California State Parks, the Locke Foundation and members of the Chinese American community celebrated the opening of the Gam Saan Trail on Friday, February 11, that connects Hennigsen Lotus Park in Lotus, CA with Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park. Gam Saan, meaning Gold Mountain in Cantonese, was the historical name given to the gold fields of California by Chinese forty-niners and miners.

California State Parks is working with HistoriCorps to restore the community hall built by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), one of the oldest fraternal organization buildings in the state. The IOOF Hall is located at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park in Coloma, California, where gold was first discovered in 1848.

Looking to burn off some holiday calories and start the new year on the right foot? California State Parks invites the public to absorb the wonders of nature with a First Day Hike on New Year’s Day. Dedicated docents, volunteers and staff will be providing about 50 hikes at state parks throughout California. 

California State Parks today announced it will celebrate James Marshall’s discovery of gold at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park on Saturday, January 26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Gold Discovery Day, which was first celebrated in Coloma in 1948, will take place near the reproduction of Sutter’s Sawmill. The public is also invited to the grand opening of the new museum exhibits and to join in all the festivities.