Sacramento California Accommodations and Hotels

Amador County

Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park
Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park sits in a valley that is 2,400 feet above sea level. The 135-acre park was created in 1968. It has the largest collection of bedrock mortars in North America. Indian Grinding Rock is eight miles east of Jackson.

Butte County

Bald Rock
Visitors to Bald Rock will be treated to splendid views of the Sacramento Valley. The park, once the home of Maidu Indians, has great formations and grinding holes that the inhabitants used for grains and acorns. Most guests will enjoy hiking to Bald Rock’s peak, which is located near Oroville.

Bidwell Mansion State Historical Park
This site is the former home of Chico’s founders John and Annie Bidwell. Bidwell Mansion State Historical Park is near Chico State University in downtown Chico. There are guided tours offered daily. The Mansion is located at 525 Esplanade Blvd. Call (530) 895-6144 for current visiting hours.

Bidwell Park
Bidwell Park is located on 3,750 acres, making it the second-largest municipal park in the country after Central Park in New York City. The park sits on the banks of Big Chico Creek. Tourists have plenty of activities to do in Bidwell Park, including golfing, playing baseball, swimming, jogging, hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Visitors can access the park by following Fir Street (which becomes East Eighth Street) from Highway 32. Call the City of Chico Park Department at (530) 895-4972 for more information.

Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park
There are four parks located within Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park, including Big Chico Riparian, Irvine Finch River, Pine Creek, and Indian Fishery. The 185-acre park allows guests to hike, kayak, fish, bird-watch, and picnic. Visitors can access the park from River Road, which is off of Highway 32. Call (530) 342-5185 for more information.

Oroville State Wildlife Area
Oroville State Wildlife Area, located off of highways 70 and 162 in western Oroville, is great for bird-watching and camping. Guests have more than 11,000 acres to explore when they visit the area.

Calaveras County

Calaveras Big Trees State Park
This park has more than 6,000 acres of sequoias and pine trees that dot the Stanislaus River’s banks. Calaveras Big Trees State Park also has campgrounds, picnic areas, and hiking and biking trails. Cross country and snowshoe hiking are very popular at the park during the winter. The park is near Arnold.

Jenny Lind Veteran's Memorial Park
The Jenny Lind Veteran’s Memorial Park, located in Valley Springs, has a children’s playground and nature trails. Volleyball and baseball are among a number of sports that guests enjoy at the park.

White Pines Lake & Park
White Pines Lake & Park has a playground, a beach, picnic areas, and horseshoe pits. The park allows nonmotor boating and fishing on White Pines Lake. White Pines, about three miles east of Arnold city, is off of Blagen Road. Call (209) 795-1839 for more information.

Nevada County

Empire Mine State Historic Park
There are guided tours offered during different times of the day at Empire Mine State Historic Park in Grass Valley. The park contains one of the oldest, longest, and deepest gold mines in the state. Empire Mine produced 5.6 million ounces of gold before it closed in 1956. Many of the mine’s original buildings still stand on the 805-acre park. Visitors can also tour the Secret Room, which was built as a scale model of mines. The park is located at 10791 E. Empire St. in Grass Valley. Call (530) 273-8522 for more information.

Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park
Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park opened in 1866 and was the world’s largest hydraulic mining site. Mining stopped at the site in 1885 because of environmental concerns. The park has a museum, cabin rentals, and campsites. Visitors can access the park by turning on Tyler Foote Road from Highway 49. It is a 30-minute drive from Nevada City.

Sacramento

Brannan Island State Recreation Area
Brannan Island is a waterway that winds through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It is one of the best places in the world to go fishing, boating, and swimming. Frank’s Tract, a wetland marsh, is a protected area where beavers, muskrats, river otters, and minks live. The recreational area is open from sunrise to sunset, and the visitor center is open only on Saturdays and Sundays. The park is located off of Highway 160, just south of nearby Rio Vista. Call (916) 777-7701 for more information.

Columbia State Historic Park
Columbia State Historic Park is called the Gem of the Southern Mines. It is located in Angels Camp off of Highway 49. Visitors can ride in a stagecoach, watch a blacksmith work, or even pan for gold. Call (209) 532-0150 for information about park hours.

Prairie City
Visitors who like driving all-terrain and four-wheel drive vehicles will enjoy the Prairie City State Vehicular and Recreational Area. This site also has go-cart, clay oval, and mud-drag tracks. The park – on nearly 840 acres of grasslands, rolling hills, and blue oak trees – rests at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Prairie City also provides picnic sites. Call the California Parks and Recreation Department at (916) 985-7378 for directions.

Stone Lake
Sacramento County officials set aside Stone Lake to preserve the Central Valley lakes and the habitats that surround them. A lot of migratory birds and indigenous animals live in this park that lies within the Pacific Flyway. Stone Lake also has sites that were occupied by American Indians. It is located in southern Sacramento. Call (916) 445-7373
for directions.

Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park
Sutter’s Fort – located in midtown Sacramento – is the only building that remains from settler John Sutter’s New Helevetia (New Switzerland). Sutter received a 48,000 land grant from the Mexican government to settle this part of California, but gold seekers occupied most of his land during the Gold Rush. The restored fort is open daily for tours; however, it is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Visitors will find Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park between K and L streets and 26th and 28th streets. Visitors may opt for a self-guided audio tour. Call the park’s main office at (916) 445-4422 for more information.