Location: Placerville
Top Things to do in Placerville
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10 Things to Do in Placerville That You Shouldn't Miss
Placerville (/ˈplæsərvɪl/, PLASS-ər-vil; formerly Old Dry Diggings, Dry Diggings, and Hangtown) is the county seat of El Dorado County, California. The population was 10,389 at the 2010 census, up from 9,610 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Restaurants in Placerville
1. Hangtown's Gold Bug Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 145 reviews
You'll step back in time when you enter Gold Bug Park! It'a a REAL mining site from the Gold Rush days. Explore the park and then the mining museum. Find your riches in the gem panning trough. Be sure to visit our historic Stamp Mill and working Blacksmith Shop. Hattie's Gift Shop will be open for that special one-of-a-kind memento of your mining experience. Be sure to top off your visit with an audio tour of the Gold Bug Mine (see below; fee applies). Our Hours: April thru October: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Daily November thru March: 12:00 noon to 4:00 PM on Weekends Only During your self-guided audio tour of the Gold Bug you'll hear a California Gold Rush miner tell about the tools he used to get at that elusive yellow metal - GOLD! As you enter the 352 foot drift of this hard rock mine, you will feel the cool air brush against your face. Activity Suggestions: Bring a picnic lunch. Take a relaxing hike suitable for all ages along our dog-friendly trails. Check out the gold rush museum and perhaps stumble upon a lively blacksmith or a "real" 49er to share stories of the good ol' days. Gold Bug Park promises to be a wonderful experience for you and your family. Outdoor Pavilion rental available for groups of up to 75 people - suitable for summer graduations, family picnics, weddings, reunions, and more. For Schools: We offer educational and entertaining guided tours for both schools and private groups. Contact the park to bring your California history curriculum to life.
Reviewed By casabear - Burney, California
This is such a great park and museum! They also have tours that you can go on and learn more about the park. I didn't go on the tour because I didn't have time, but they are reasonably priced and have a lot to offer. I had my dogs with me and it was such a nice walk, we sure enjoyed it. I also visited the gift shop and bought some gold panning equipment. The store is so cute and has such great selection of historical and educational items. The woman at the register was so nice and helpful. She had suggestions on where to go and was a wealth of information. I would love to come here again and take the tour.
2. OARS American River Outpost
Overall Ratings
5 based on 139 reviews
American River whitewater rafting for over forty years. Based out of Lotus on the South Fork of the American River, O.A.R.S. offers American River white water rafting near Sacramento & Lake Tahoe. Trip options include half day and one day rafting adventures from easy to extreme on the South Fork American, Middle Fork American and the North Fork of the American River in northern California.Recognized by National Geographic Adventure as "The Best River & Sea Outfitter on Earth," O.A.R.S. sets the standard in first-class rafting, sea kayaking and multi-sport adventures throughout North America. O.A.R.S. caters to active travelers of all ages and abilities with experienced, professional guides and top notch equipment. Ideal for family adventure vacations and quick weekend escapes.
Reviewed By SherryG487 - Los Angeles, California
Took our kids for some rafting and camping family fun on the American River South Fork. Wanted to close out our summer with some excitement. We had so much fun in our pod of fellow paddlers on Class III rapids. Guides are friendly, knowledgeable and...MoreThank you for choosing O.A.R.S. for your family's American River rafting adventure, Sherry. We appreciate the nice review and 5-rating and are happy to hear you had fun! Hope to see you on the river again!
3. Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 217 reviews
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park is a state park of California, United States, marking the discovery of gold by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in 1848, sparking the California Gold Rush.
Reviewed By Trup - New York, NY
Delightful museum, well staffed and free parking. Easy walk to the blacksmith place where the two fellows working were willing to explain to our grandsons how they made various items out of wrought iron and the history of the place. Then we went to see...MoreWe are so glad to hear you enjoyed your visit to Marshall Gold Discovery SHP. The Blacksmiths are a wonderful group of volunteers who work hard to tell the story of the Gold Rush while sharing the art of their craft.
4. Boa Vista Orchards
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 194 reviews
Open Every Day in Beautiful Apple Hill, We Pride Ourselves on Welcoming Visitors and Locals Alike with Fresh Offerings, Friendly Faces, and Gorgeous Views!
Reviewed By Lisa S - Roseville, California
Lovely farm with plenty of fresh produce, free samples and delicious pastries. We stopped by around Halloween time to pick out our pumpkins and to get some fresh jarred Apple pumpkin butter. They make their own pies and cider and prices are good. Definitely worth a stop either solo or with the whole family.
5. Beyond Limits Adventures
Overall Ratings
5 based on 232 reviews
The beautiful American River is the site of California's 1849 Gold rush and now is the most popular whitewater rafting river in the Western US... let us show you why! One of the few rivers in California to have adequate water flows year round for rafting, The South Fork of the American River is a wonderfully fun guided rafting adventure for first timers, families and groups. The class 3 rapids are perfect for all types of participants, lots of action but not too intense for novices. Half, one and two day trips are available.
Reviewed By abarney6
Beyond Limits provided my group of friends with an amazing and unforgettable rafting trip! We were so impressed with their customer service, guiding experience, professionalism, and friendliness. The camp site was also very clean and the food was great! The go pro videos were a wonderful bonus that we were able to purchase and take home to share. Thank you Beyond Limits for the great weekend getaway!
6. High Hill Ranch
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 130 reviews
Rides galore, and plenty of apple and wine based activities.
Reviewed By Steve R - Roseville, California
If you want a place to get all the feel, tastes and smells of Apple Hill, without a lot of driving, this is your place.
Located right off Hwy 50 ( although late on a busy weekend day traffic can be seriously busy) It's at the top of the hill.
It's got good pies and goodies of course but also, there's a kids trout fishing pond where a catch is almost a guarantee, a crafts fair with "stuff" for sale, but also attached is the Fudge Factory with an amazing and delicious array of fudge, candies, Caramel Apples and the hard to find and my personal favorite, real candied apples (with the red crackle candy outside)...wow good.
Then if you'd like to change it up, you can walk down a lane to Madrona winery for a taste. Good wines. And now if you'd like another taste of wine, across and down the street is Jodar Wines, which surprised me how good they are.
When time to go and want some apple butter, pies, nuts, syrups and bushels of fruit to bring home, just stop at Boa Vista on the way back down toward Placerville.
And there you have it, Apple Hill in a nutshell or a little slice of Apple....Hill.
7. Lava Cap Winery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 64 reviews
Celebrate the magic of mountain-grown grapes and the beauty that surrounds Lava Cap Winery. Savor the taste of well-balanced wines rich with full flavor and body, vibrant fruit, crisp acidity and soft tannins. Bring a picnic and relax on the deck overlooking our vineyards.
Reviewed By Jeff W - South Lake Tahoe, California
Had a great time cooling off here in the wine tasting room on a steamy Sunday outside Placerville. Quite a retreat. Staff servers were outstanding and friendly and the wines varied all over the palate. Loved the whites and Zins so much I joined the wine club on the spot and arranged for quarterly delivery. This winery, along with others nearby, is a great place to hang out with other adults and sip delicious wine that you can NEVER get in a story. Only regret is that we ran out of time, so we'll have to return for another day in the countryside.
8. Vallejo Farmers Market
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 45 reviews
Reviewed By Mannypic - Vallejo
I really enjoy the atmosphere with all the vendors selling a large variety of fruits and vegetables. Everyone is so friendly when the Vallejo Farmers Market is open on Saturdays. I especially like the barbeque stand! I highly recommend coming to this Farmers Market!
9. Boeger Winery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 98 reviews
The winery's historic main building was built in 1872.
Reviewed By Liane R
These wines are great, and we walked away with a case. But our tasting room representative was totally not engaged. She poured and walked away rather than telling us about the poured wines. Very disappointing. We can only assume she was new at her job and still learning. She needs mentoring from her supervisor, who was engaging with her customers on the other side of the bar.
10. Eldorado National Forest
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 71 reviews
The hiking areas are located within this forest.
Reviewed By mini - Fremont, California
We drove Highway 88 to the El Dorado National Forest. It was spring time and just beautiful out. With our good snow fall this year, there was beautiful green as well as a lot of snow. Caples Lake was still frozen over This is a wonderful place for year round activities from skiing, snow shoeing to fishing, boating and hiking in the summer. Its awesome.
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