Alternate Activities

Got noncavers who want to come along but aren't up for a weekend of crawling around underground? No problem! There are plenty of other activities they can amuse themselves with while the rest of us have subterranean fun.

Commercial Caves & Mines

You can go check out the awesome commercial cave & mine tours at Black Chasm, California Cavern, Moaning Cavern, or Sutter Gold Mine for a substantial discount when you show your Regional registration.

Mercer Caverns is also nearby, though no discount is available.

Kennedy Gold Mine is one of the deepest mines in the world. They have surface tours that show the stamp and gold recovery mill, tailing wheels, a steam boiler and the huge steel head frame whose pulleys guided the miners into the bowels of the earth.

Historic Sites

Columbia Historic State Park is a fully functioning town, as well as being a state historic site. They have a museum, historic buildings, stagecoach rides, and gold mining.

Railtown 1897 might be familiar to "Back to the Future" fans, as several scenes were filmed there. It features steam trains, a round house, and a blacksmith shop.

Jimtown 1849 has gold mining and reenactments for the kids.

Chaw'se Indian Grinding Rock SHP goes further back in time, featuring the lifestyle and culture of the local Miwok tribe.

If you stick around town, you might want to look at the Sonora Cultural Attractions

Gold Rush Towns

Angels Camp, Jackson, Amador City, Volcano, Sutter Creek, Jamestown are all worth visiting for the shops and antiques.

Parks

Yosemite National Park is only a short drive away.

Calaveras Big Trees SP is also nearby, and features Sequoias.

Rafting

Sunshine Rafting Adventures and River Journey have easy float trips on the Stanislaus suitable for the whole family.

White Water Voyages and Beyond Limits have more aggressive rafting trips.

We'll have handouts at the regional with more information.