This is the Gold Country & Central Valley chapter from Lonely Planet’s California guidebook.

Gold Country is where it all began – the drowsy hill towns and oak-lined byways of today’s quiet road trip belie the wild chaos of California’s founding. Today, this 400-mile-long green strip of the Central Valley is America’s most agriculturally productive region.

• wander the historic streets of Nevada City
• maps
• discover the birthplace of California at Marshall Gold Discovery Park
• transportation
• restaurants & accommodation
• rumble down California’s best single-track trails at Downieville

Coverage includes: Nevada County & Northern Gold Country, Auburn, Auburn State Recreation Area, Grass Valley, Nevada City, South Yuba River State Park, Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, North Yuba River, El Dorado & Amador Counties, Coloma, Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, Placerville, Placerville Wineries, Amador County Wine Region, Sutter Creek, Volcano, Jackson, Calaveras County & South Gold Country, Angels Camp, Murphys, Columbia State Historic Park, Sonora & Jamestown, Sacramento Valley, Sacramento, Sacramento River Delta, Davis, Oroville, Chico, Red Bluff, Lodi, Stockton, Modesto, Merced, Fresno, Visalia, Bakersfield and Kern River Area.