Discovering Northern California
Alpine County

Alpine County's Claim to Fame

Because of Alpine County's location along the California Emigrant Road, it was instrumental in the settlement of both California and Nevada before and during the California Gold Rush.

But its own settlement was the result of the discovery of silver, not gold!

In fact, Alpine's first county seat was called Silver Mountain City, named in anticipation of a limitless supply of the precious silver - a dream which did not come to fruition.

All that's left of Silver Mountain City today is the remains of the Silver Mountain Jail.

But don't let that discourage you from a trip to this High Sierra county - if you do, you'll miss beautiful scenic drives and national scenic byways, Insider Secret ski resorts and some extraordinary alpine skiing, as well as the Stanislaus National Forest and Mokelumne Wilderness areas.

You'll want to spend some time in this superlative setting, for sure!

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Discovering Alpine County History

Before and during the California Gold Rush, people who were to become common names in the archives of history - people like Jedediah Smith, John Fremont, Kit Carson, and Sam Brannan of the Mormon Battalion - used Bear Valley, Hope Valley, and the West Fork of Carson River Canyon to get from East to West and back again.

The California 49ers, and later the settlers who came with their cattle and their wagons, took the Carson Route of the California Emigrant Road for the comparative ease of passage, and the tall grasses that would feed their livestock.

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Where to Go and What to See in Alpine County

The Bear Valley/Lake Alpine area of the county is home to Ebbetts Pass, Bear Valley Ski Resort, and such little-known towns as Cape Horn, Lombardi, Sherman Acres, Tamarack, and Skyhigh.

They all reside along scenic State Highway 4, which runs from Stockton (in the Great Central Valley) up into the Sierra Nevada, through Ebbetts Pass, and almost to the Nevada State border.

Encompassing parts of the Mokelumne Wilderness and the Stanislaus National Forest, the Bear Valley area is rugged, with jagged mountain peaks, and is covered in evergreen forests and lovely alpine meadows, dotted with lakes, streams, and rivers - offering the adventurous opportunities for camping, hiking, backpacking, fishing, hunting, cycling, kayaking and canoeing.

Bear Valley is also home to the Bear Valley Music Festival in August.

In the county's Northern section, the Hope Valley area is where you'll find the modern-day community of Kirkwood Resort - a ski and summer resort located at Carson Pass.

During milder weather, the Hope Valley is a perfect destination for fishing, hiking, camping, cycling, Spring wildflowers, and the Fall colors of its many large groves of Quaking Aspens.

The Eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range is where you'll find Markleeville and Woodfords, which - because of their location - are probably more closely associated with Western Nevada communities than they are with even the other county communities.

Markleeville is the County Seat of Alpine, and is home to a mix of local, state, and federal government employees and small businesses that cater to the tourist trade.

And what brings tourists to the Markleeville/Woodfords area?
Besides the usual culprits of knock-'em-dead-gorgeous scenic views, snow sports in Winter and outdoor activities in Summer, this is where you'll find Grover Hot Springs State Park with its bathing facilities and year-round camping.

The area is also host to bicycling's Tour of the California Alps or the Death Ride as it has come to be called, which gives cyclists the opportunity to ride through five mountain passes.

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We'll have more to share with you about Alpine County in the coming weeks - things like:

• Alpine County Attractions
  From North to South and West to East!
• Alpine Beaches
  Remember all those lakes, streams, and rivers I mentioned!
• Alpine Communities
  Small but historic and interesting!
• Alpine Parks and Preserves
  State Parks, Nature Preserves, Marshes and Bogs!

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