Recreational Activities | Entertainment Leisure Activities | Food & Wine | Educational Return to Main Special Activity Planning Page Cave Tours: Hidden under the gentle rolling hills of The Gold Country and protected from both summer sun and winter chill, are hundreds of ancient limestone caverns. Tour a beautiful spectrum of unusual natural crystalline formations, and learn how these mysterious structures were formed thousands of years ago. You will be dazzled by the superb artistry that Nature has lavished upon these magnificent subterranean spaces, and you will gain a deeper understanding of the people who explored and lived in these underground worlds. Gold Panning/Prospecting Tours: The lure of gold drew miners to this area over 150 years ago and it is still bringing visitors here in hopes of striking it rich. With over 80% of the gold still undiscovered, gold prospecting offers the excitement of gambling but without the risk. With the right equipment, a keen eye and a little help from a knowledgeable friend, you may just leave with a little more in your pocket than when you arrived. Search for your share of the Mother Lode on your own, or with the assistance of professional gold prospectors for an hour, a day, or extended adventure in the heart of Gold Country! Historical Tours: Taking a trip to The Gold Country is like walking back through time. Preserved in their original state, many areas of the Mother Lode are just as they were nearly two hundred years ago. With a personal guide or on your own, tour the Gold Country's rich past as you visit old ghost towns, interesting museums, ancient Indian villages and many important historical landmarks. As a true monument to California's beginnings, the area is itself a living museum, and offers its visitors a unique view into a world long since past. Carriage Tours: What better way to see The Gold Country and soak up the local history than from an authentic horse drawn carriage? Tour the scenic landscape and historic towns of the Mother Lode as you learn about its rich and colorful past. With a friendly and knowledgeable guide at the reins, you will be able to visit areas that are not accessible to the average tourist, and will gain a deeper appreciation of everyday life in the Old West.