Auburn State Recreation Area

Lower Lake Clementine Boat-In Campground - OPEN. - Reservations required when open Make a Reservation

Ruck-A-Chucky Campground/Driver's Flat Road - OPEN.

Mineral Bar Campground - Six sites first come, first served 10/15/25-4/30/26. All fifteen sites open on 4/15/26) - Reservations required when fully open 5/15/26 Make a Reservation

Major recreational uses include hiking, river access, boating, fishing, camping, mountain biking, gold panning, limited hunting, equestrian/horseback riding trails and off-highway motorcycle riding. Whitewater recreation is also very popular on both forks of the river, with Class II, III, IV, and V runs. Over 30 -private outfitters are licensed to offer whitewater trips in Auburn SRA.

Overnight facilities: Tent Camping, Remote Camping, Boat-in/Floating Camps

Overview

In the heart of the gold country, Auburn State Recreation Area covers 40-miles of the North and Middle Forks of the American river. Once teeming with thousands of gold miners, the area is now a natural area offering a wide variety of recreation opportunities to over 900,000 visitors a year. Phone (530) 885-4527 for more information.

Trails

The Quarry Trail is an ‘out-and-back’ accessible trail that is 1.3 miles each way along the bank of the Middle Fork of the American River. The trail starts at a parking lot on the east side of Highway 49, south of the intersection of Highway 49 and Old Foresthill Road. The trail is constructed of compacted aggregate that is usable year-round, and offers great views of the river along its length. The accessible portion of the trail ends at a large staging area that has accessible picnic tables and shade cabanas. The trail is generally flat at less than 5% slopes with intermittent sections between 5% to 8%. The trail descends from the parking lot and maybe more challenging uphill hike back especially the last 0.07 miles. Accessible parking is available at the trailhead. Accessible restrooms are located at located at the end of the accessible trail and at the 0.30 mile and 0.07 mile markers.

Gold Panning Regulations

The Auburn SRA allows gold panning using the “hands and pans” method. Please abide by the following regulations when collecting minerals:

Panning for gold is considered to be “rockhounding” as the term is applied in the Department. The goldpan is the only exception permitted to the exclusion of tools from rockhounding in a unit (T-14 CCR 4611 (i))

Rockhounding is the recreational gathering of stones and minerals found occurring naturally on the undisturbed surface of the land, including panning for gold in the natural water-washed gravel beds of streams (T-14 CCR 4301(v)).

Tools and equipment may not be used in rockhounding, except gold pans. Rocks or minerals gathered may not be sold or used commercially for the production of profit. One person may gather no more than 15 pounds of mineral material per day. Historic and prehistoric or archeological specimens may not be gathered. In state recreation areas rockhounding is limited to beaches which lie within the jurisdiction of the Department and within the wave action zone on lakes, bays, reservoirs, or on the ocean, and to the beaches or gravel bars which are subject to annual flooding on streams. Rockhounding is limited to within the wave action zones of lakes and streams. Muddy water from panning must not be visible more than 20 feet from the panning operation (T-14 CCR 4307, 4308, & 4611).