While Calaveras County is probably most famous for Mark Twain, jumping frogs, and the gold rush, there is a lot more going on here! Sitting in the foothills of the Sierras, and smack in the heart of Gold Country, Calaveras County has a rich history but a modern day appeal.

Located centrally between Sacramento, San Francisco, Yosemite National Park, and Lake Tahoe, Calaveras County has a unique quality all it’s own! A veritable outdoorsmen’s paradise, you can also get your ‘foodie’ on at our family owned wineries and restaurants, or enjoy the eclectic arts culture that is growing here.

Come visit the giant redwoods at Calaveras Big Trees State Park; or Stanislaus National Forest and go river rafting on the famous Stanislaus River. Catch a game of golf at one of several golf courses or go cave exploring in one of our many public caves. And in the winter there’s always skiing at Bear Valley Mountain Resort.

Come experience our wineries and breweries, or attend our annual music festival. Take in our rich history and visit an historic gold rush town. You can even pan for gold!

History/Demographics
Calaveras County was established as one of California’s first counties at the beginning of it’s statehood back in 1850. Calaveras means ‘skull’ in Spanish and was derived from an early explorer’s discovery of Native American skulls scattered on the banks of what is now the Calaveras River.

Mark Twain made Calaveras County famous when he put together a collection of short stories titled, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”. One of the main stories is about a character in Angel Camp.

The county seat is San Andreas and Angel Camp is the only incorporated city in the county.

The population of the county is over 40,000, with only 40 people per square mile. This is part of what makes the area so special -- a great place to escape the city and urban areas and relax!

Businesses in the area include agriculture and construction engineering.

Events & Activities
Every year we celebrate the Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee. And it’s not just frog jumping and livestock shows anymore. With the growth of our very own wineries in Calaveras, the Fair also holds wine tasting competitions.

The Frog Jumping Contest involves as many as 2000 entries each year, all vying to see which California Bullfrog can jump the furthest. So far, the world record was set in 1986 by Rosie the Ribeter at 21’ 5 3/4”!
Links:

Calaveras County has quickly become one of California's newer popular wine growing regions. There's 18 wineries within an 18 mile radius! The historic town of Murphy is a great place to start if you want to tour the wineries of the area.

Check out this list of local wineries. Also, here's a great review and suggestions for visiting the area wineries.

Videos of the county: http://gocalaveras.com/videos