent another day in the surrounding areas and absolutely fell in love with Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Getting there is a long haul, but once you are there you will have a wonderful time. When you get there, definitely eat at Firewood and Grounds and check out Aria for coffee and a pastry. We went to the Murphy's Historic Hotel for dinner and while it was fun to go inside and look around the old hotel, I couldn't recommend dinner there. read more

Wonderful, casual, fairly quite tourist spot. Lots of shops and places to eat. VERY dog friendly with dogs allowed in most stores and restaurants (please keep your dog leashed, quiet and pick up after them so as not to ruin it for future visitors). Cute tourist trap type shops with a few unique ones. Would highly recommend! read more

Having lived in the gold country my entire life, I can say without doubt that Murphys is one of my absolute favorite towns to visit. It is small, charming, and feels very warm and welcome no matter the season. There are plenty of unique restaurants so there's always something for everyone. I'm pretty sure every second or third building is a winery/tasting bar. So, if you're into wine tasting, you've come to the right place. There are also many shops and stores you can cruise around in. The park in town is beautiful and has a stream running through it. I often see people fishing in it or letting their dogs cool down in the hot summer months. Bonus tip: if you go during the weekend, there is an old man who drives up and down the street playing his trumpet out of the driver's side window of his car. Definitely a unique town with a beautiful history and a very relaxing vibe. read more

I [HEART] Murphys: Great restaurants, an adorable park right off main street, wine tasting rooms everywhere you look, fun shops, neat events from the small-scale (farmers markets, park concerts), to the small town (Irish Days Festival, Grape Stomp), to the big time (Great concerts at Ironstone, who knew?). This place is the perfect mix of historical, fresh, down-home, sophisticated... sigh. read more

Beautiful little town feel, very friendly people, and wine! what's not to like about this place?!

Awesome little town in Calaveras County with tons of history and cool places to stay, eat and sleep at. The wine tasting seems much more prominent from last year. Seems to be taking over the small town. It is the new theme up there, along with the huge concert venue at Ironstone, just up the road. Hope they keep the small-town feel and don't get too commercial. read more

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Murphys struck me as an old fashioned, all American, pretty traditional, super cute town that definately caters to tourists.. There are lots of rivers, lakes,caverns, and parks to visit nearby. The town itself has a lot of great dining options and some live music venues if you check ahead you might catch a band you haven't heard from in awhile. There is plenty of wine tasting in town and around the area. It is moderately dog friendly which was nice since we brought our dog. What it is not is the Santa Cruz Mountains. For the most part the mind set of folks did not seem very progressive and I am not sure if it would be gay friendly or not. read more

What's not to love about Murphy's! The wine tasting is wonderful! So many choices. Great shops and restaurants. Just the cutest little town with lots of activities! I would only hesitate in writing a review to keep this gem to myself, but I think the secret is out! Don't miss this place! read more

I absolutely LOVE this town. As soon as we arrived I was all giddy and excited to explore somewhere new. I only had the pleasure of a day visit, we started off with the Murphys Hotel for lunch, it had a nice outdoor atmosphere. We walked all around Main Street until the late evening and we still weren't able to check every tasting room and boutique. Next time I would definitely make it a one night stay, but it makes a great day trip! read more

My favorite local hill town that houses numerous great tasting rooms and good restaurants and of course the people are super nice.

Murphys! Love it. We first discovered Murphys when we were staying with a friend in Twain Harte. She new we loved wine, so she took us up Hwy 4 to this little mountain town....Murphys! Since then, when we're in Twain Harte, we make it appoint to spend a day in Murphys. They have some great restaurants, somewhere in the range of 22 wine tasting rooms, a park off the main road that's great for picnics, and some gift shops. It's a great place to stop off if you're in the area for a bite to eat or just to get out and stretch your legs. There is something for everyone there, you won't be disappointed. read more

Quaint, quiet little town of 2000 was a perfect weekend get away. It is a 2 hour drive from the Bay Area. Murphys (no apostrophe) has several choices for Breakfast and Dinner. My husband and I don't drink but there were wine tasting rooms every other building. The locals said during tourist season there are up to 30,000 visitors. We obviously picked the right weekend to visit. Everyone was very friendly. We stayed at the Victoria Inn. It was clean, comfortable and right on the main street. We had dinner al Alchemy. I will do a separate review on that. I recommend visiting Murphys when you want to get away from phones, emails and television. read more

Great place to visit. Single, dating, couples, kids, family, motorcycle rides, weekend getaway. For the quite, outdoors, winos, adventuresome, tourist, getting married... read more

We stayed at the Murphys Inn which was very reasonably priced and quiet, Gretchen told us of great places to eat first night Murphy's Grill (not hotel) and they had the BEST ribs ever we also ate at the Grounds and had superb sandwiches but the dessert rocked. Then had dinner at Rob's place where on on Wed they have music we shared the roasted chicken which was enough for 2 and very good. Could not go wrong with food. Not much with wine tasting but we did go to Moaning Caverns (long way down but worth it) and ziplined there. Good first time zipline! When we left we stopped at Aria Bakery and had some of the best hot cocoa and pastries. Then drove thru Arnold stopped at a "Timeless Home Gallery" where you can buy local artist work and a lovely lady named Heidi gave us info on Calaveras Big Tree (she is awesome) after park did Ebbetts pass which is a must see beautiful scenery drive slow and enjoy the view! read more