Marshall Gold Discovery (Monroe Ridge Loop)
Coloma (El Dorado County) · near Coloma · Gold Country & Central Valley
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route type
- loop
- Distance
- 3 miles
- Elevation gain
- 560 ft
- Time needed
- day
- Best season
- Spring; pleasant most of the year; hot summer afternoons
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- Yes
- How the permit works
- State park day-use/parking fee (~$8). Full facilities; living-history town and museum on-site.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 1 of 5
What is here
- Features
- Birthplace of the 1848 Gold Rush · South Fork American River · James Marshall Monument · Ridge oak woodland & living-history town
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Hiking detail
- Intl tip
- Do the loop in the morning, then spend the afternoon in the historic park and museum; combine it with nearby Cronan Ranch for a full Coloma day.
The guide
This is where the California Gold Rush began, and the Monroe Ridge loop pairs a modest oak-ridge climb with the region's riches…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Marshall Gold Discovery (Monroe Ridge Loop) — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 38.803, -120.8959