Coloma Resort (South Fork American River)
A private campground where guests pan the river at the edge of camp
- What it is
- Private campground with cabins, RV and tent sites on the South Fork of the American River
- Gold panning
- In the river, from the resort's riverfront, for registered guests
- What you pay for
- A campsite or a cabin
- Gear
- Gold pans, gold vials and how-to handouts at the camp store
- Practice
- Resort troughs, seasonal lessons and summer Saturday panning sessions
- Visitors
- Only by pre-arrangement and paid in advance
- Address
- 6921 Mt. Murphy Road, Coloma
- Season
- Year-round
Fee dig: pay to search the ground on site
Native material: you search the natural ground on site.
Season: Year-round.
Make a weekend of it
827 gold spots on open public land with no claim on record, within 50 miles.
There are more on the map, some of them with a possible mining claim.
About Coloma Resort (South Fork American River)
Coloma Resort is a private campground on the South Fork of the American River in Coloma, less than an hour from Sacramento, and as a guest you can pan for gold in the river from its riverfront. The resort sums it up as "Gold pan from your campsite!", and it stays open all year, with cabins, RV sites with hookups and tent sites along the water.
The campground lies across the one-lane Mount Murphy bridge from Highway 49, just past the Sutter's Mill site, in the valley where the Gold Rush began. Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park is next door, and from your site you can walk to the park museum and take a self-guided tour of the historic buildings. The state park's own public panning bank is on the same side of the river as the campground.
What you pay for here is a place to stay; the river gravel in front of the campground is natural. The resort also has troughs where you can practice your technique, seasonal lessons, and gold panning sessions for all ages on summer Saturdays. The camp store sells gold pans and gold vials and has printed instructions for beginners.
This is a family campground with house rules. Visitors of guests get in only if they are announced 48 hours ahead and paid for in advance, and the gate code reaches guests by email on the day they arrive. Generators are not allowed, since every site has power. Cabins and riverfront sites take a two-night minimum. The resort posts links to river flow reports and asks guests to watch for flood warnings.
From Sacramento, take Highway 50 east to exit 37, Ponderosa and North Shingle Road, follow North Shingle Road until it becomes Lotus Road, and stay on it to Highway 49. Turn right, drive three quarters of a mile to Mount Murphy Road, turn left and cross the bridge: the resort is right after it, on the right. The bridge has height and weight limits for RVs and buses, listed on the resort's directions page. The Eureka pin is on the resort's street address.
In summer the river in front of the resort is a tubing run, from just below Troublemaker Rapid down to Henningsen Park in Lotus. The resort also runs the Coloma Outdoor Discovery School, whose Gold Rush program for fourth graders serves lunch in a souvenir gold pan.
Clubs and places nearby
- Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic ParkFree public dig · 0 mi
- Dave Moore Nature Area (BLM, South Fork American River)Free public dig · 2 mi
- South Fork American River at Greenwood Creek (BLM)Free public dig · 4 mi
- Gold Country Treasure Seekers (Placerville)Club · 6 mi
- Northern California Mineralogical AssociationClub · 9 mi
- El Dorado County Mineral & Gem SocietyClub · 9 mi
Where to buy gear nearby
- Placerville HardwareShop · 7 mi
- Pioneer Mining SuppliesShop · 12 mi
- The Hidden Gem Rock ShopShop · 15 mi
- Heckler FabricationOnline shop · 22 mi
Access
6921 Mt. Murphy Road, Coloma. From Highway 49 between Placerville and Auburn, turn onto Mount Murphy Road just past the Sutter's Mill gold discovery site and cross the one-lane bridge: the resort is right after it, on the right. The bridge has height and weight limits for RVs and buses, listed on the resort's directions page. The riverfront is for registered guests, so book a site or cabin ahead through the website; visitors of guests are allowed only by pre-arrangement and paid in advance. The gate code is sent to guests on the day they arrive.
Technique
Gold pan in the river from your campsite. The camp store sells gold pans and gold vials, and instructional handouts are available. The resort posts links to river flow updates and asks guests to be aware of potential flood warnings.