Sonora, California provides both history and scenic beauty with a small town feel that attracts hundreds of visitors each year. It was in 1806 hat Mexican explorer Gabrial Moraga entered the region and settled a small community among the Mi-Wuk Indians. He named it Sonora after the Mexican state to remind him of home. The county has preserved much of their history and architecture, which makes it a perfect destination for history enthusiasts.

The city thrived with a low population until Native American workers discovered gold in Sonora on the Stanislaus River soon after gold was first discovered in California at Sutter’s Mill. Within two years of this the population shot to 20,000 people.

The city today is home to approximately 8,000 people who are mainly supported by tourism. The county is home to the Columbia State Historic Park, the best preserved Gold Rush Town, and Railtown 1897 State Historic Park.

Visitors like to wander the cemetery and wonder what life was like for pioneers and gold seekers. The Sonora Fire Department Museum offers 100 years of firefighting momorabilia and the Tuolumne County Museum and History Center explains Sonora’s rich history and traditions.

The city was once a lumber town and though the mill has since shut down, residents still delight in the annual Lumber Jubilee every July. The Jubilee consists of a Tug-of-War, arm wresting and lumber working competitions and demonstrations.

In May the city hosts two car shows and a motorcycle show that attract cars and car enthusiasts from all over California. California’s climate is perfect for car preservation so here you’ll be able to feel as if you’ve travelled back in time. In May the county also hosts the annual BBQ cook-off that visitors shouldn’t miss. Sonora also attracts antique dealers who frequent the city’s many antique shops looking for some gem from the Gold Rush years when the city was bustling with trade and merchant’s pockets were rich from it.

Hikers and bikers come to Sonora for its trails and scenic beauty. The nearby Lyons Reservoir offers a gentle five-mile climb for beginners and then many more advanced biking trails. Boasting is also a populat pastime here as the Tuolumne River, Pinecrest Lake, Pine Mountain Lake and New Melones Lake offer sailing, canoeing and waterskiing. The city offers two sonora california hotels where visitors can settle, but more adventurous travelers can find dozens of campgrounds in the nearby sand flats, valleys and creeks. Ranger stations also provide unique and rustic accommodations.