The somewhat undiscovered settlement of Mokelumne Hill is 7 miles south of Jackson just off Hwy 49. Settled by French trappers in the early 1840s, it’s a good place to see historic buildings without the common glut of antique stores and gift shops. Stay at the old-style Hotel Leger if you want to soak up the peace and quiet.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Kennedy Gold Mine

6.15 MILES

You can't miss the ominous steel headframe of the mine from the road, rising to 125ft. Its pulleys lifted ore and miners from the bowels of the earth…

2. Knight Foundry

8.19 MILES

In its prime, Sutter Creek was Gold Country’s main supply center for all things forged. Three foundries operating in 1873 made pans and rock crushers, but…

3. Monteverde General Store

8.31 MILES

This building goes back in time to when the general store was the center of the town’s social and economic life, represented by the chairs that circle the…

5. Black Chasm Cavern

10.17 MILES

Less than 1 mile east of Volcano, this National Natural Landmark has the whiff of a tourist trap, but one look at the array of helictite crystals – rare…

6. Amador Whitney Museum

10.33 MILES

This rugged little 1860s building looks like something straight out of a John Ford movie, and houses a replica schoolhouse scene and the obligatory mine…

8. Daffodil Hill

12.75 MILES

This hilltop farm, 2 miles northeast of Volcano, is blanketed with more than 300,000 daffodil blooms in the spring. The McLaughlin and Ryan families have…