Foresthill, California is located in the foothills of the beautiful Sierra Nevada. Foresthill is part of Placer County and about 50 miles northeast of Sacramento--roughly in-between Placerville and Grass Valley along Interstate 80. This quiet town of about 6000, is located on a ridge between the North and Middle forks of the American River and was once the center of a rich placer area with many gold camps. If you really want to be accurate, Foresthill is positioned 38.99 degrees north of the equator and 120.83 degrees west of the prime meridian.
For many years, mining was a major occupation on the divide--placer mining quickly gave way here to hydraulic mining (Hydraulic mining is done with giant hoses that spray high pressure water which washes the dirt away to reveal any gold) and later, drift mining. Some of Placer County's most productive drift mines were located here. Among these were the Jennie Lind, the Hidden Treasure, the Mountain Gate, the Dardanelles, the Jamison, the Paragon, the Sunny South, and the North Star.
Today, the town of Foresthill has a quieter tone, with many residents commuting as far away as Sacramento to work. There are quite a few small businesses located in Foresthill, some small, some bigger. Among the newest is Blaylock's, a small manufacturing company that recently relocated here. Other businesses include Grant's Hardware and Foothill.Net an Internet provider headquartered in Foresthill.
When visiting Foresthill, take time to tour our historic Main Street. On your way up to Foresthill, things to look for include the grave of Old Joe, a stagecoach horse (a great story there with a personal twist for the webmasters), also watch for the Monte Verde Inn and for the remains of Butcher Ranch and Grizzly Bear House.
Places to rest one's head include the historic Forest House located right on Main Street and also the Monte Verde Inn which is about 6 miles south of Foresthill proper. Foresthill boasts four restaurants and an Espresso shop for those in need of sustenance. Also available is the deli at Worton's Market, a small but well-stocked store at the south-end of town.
Recreation
For those in search of recreation first go here. Foresthill and the surrounding area has many trails that call out to the hiker or mountain-bike enthusiast. Horse riding abounds and and for those in search of water... there is Lake Clementine to start, this beautiful man-made lake is south of town on the Foresthill Road. Farther past town is Big Reservoir, French Meadows Reservoir, Sugar Pine Reservoir and Hell Hole Reservoir. There are also the North and Middle Forks of the American River.
We also have short article on gold-panning for those looking to try this out.
Foresthill miscellaneous Statistics & Facts
The population of Foresthill is approximately 6,000 (in 2000) and there are approximately 625 families living here on the divide (in 1990). The amount of land area in Foresthill is 28.419 sq. kilometers and it is 2485 miles from Foresthill to Washington DC with the distance to Sacramento, the capital of California roughly 48 miles (as the crow flies).
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