"Auburn: Historic with Great Recreational Opps." Top 5 Page for this destination Auburn by TooTallFinn24

Auburn Travel Guide: 42 reviews and 126 photos

Old Placer County Courthouse - Auburn - Auburn
Old Placer County Courthouse - Auburn
Auburn: Worth A Good Luck Around

Auburn to many folks is just a pit stop on their way from San Francisco or Lake Tahoe because it is where the freeway slows down to allow for busy traffic. However Auburn offers a few interesting things to see and is definitely worth a look to someone searching for the history of the California Gold Rush or who wants to take part in some mountain biking, rafting or endurance racing.

The City of Auburn is home to about 13,500 people and has been the seat of Placer County since 1851.

In 1849 a group of French gold miners first occupied a camp in the nearby Auburn ravine. After finding gold in the area the group decided to remain. The town was first referred to as North Fork Dry Diggings for the gold camp established there but was later changed to Auburn in late 1849.

The picture at the top of the page is the impressive Placer County Courthouse. It was built in a Classic Revival style in 1898 and is three stories. The dome of the courthouse is particularly impressive. The courthouse stands on a hill where according to the docent in the Placer County Museum, which on the first floor, was the site of public hangings, auctions and bull fights in the mid 1800's.

Old Town Auburn
Old Town Auburn - Auburn

Auburn has an old town with many well preserved buildings dating back to the mid 1800's. The area of Old Town Auburn is fairly compact. It runs up and down Sacramento Street, with spillover onto two adjacent streets running generally east and west.

The City has done a good job preserving the older buildings and during the week at least there was plenty of free parking available. Nearly all the storefronts were occupied and even during my latest visit on a weekday there seemed to be a fair amount of business. See my review of Old Town Auburn here.

Sitting on the westerly portion of the old town area is the concrete state of a 49er miner. The statue is of Claud Chana who discovered gold nearby from Auburn in 1848. According to roadsideamerica.com the statue weighs 45 tons and was constructed by Dr. Ken Fox at the request of the town back in the early 1970's. For more on Ken Fox see my things to do list entitled, "Ken Fox's statues."

Auburn: A Recreational Mecca & Endurance Capital
Auburn the Endurance Capital of the World - Auburn

Auburn the Endurance Capital of the World

What in my mind makes Auburn so compelling is the range of recreational activities that are so close by. Just 2-3 miles east of town is the Auburn State Recreational Area offers an incredible array of recreational opportunities including hiking, running, rafting, mountain biking, and endurance racing. The area is so immensely popular as an area for mountain running that Auburn has been dubbed the endurance capital of the world. The scenery with the deep ravines and two rivers is also a pleasant drive as well as the other options that are offered.

Please see the review on "Auburn State Recreational Area and Foresthill Bridge here."

Pros and Cons
  • Pros:Historic, Unparalled Recreational Opportunities
  • Cons:Touristy, Driving in Town Can Be Tough
  • In a nutshell:Get off the Road and Take a Bike, Hike or Raft
  • Last visit to Auburn: Nov 2011
  • Intro Updated Nov 3, 2011
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Reviews (13)

Impressive Craft Beers - Auburn Impressive Craft Beers Restaurants (4)

Sitting right smack in the middle of Old Town Auburn is the Auburn Alehouse in an impressive old building. At first from... more travel advice

Placer County Gold Museum - Auburn Placer County Gold Museum Things to Do (7)

Hidden among the Placer County Fairgrounds is the Placer County Gold Museum. The Gold Country Museum, housed in a... more travel advice

Tasting Room: Converted Milk Building - Auburn Mount Vernon Winery Off The Beaten Path (1)

Just outside of town and off of the Auburn-Grass Valley Highway is a nice little winery. It is called the Mount Vernon... more travel advice

Katrina - Auburn Fabulous Breakfast Restaurants (4)

Located just outside of downtown Auburn, Katrina's is a small restaurant located on the Grass Valley Highway. While it... more travel advice

Comments (3)

  • Reply
    BruceDunning's Profile Photo
    Feb 10, 2013 at 2:35 PM

    On the way NE I will plan a stop here for the history aspect. Nice pictures

  • Reply
    ettiewyn's Profile Photo
    Nov 25, 2012 at 10:35 PM

    Hi Steven, Auburn looks like a nice place to visit! I especially like the historical buildings, such as the one in your main picture and the period home you visited. What an interesting tip about the dentists creating those statues!

  • Reply
    Martin_S.'s Profile Photo
    Feb 5, 2012 at 11:26 PM

    Can't believe we stayed with friends who live on a farm just outside Auburn and they never took us to see these things, shame on them....
    Martin

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