Gold mine state historic park

Empire Mine State Historic Park

About 7.4 kilometers or 4.6 road miles from the railroad museum

Explore a preserved hardrock-gold mine landscape with historic buildings, the Bourn Cottage and gardens, visitor-center exhibits, guided tours, and 14 miles of trails.

The place

About Empire Mine State Historic Park

Empire Mine State Historic Park preserves one of California's oldest, deepest, and richest gold mines. More than a century of operation produced about 5.8 million ounces before the mine closed in 1956. The historic area includes the mine yard, surviving buildings, the Bourn family's cottage and gardens, a visitor center, and an entrance associated with 367 miles of abandoned and flooded workings.

A 45-minute guided tour of historic-ground highlights is included with entry when volunteer capacity allows. Tours are first come and have limited space, so visitors should sign up at the Visitor Center and call ahead if the tour is central to the trip. Audio-tour boxes provide a fallback when public tours are unavailable.

The 856-acre park also has fourteen miles of trails. That breadth comes with meaningful access boundaries: some historic routes have slopes and shifting gravel, older buildings have doorway and step constraints, and backcountry paths can be rocky or uneven. Accessible parking, restrooms, generally accessible visitor-center exhibits, advance arrangements for cottage access, and a manual all-terrain wheelchair may help.

What stands out

Read the mine yard

Walk among preserved industrial buildings and exhibits that explain more than a century of hardrock-gold production.

See the Secret Room model

Use the visitor-center model to understand five square miles of underground workings and the scale of the flooded mine.

Tour Bourn Cottage

Join an available guided tour for the owner's home, formal gardens, and historic-ground highlights.

Choose a trail loop

Extend the visit on easy or more demanding routes through the park's mining landscape, with water and terrain preparation.

Pair it with the train

Why it belongs in a Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum trip

Empire Mine is about 4.6 road miles and roughly nine minutes from the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum. It explains the hardrock-mining economy surrounding the county's railroad, but it is a separate state-park visit with its own entry fee, tour capacity, terrain, and schedule.

Before you go

Plan your visit

  • Summer historic groundsMarch 1-October 31: daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • Winter historic groundsNovember 1-February 28: daily 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
  • Holiday closuresThanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day
  • EntryAdult $5; children age 5 and under free; rates can change
  • Guided tour45-minute highlights tour included when available; limited first-come space
  • Historic scopeMine yard, visitor center, cottage and gardens, preserved buildings, and shaft context
  • TrailsFourteen miles; sections can be rocky or uneven and lack trail water or restrooms
  • AccessAccessible parking and restrooms; generally accessible visitor center; slopes, gravel, doorways, and steps remain
  • ParkingUse designated lots; south-side spaces offer the closest accessible route
  • From the railroad museumAbout 7.4 kilometers or 4.6 road miles; roughly nine minutes

Return to the railway guide

Add Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum

Use the railroad guide for remaining 2026 railbus and steam-up dates, reservations, weather boundaries, equipment, and museum hours.

View the guide →

Useful answers

Frequently asked questions

When are Empire Mine's historic grounds open?

They are open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. March through October and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. November through February, except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

How much is entry?

California State Parks currently lists $5 adult entry and free entry for children age 5 and under, with prices subject to change.

Are guided tours included?

A 45-minute highlights tour is included when offered. Space is limited and first come, and volunteer availability can change; call ahead if it is essential.

Can visitors go deep underground?

No full underground mine tour is described. The visitor center, mine yard, shaft entrance context, model, buildings, cottage, gardens, and trails interpret the site.

How much walking is involved?

The historic grounds involve slopes and gravel, while the backcountry offers up to fourteen miles of trails with rocky or uneven stretches.

Is Empire Mine wheelchair accessible?

The visitor center and several core facilities are generally accessible, but historic terrain, doorways, steps, gravel, and slopes create limits. Call ahead about alternative entries, lifts, and the manual all-terrain wheelchair.

Are dogs allowed?

Dogs are allowed on roads and trails, in the visitor center, and on historic-zone grounds, but only service animals may enter historic buildings or mine shafts.

How far is it from the railroad museum?

The checked route is about 4.6 miles and roughly nine minutes by road.

Trust and accuracy

Sources

Source checked 2026-08-23. This free guide has not yet been confirmed by the venue. Current hours, prices, services, and accessibility can change; confirm time-sensitive details directly.