OTHER TIDBITS: This was considered Amador County’s first gold discovery site! The gold deposits at Big Bar were very rich, but what kept people interested in the area was the bridge built over the Mokelumne River to link Jackson and Mokelumne Hill! Today’s bridge between counties is still in roughly the same place as the original!

Oh, and in case you didn’t know, a whale boat is a long, open rowing boat that is pointed at both ends so it can be navigated forward and backward! It got its start on whaling ships, but nowadays, you’re more likely to see a whaleboat used as an easy-to-load safety vessel at sea!

• Volunteer with the Calaveras County Historical Society!
• Become a member of the Amador County Historical Society!
• Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!

ANNOTATIONS:
Yup, the landmark spans both sides of the bridge connecting Amador and Calaveras Counties, but the only sign indicating that it’s Big Bar is on the Calaveras (south) side! Go down the cutoff road just south of the bridge, and you’ll be able to access the river!

From Los Angeles: ~360mi (580km) — 6hrs
From Sacramento: ~52mi (84km) — 0.9hrs
From San Diego: ~480mi (773km) — 8hrs
From San Francisco: ~130mi (210km) — 2.2hrs