Empire Mine State Historic Park
Empire Mine State Historic Park is a state-protected mine and park in the Sierra Nevada mountains in Grass Valley, California, U.S. The Empire Mine is on the National Register of Historic Places, a federal Historic District, and a California Historical Landmark. It goes back to 1975. Its mildest months, April, May, June, September and October, bring highs of 64–84°F.
A state park, 1 mi southeast of Grass Valley
Grass Valley is the nearest base
Grass Valley is 1 miles northwest, with 20 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Sacramento
Sacramento is about 50 miles southwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Sep and Oct
April, May, June, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 64–84°. When to go ↓
Established in 1975
Empire Mine State Historic Park dates from 1975. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
The weather by month
This is the year’s weather near Empire Mine State Historic Park.
Empire Mine State Historic Park
Empire Mine State Historic Park is a state-protected mine and park in the Sierra Nevada mountains in Grass Valley, California, U.S. The Empire Mine is on the National Register of Historic Places, a federal Historic District, and a California Historical Landmark. Begun in 1850, since 1975, California State Parks has administered and maintained the mine as a historic site. Situated in the Grass Valley Mining District, the Empire Mine is "one of the oldest, largest, deepest, longest and richest gold mines in California". Closed in 1956, it produced 5.8 million ounces (165 tons) of gold, extracted from 367 miles (591 km) of underground passages.
- Type
- State park
- Established
- 1975
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1977)
- Wikipedia readers
- 13K a year
Where to base yourself for Empire Mine State Historic Park
The closest lodging is in Nevada City (24) and Grass Valley (20).
Nevada City
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
3,174 people
4 mi north of Empire Mine State Historic Park
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Empire Mine State Historic Park | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada City | 4 mi north | 5 min | 24 5 hotels · 1 motel · 7 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 4 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 3,174 | $677K | D− |
| Grass Valley | 1 mi northwest | — | 20 8 hotels · 3 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 4 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 14,035 | $482K | D |
| Colfax | 9 mi southeast | 15 min | 4 1 hotel · 1 motel · 2 campgrounds | 2,043 | $434K | — |
| Dobbins | 14 mi northwest | 20 min | 7 1 hotel · 1 inn or B&B · 3 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 875 | $423K | — |
| North Auburn | 19 mi south | 30 min | 10 8 hotels · 1 motel · 1 RV park | 13,480 | $530K | — |
| North San Juan | 12 mi north | 20 min | 4 2 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground | 179 | $550K | — |
| Alta 20% vacation homes | 13 mi east | 20 min | 4 1 hotel · 1 inn or B&B · 2 campgrounds | 656 | $470K | — |
| Dutch Flat 34% vacation homes | 11 mi east | 15 min | 3 1 hotel · 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground | 200 | $440K | — |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Pair Empire Mine State Historic Park with these
Every place here is under 55 miles away.
Big draw55 mi LakeLake Tahoe
33 mi DamOroville Dam
42 mi LakeDonner Lake
41 mi MountainSutter Buttes
43 mi Ski areaPalisades Tahoe Olympic Valley122 runs · 2,542 ft vertical
46 mi Stadium & arenaARCO Arena
49 mi State parkSutter's Fort
49 mi State parkGovernor's Mansion State Historic ParkPhoto credits
Lake Tahoe: Lara Farhadi, CC BY 2.0 · Oroville Dam: California Department of Water Resources, Public domain · Donner Lake: J.smith, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sutter Buttes: Expedition 32 crew/NASA, Public domain · Palisades Tahoe Olympic Valley: Jonnyboyca at English Wikipedia, Public domain · ARCO Arena: CLopez63, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sutter's Fort: Ian Howard, CC BY 2.5 · Governor's Mansion State Historic Park: Mark James Miller, CC BY 3.0
Planning a visit to Empire Mine State Historic Park
What town is Empire Mine State Historic Park near?
Grass Valley, CA, about 1 miles northwest.
When is the best time to visit Empire Mine State Historic Park?
April, May, June, September and October, with highs of 64–84°.
How far is Empire Mine State Historic Park from Sacramento and Stockton?
About 50 miles southwest of Sacramento and about 86 miles south of Stockton, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Empire Mine State Historic Park?
Sacramento (SMF), about 46 miles away.
Where should I stay near Empire Mine State Historic Park?
Nevada City (4 mi, 24 places to stay), Grass Valley (1 mi, 20 places to stay) and Colfax (9 mi, 4 places to stay).
Tips for visiting, from Grass Valley
People in Grass Valley have not posted tips yet; their Town Square is open.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.