About Calaveras County

Calaveras County is one of the original 27 California counties. Its name comes from the Spanish word for "skulls" and for which a river had been named by the Spanish Explorer Garbriel Moraga in 1808. It is located in the central portion of the Sierra Nevada foothills known as the Mother Lode region in recognition of the California Gold Rush, whose miners sought the "Mother Lode" of rich gold ore. Calaveras County is home of the world renowned "Jumping Frog Jubilee" inspired by Mark Twain's popular story of the "Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County."

The county extends from the "plains" at the edge of the San Joaquin Valley easterly through the rolling foothills and historic Mother Lode communities, up into the great pine forest, and to the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It is bounded on the north by the Mokelumne River and Amador County, and on the south by the Stanislaus River and Tuolumne County. Calaveras County's eastern border is the high sierra country and Alpine County. Both San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties border on the west.

The economy of Calaveras County is primarily dependent upon recreation, ranching, service employment (governmental, schools), and some mineral extraction and timber harvesting. Approximately 45,000 people live in the county and there are nearly 6,500 children, kindergarten through grade 12, who are in public schools.

For more information about Calaveras County, contact the Calaveras Visitors Bureau.

209-736-0049
800-225-3764
1192 S. Main St., PO Box 637
Angels Camp 95222
http://www.gocalaveras.travel