Nevada

These 10 Towns in California's Sierra Nevada Have Beautiful Architecture

Published

2 years ago

May 26, 2024

These 10 Towns in California's Sierra Nevada Have Beautiful Architecture

Calling all lovers of both history and the great outdoors, California’s Sierra Nevada awaits.

Stretching for hundreds of miles, this mountain range encompasses not just one but nearly half a dozen national parks, including Sequoia, Yosemite, and Kings Canyon. Criss-crossed by hiking trails, these parks make it easy to pull on your boots and get up close and personal with all the natural beauty.

For the architecture or history buff, Sierra Nevada offers a rich variety of towns with colorful histories, historic landmarks, and unique architecture. And it’s easy to see why: this area was in the very heart of the California Gold Rush of 1848. Hundreds of thousands came to find their fortune, and you can find the legacy of the boom towns that grew around them up and down the entire Sierra Nevada range.

So pack your bags and grab your camera. Discover ten towns in California’s Sierra Nevada waiting to welcome you with their natural beauty and historic architecture.

Nevada City

Broad Street in Nevada City, California. Image credit Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nevada City is a testament to the skills and determination of its Gold Rush-era builders, as well as modern efforts to maintain and preserve that heritage. Home to the Nevada County Historical Society, the town is dedicated to preserving its history, including its architectural heritage. The downtown area became a recognized National Historic District almost 40 years ago.

A favorite tourist destination, downtown is a marvel of what’s called “The Mother Lode Era” of architecture. Built by both carpenters and determined citizens, a walk down Main Street in Nevada City will make you feel like you have stepped back into the roaring heyday of the Gold Rush.

Beyond its amazingly preserved historical architecture, Nevada City has plenty to offer visitors. It is near Tahoe National Forest, which contains hundreds of lakes and reservoirs and hiking trails that connect to the famed Pacific Crest Trail.

Grass Valley

Deep inside the Sierra Nevada foothills, just down the road from Nevada City, is the gorgeous and historic Grass Valley. The town’s heritage includes a mix of Gold Rush-era Victorian homes and more modern designs with an environmentally conscious approach.

The historical society runs several amazing historic attractions in and around Nevada City and Grass Valley, including the Mining Museum, Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum, and the Searls Library. The library is an absolute treasure vault, with hundreds of thousands of records, maps, letters, and more for the history buff to explore.

Once you’ve had your fill of tours, museums, and records, stretch your legs in the Empire Mine State Park. You can explore its trails on a bicycle, on foot, or horseback. And after a day of learning and exploring, what better way to unwind than at the annual Brew Fest? This yearly fest is held right downtown, so you can grab a brew, listen to live music, and get the full Grass Valley experience.

Sonora

Once a mining town, Sonora, California’s historic architecture carries that legacy into the modern day. A number of its downtown businesses still feature an underlying support structure used by miners during the Gold Rush era, which has protected these structures from earthquakes ever since. It wasn’t known as the “Queen of the Southern Mines” for no reason.

A focus on preserving history and heritage is a common theme in California’s Sierra Nevada, and Sonora is no different. You only have to wander down Washington Street to the historic Opera Hall for evidence. Built on the ruins of a flour mill, funded by the treasure found in the famed Bonanza Gold Mine, the opera house has been echoing with music and acting as a hub for its community for well over 100 years.

Sonora is also near Yosemite National Park and several state parks, giving you plenty of choices when it comes to exploring this area’s glorious natural wonders and fascinating history.

Angels Camp

Situated right along the Mother Lode region, famed for its hard-rock gold deposits, Angels Camp was one of the first major mining camps of the Gold Rush. Called “49ers,” a wave of people who came to take their chances mining and panning for gold in 1849 flooded this small camp and turned it into one of the earliest boom towns in the state.

Fortunes were made along Angel Creek and its nearby sister creeks. This explosion of wealth is easy to see in historic Angels Camp architectural gems, including an utterly charming downtown that blends the vintage and the modern into a quaint and cozy vibe. Boutiques and bakeries nestle up against the Angels Camp Museum and Carriage House, which features the country’s biggest collection of both carriages and wagons.

Made even more famous by Mark Twain’s short story, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” Angel’s Camp is proud of its colorful history, and it shows. From the yearly Frog Hop of Fame to walking tours of historic landmarks and architecture, downtown Angels Camp has plenty to offer all year round. Nearby, New Melones Lake, one of the largest reservoirs in the state, has a marina, campsites, miles of hiking trails, and plenty of fishing and water sports.

Mammoth Lakes

The history of Mammoth Lakes is rich and deep. Located on the edge of an ancient caldera or a prehistoric volcanic eruption, this primal and beautiful landscape was once home to several Indigenous tribes. The Gold Rush brought in a flush of European American fortune seekers and entrepreneurs. But throughout its history, it has been the beauty and splendor of Mammoth Lakes that keeps people coming back for more.

One of the biggest draws in the region for the architecture buff is the famous Bodie Ghost Town, inside Bodie State Historic Park. This once-bustling Gold Rush-era town has hundreds of buildings still standing, which visitors can tour from spring through fall.

In town, you can also visit the Mammoth Museum at the Hayden Cabin. Tucked inside a 1920s log cabin, the museum displays focus on the industries that put Mammoth Lakes on the map.

As everywhere in the Sierra Nevada area, outdoor activities in and around this gem of a small town are plentiful. Year-round activities include cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, wildflower hikes, fishing, camping, and much more.

Dutch Flat

An early Gold Rush boom town, Dutch Flat was a successful mining area for quite some time. It was also an important stagecoach stop before railroad lines replaced coaches as the most popular means of long-distance travel. It was during the construction of these rail lines, including the grand transcontinental railroad, that Dutch Flat’s Chinatown was established, eventually becoming one of the largest populations of Chinese people in the state.

Now a small, unincorporated township with a population of only a few hundred people, Dutch Flat is a certified California Historical Landmark. Plenty of guided tours highlight its blend of architectural styles. Historic buildings like the Dutch Flat Hotel are still standing, and visitors will note the recognizable style and influence of the large Chinese population that calls this town home throughout its downtown and surrounding areas.

Placerville

When you come to Placerville, you find a landmark on nearly every corner. Nearly 40 years ago, Placerville created not just one but four historical districts within the town itself. Overseen by the El Dorado County Historical Society, the town is dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of its past, which includes its architecture.

Placerville was perfectly placed for the Gold Rush bonanza. Nearby Sutter’s Mill marks the location of the first discovery of gold in 1848, putting Placerville right in the heart of the gold rush heydays that followed.

The Carson Trail, a major immigration route, ran from Nevada to Placerville during the Gold Rush, and the town still shows the influence of that mighty influx of travelers. With many historic landmark buildings still standing, visitors can get their fill of this rich legacy. The Fountain and Tallman Museum itself is on the National Register of Historic Places and features the “rock rubble” construction style that was common during the early days of expansion.

For more modern attractions, the American River offers whitewater rafting and a host of other water sports.

Murphys

Another former boom town, Murphys is now just as well known for its wineries and Main Street tasting rooms as its pivotal role in the early Gold Rush era. Like other areas in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, the land around Murphys lends itself perfectly to growing grapes, and so many a traveler has come to whet their whistle after touring all the natural and historic bounty Murphy has to offer.

Main Street, filled with wine-tasting rooms and bustling restaurants, is also filled with examples of Gold Rush-era architecture. Many buildings still retain the iron- and stonework popular during those early boom days when much of this part of the state expanded its population rapidly. Today, the main thoroughfare of Murphys is quiet and charming, tree-lined, and perfect for an afternoon or evening stroll.

Murphys is also famed for its natural attractions, including Mercer Caverns, guided horseback tours, hiking trails, and plenty of rock climbing locations. A must-see is nearby Calaveras Big Trees State Park, where the massive sequoia trees grow hundreds of feet into the air.

Mokelumne Hill

With well under 1,000 year-round residents, this small town is an official California Historic Landmark.

Once a major Gold Rush trading center, Mokelumne Hill is now best known for its well-preserved historic architectural landmarks. These include the three-story I.O.O.F. Hall and the Calaveras County Courthouse. A walk along Center Street takes you past numerous buildings whose foundations were set in the 1850s. The nationally recognized Chinese Gardens still hold the remnants of the commercial garden run by Chinese residents for nearly 50 years in the 19th century.

Also on the list of must-see architecture is the Hotel Leger, which is still in operation well over 150 years after it was built. With a saloon that catered to gold miners and notorious outlaws and rumors of ghosts haunting the rooms, Hotel Leger is the perfect inn for both architectural enthusiasts and ghost hunters alike.

Delicious coffee shops and tasting rooms, a cider bar, and a stunning art gallery make Mokelumne Hill an ideal day trip for anyone looking for a taste of both the past and today.

Auburn

Once an almost abandoned mining camp, Auburn found its footing in commerce and hospitality, providing goods, services, and room and board for miners from the surrounding camps. This legacy still shows in modern Auburn’s thriving downtown. Full of restaurants, boutiques, and year-round events, Auburn knows how to show its visitors a good time.

The town prides itself on architectural preservation, with famed architectural landmarks like St. Teresa’s Catholic Church and the Placer County Courthouse. These and other landmarks are lovingly maintained examples of the architectural styles that came and went from the Gold Rush era into the middle of the 20th century and beyond.

Historical architecture buffs can also tour Old Town, Auburn’s historic Gold Rush district. These tours feature buildings, both commercial and residential, that are still in use today, as well as a few more modern structures with foundations first established in the 19th century. With plenty of restaurants, shops, antiques, and even art galleries, there is a little bit of something for everyone in Old Town Auburn.

Modern attractions in and around Auburn include the Wine and Ale Trail, Auburn State Recreation Area, and a number of popular golf courses. Whether you want to check out its historic structures and museums, wine and dine downtown, or take a challenging trail on horseback, Auburn has a lot to offer its visitors all year round.

Known as “The Range of Light,” the Sierra Nevada Mountains have long been praised for offering the most beautiful and majestic views in the world. Its history is soaked in the lore and tall tales of adventuring fortune seekers and colorful treasure hunters.

So many small towns here still carry their history, with hundreds of examples of historic architecture. The Gold Rush era legacy is braided into the very identity of many of the towns, and the adventurous spirit that brought so many of their founding members to the area can still be seen in the thriving commerce and hospitality of their downtown areas.

When you factor in the natural splendor of their surroundings and all the amazing outdoor activities the area affords, it is no wonder these Sierra Nevada towns, with their beautiful architecture, are popular with travelers not only throughout the country but all over the world.

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Nevada

Nevada debuts public option amid federal health care shifts

Published

10 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Nevada debuts public option amid federal health care shifts

More than 10,000 people have enrolled in Nevada’s new public option health plans, which debuted last fall with the expectation that they would bring lower prices to the health insurance market.

Those preliminary numbers from the open enrollment period that ended in January are less than a third of what state officials had projected. Nevada is the third state so far to launch a public option plan, along with Colorado and Washington state. The idea is to offer lower-cost plans to consumers to expand health care access.

But researchers said plans like these are unlikely to fill the gaps left by sweeping federal changes, including the expiration of enhanced subsidies for plans bought on Affordable Care Act marketplaces.

The public option gained attention in the late 2000s when Congress considered but ultimately rejected creating a health plan funded and run by the government that would compete with private carriers in the market. The programs in Washington state, Colorado, and Nevada don’t go that far — they aren’t government-run but are private-public partnerships that compete with private insurance.

In recent years, states have considered creating public option plans to make health coverage more affordable and to reduce the number of uninsured people. Washington was the first state to launch a program, in 2021, and Colorado followed in 2023.

Washington and Colorado’s programs have run into challenges, including a lack of participation from clinicians, hospitals, and other care providers, as well as insurers’ inability to meet rate reduction benchmarks or lower premiums compared with other plans offered on the market.

Nevada law requires that the carriers of the public option plans — Battle Born State Plans, named after a state motto — lower premium costs compared with a benchmark “silver” plan in the marketplace by 15% over the next four years.

But that amount might not make much difference to consumers with rising premium payments from the loss of the ACA’s enhanced tax credits, said Keith Mueller, director of the Rural Policy Research Institute.

“That’s not a lot of money,” Mueller said.

Three of the eight insurers on the state’s exchange, Nevada Health Link, offered the state plans during the open enrollment period.

Insurance companies plan to meet the lower premium cost requirement in Nevada by cutting broker fees and commissions, which prompted opposition from insurance brokers in the state. In response, Nevada marketplace officials told state lawmakers in January that they will give a flat-fee reimbursement to brokers.

The public option has faced opposition among state leaders. In 2024, a state judge dismissed a lawsuit, brought by a Nevada state senator and a group that advocates for lower taxes, that challenged the public option law as unconstitutional. They have appealed to the state Supreme Court.

Federal Policy Impacts

Recent federal changes create more obstacles.

Nevada is consistently among the states with the largest populations of people who do not have health insurance coverage. Last year, nearly 95,000 people in the state received the enhanced ACA tax credits, averaging $465 in savings per month, according to KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News.

But the enhanced tax credits expired at the end of the year, and it appears unlikely that lawmakers will bring them back. Nationwide ACA enrollment has decreased by more than 1 million people so far this year, down from record-high enrollment of 24 million last year.

About 4 million people are expected to lose health coverage from the expiration of the tax credits, according to the Congressional Budget Office. An additional 3 million are projected to lose coverage because of other policy changes affecting the marketplace.

Justin Giovannelli, an associate research professor at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University, said the changes to the ACA in the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law last summer, will make it more difficult for people to keep their coverage. These changes include more frequent enrollment paperwork to verify income and other personal information, a shortened enrollment window, and an end to automatic reenrollment.

In Nevada, the changes would amount to an estimated 100,000 people losing coverage, according to KFF.

“All of that makes getting coverage on Nevada Health Link harder and more expensive than it would be otherwise,” Giovannelli said.

State officials projected ahead of open enrollment that about 35,000 people would purchase the public option plans. Of the 104,000 people who had purchased a plan on the state marketplace as of mid-January, 10,762 had enrolled in one of the public option plans, according to Nevada Health Link.

Katie Charleson, communications officer for the state health exchange, said the original enrollment estimate was based on market conditions before the recent increases in customers’ premium costs. She said that the public option plans gave people facing higher costs more choices.

“We expect enrollment in Battle Born State Plans to grow over time as awareness increases and as Nevadans continue seeking quality coverage options that help reduce costs,” Charleson said.

According to KFF, nationally the enhanced subsidies saved enrollees an average of $705 annually in 2024, and enrollees would save an estimated $1,016 in premium payments on average in 2026 if the subsidies were still in place. Without the subsidies, people enrolled in the ACA marketplace could be seeing their premium costs more than double.

Insights From Washington and Colorado

Washington and Colorado are not planning to alter their programs due to the expiration of the tax credits, according to government officials in those states.

Other states that had recently considered creating public options have backtracked. Minnesota officials put off approving a public option in 2024, citing funding concerns. Proposals to create public options in Maine and New Mexico also sputtered.

Washington initially saw meager enrollment in its Cascade Select public option plans; only 1% of state marketplace enrollees chose a public option plan in 2021. But that changed after lawmakers required hospitals to contract with at least one public option plan by 2023. Last year the state reported that 94,000 customers enrolled, accounting for 30% of all customers on the state marketplace. The public option plans were the lowest-premium silver plans in 31 of Washington’s 39 counties in 2024.

A 2025 study found that since Colorado implemented its public option, called the Colorado Option, coverage through the ACA marketplace has become more affordable for enrollees who received subsidies but more expensive for enrollees who did not.

Colorado requires all insurers offering coverage through its marketplace to include a public option that follows state guidelines. The state set premium reduction targets of 5% a year for three years beginning in 2023. Starting this year, premium costs are not allowed to outpace medical inflation.

Though the insurers offering the public option did not meet the premium reduction targets, enrollment in the Colorado Option has increased every year it has been available. Last year, the state saw record enrollment in its marketplace, with 47% of customers purchasing a public option plan.

Giovannelli said states are continuing to try to make health insurance more affordable and accessible, even if federal changes reduce the impact of those efforts.

“States are reacting and trying to continue to do right by their residents,” Giovannelli said, “but you can’t plug all those gaps.”

Are you struggling to afford your health insurance? Have you decided to forgo coverage? Click here to contact KFF Health News and share your story.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

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Nevada

NEVADA VIEWS: Planning for a resilient economic future

Published

22 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

NEVADA VIEWS: Planning for a resilient economic future

Southern Nevada has a proud history of competing — and winning — through boldness and reinvention. We have developed a world-class tourism economy, built globally recognized brands and demonstrated our ability to rebound from significant disruptions. In today’s fiercely competitive global economy, however, we must intentionally design the next chapter of our economic story. Communities worldwide are continuously enhancing their sophistication, and we must keep pace.

Since joining the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance in late August of last year, I have consistently heard from community partners that we must diversify and enhance Southern Nevada’s economy. Our goal is to build upon and complement the strengths we already possess.

To achieve this, the alliance, as Southern Nevada’s regional economic development organization and designated Regional Development Agency, is embarking on a comprehensive strategic planning process. This initiative will guide our economic development priorities both in the near and long term, ensuring that we focus on areas that will yield the most positive impact.

The alliance has a history of reinvention, having been established in 1958 as the Southern Nevada Industrial Foundation, later becoming the Nevada Development Authority, and since 2011, operating under its current name in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

Economic development extends beyond merely attracting companies. It encompasses the ability of local families to access high-wage careers, the opportunity for young people to build their futures at home and the resilience of our economy to withstand disruptions.

Over the past decade, Southern Nevada has made significant strides toward economic diversification, with investment outcomes in 2025 surpassing those of 2024. However, our work is far from complete. While tourism will always be a foundational strength and source of pride for our region, over-reliance on any single sector poses risks. A diversified economy enhances stability, and stability creates opportunities. We are united in our desire for more accessible housing, expanded health care and education, and greater upward mobility for our residents.

This strategic planning effort aims to ensure that the alliance and its partners concentrate on the right initiatives in the right manner. It will validate the region’s target industries and subsectors, narrowing our focus on areas where Southern Nevada has genuine competitive advantages and long-term potential. The planning process will include community interviews, focus groups and surveys to ensure our final strategy reflects the real opportunities and challenges facing Southern Nevada. We will establish flagship goals and a prioritized strategy matrix to direct our attention and resources toward meaningful outcomes.

A crucial aspect of this process involves clarifying roles within the broader economic ecosystem. Economic development is a team sport — when organizations replicate efforts, operate in silos or compete for recognition, the region loses valuable time and credibility, allowing opportunities to slip away. I have witnessed this behavior in various markets, serving as a red flag for prospective companies.

We have already made strides in building partnerships, exemplified by a Memorandum of Understanding signed in November 2025 with the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada to jointly support economic development education and advocacy for community leaders statewide.

Our strategic work will also include a organizational assessment of the alliance, evaluating our mission, resource deployment and engagement model. Economic impact requires operational excellence and measurable execution. Most importantly, this plan — which we anticipate completing by late April — will feature a three-year road map with clear timelines, recommended actions and meaningful metrics to transparently track our progress. A longtime mentor of mine often said, “What gets watched gets measured, and what gets measured gets done.”

Las Vegas has always taken the initiative to shape its own future. This strategic plan presents an opportunity for us to do what we do best: come together, think bigger, act smarter and create something lasting. Together, we can build a purposeful and resilient economic future for Southern Nevada.

Danielle Casey is president and CEO of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance.

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Nevada

Nevada State Police averts ‘udder chaos’ in Eureka County

Published

1 day ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Nevada State Police averts ‘udder chaos’ in Eureka County

EUREKA COUNTY, Nev. (KOLO) – On Friday, Feb. 27, the Nevada State Police assisted with a cattle crossing on State Route 306 at Interstate 80 in Eureka County.

“While not an everyday part of our job, we like to do our part to assist our local ranchers while keeping traffic from turning into udder chaos,” according to an agency Facebook post. “It was a perfect opportunity to be outside (even if our animal friends were a little moo-dy).”

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