Walking in Empire Mine SHP from Penn Gate
Now that the heat of summer is abating in California, it’s definitely time to get out on foot and enjoy some of the sights in Nevada County. Grass Valley is lucky to have some excellent walking trails in the Empire Mine State Historic park, just to the east of the city.
There are 3 main entrances to the park:
- Visitor center, with ample parking and access to the main exhibits in the park, including the mining museum and Bourne cottage
- The Union Hill trail area, with parking at the end of Gold Hill Drive
- Penn Gate, on East Empire St, which has parking for cars and a separate area for horse trailers
From Penn Gate the well maintained gravel Hardrock trail leads into the park on a level grade and one immediately starts to encounter evidence of the park’s mining heritage with Pennsylvania Mine buildings on the left, immediately followed by the tailings of the WYOD mine and some abandonded machinery and foundations.
The trail continues along the sand dam to the right of the holding ponds, and over the flume that is dry in summer but a whitewater torrent after a pacific storm has swept over Grass Valley in the winter. Soon after the trail takes a sharp left hand turn and rises up the grade before dropping down to the bridge over Wolf Creek. At this point the trail can be taken back to the visitor center, or bearing right, further trails in the Osborne hill area are reached.
Apart from the mining relics, wildlife, including deer and rabbits, are often seen off the Hardrock trail. We’ve encountered a mountain lion near the sand dam, seen bear droppings, and had the good fortune to encounter a very large California king snake. Only a few trees exhibit fall color, but these stand out against the mainly coniferous trees on the trail.
Off the Hardrock trail there are a few other trails. One runs parallel to the Hardrock trail for a while and may be used to create a loop. Another leads up behind the Pennsylvania Mine buildings past the mule corrals and leads either towards the visitor center, or down to the WYOD mine where the Hardrock trail can be rejoined. The trail from the WYOD mine to the sand dam is currently closed off, as is the holding pond area to the left of the Sand Dam while some pollutants are removed.
Tags: empire mine, grass valley, hiking, nevada county, outdoors