A
wonderful excursion for a day will be a venture to Volcano in Amador County.
There are several ways to get there and any of those take about 1 to 1 ½ hours
of beautiful back country roads. When you get to Volcano you’ll see some neat
historical things from the Gold Rush era. I’m sharing four ways to get to Volcano, each
with its own unique drives. Throughout your directions are some photos to
excite you about you day trip. HAVE FUN !!
Once you get to Volcano be sure to find the "Volcano - Gem of the Motherlode - Walking Tour Map" at the General store or almost anywhere if you ask for one, or they will tell you where one is.
1)
The longest is going up Omo Ranch Rd. to
Highway 88 (Carson Pass Highway & the first scenic highway in the United
States). Getting to Omo Ranch you have two choices: a) Perry Creek Rd. to Slug Gulch Rd to Omo
Ranch Rd. or b) Fair Play Rd. to Omo Ranch Rd.
Once on Omo Ranch from Fair Play it is about 11 miles to Hwy 88. Then
turn right toward Jackson (West) and go down to Shake Ridge Rd., turn right &
go to Daffodil Hill. Shake Ridge Rd. turns right, but you need to go straight
onto Ram’s Horn Grade into Volcano. On the edge of Volcano the road changes
names to Consolation. You drive by the
Volcano Union Inn: a great spot for a lunch on their patio.
Volcano Union Inn - Great place to stay and for a summer lunch on the patio.
If
you like, you can take Shake Ridge Rd past Ram’s Horn Grade down to Charleston
Rd. (about 3 miles), turn left
and go into Volcano from another direction.
2) The
most direct way is to take Fair Play Rd. to Mt. Aukum and follow Mt. Aukum past
Sobon Winery and turn left onto Ostrom Rd. and over the hill into Fiddletown.
At the stop sign turn left; then veer right and go to the stop sign. Turn left onto
Fiddletown Rd. to Hale Rd. (about 2 miles) and turn right onto Hale Rd. to
Shake Ridge Rd and turn left. About ½ -1 mile turn right onto Charleston Rd and
into Volcano.
For a different but
longer drive into Fiddletown from Mt. Aukum Rd. take Cedar Creek Rd. (just past
the Mt. Aukum Store & at the corner where the Post Office is – a left turn).
About ¾ of a mile turn right onto Bridgeport School Rd. Turn right onto Tyler
Rd. which goes into Fiddletown and turn left at the stop sign. An option is to take Lawrence Rd. which takes you to Tyler Rd. and then into Fiddletown. Then follow the
directions above.
Volcano General Store
3) A
little longer drive, but it takes you through Drytown, Amador City & Sutter
Creek where there are antique shops and tasting rooms. Follow # 2 above past
Sobon and continue to the 4 way stop sign at Highway 49 in Plymouth. Turn left and at
the stop light turn left and go about five miles to Sutter Creek. (There is a
bypass so be sure to follow the signs to Amador City/Sutter Creek.) Drive
through Main Street at the corner with the Police station, turn left onto
Church St. It changes names to Shake Ridge Rd. about ½ mile out of town. Follow
the directions in # 1.
A Placer Nozzle left behind from the Gold Rush days
4) For
a longer day and more shopping stay on Highway 49 and use the bypass to go to
Jackson. When you’re done doing whatever it is you do in Jackson take Highway
88 east out of Jackson. About 10 miles up the hill is Pioneer. Just outside the
other side of Pioneer is a small road, Pioneer Volcano Rd. takes you
directly to Volcano’s Main St. at the St. George Hotel.
One of the Self Tour markers along the way through Volcano
Your day will be filled with history and lasting
memories of the Gold Country back roads.
