Nestled
next to Clear Creek, French Gulch Park is at the end of town. The park
is a day use area. You may picnic, play horseshoes, or stop and put
your feet in the creek. You might even find a spec of gold! Dogs are
welcome; just remember to bring their leash. French Gulch is a historic
mining town located 12 miles west of Redding, California on State Route
299.
The town was settled by French gold miners in 1849. It is listed in
the national Register of Historic Places as a historic district. The
district consists of 1,800 acres and 9 buildings, including the French
Gulch Hotel, Franck's Store, and the odd Fellows Hall. In
its mining heyday, French Gulch had four saloons, two hotels, two
mercantile shops, an assayers office, livery stables, blacksmith shops,
and a post office. It was one of California's famous gold mining
districts. The Washington Mine was the first quartz mine worked in
Shasta County. From 1900 to 1914, approximately $300,000-$500,000 of
gold was mined each year.