Downtown Sonora has a rich history with a modern flair. The Downtown is alive with unique boutiques & galleries, fabulous restaurants & trendy drinking establishments, and fun-filled events & festivals. Visitors and locals are drawn to this golden treasure to enjoy its rich heritage, historic charm, and small-town appeal.

Only a 6-minute drive from Sonora, Columbia allows you a glimpse back in time as a living, breathing Gold Rush-era town.

Gold was discovered in Columbia on March 27, 1850. By 1870, the “Gem of the Southern Mines” produced more than $1 billion (in today’s figures). Today the town, which is also a California State Historic Park still bustles with shops, exhibits, and the lively activity of the 1850’s.

Only an 11-minute drive from Sonora, any gamblers in attendance can have their fun at Chicken Ranch Casino.

A brand new casino that opened in November 2024 and has a 34,000+ square-foot casino floor with over 900+ gaming machines, a variety of Table Games, a rooftop bar, and various fast and fine-dining establishments.

Only a 12-minute drive from Sonora, Jamestown is another quaint California Gold Rush town.

Jamestown was where gold was first discovered in Tuolumne County in 1848. During a stroll along Jamestown's Main Street, you’ll discover that several of the town’s buildings that date back to the 1870s and 1880s are occupied by quaint historic inns, restaurants, shops, breweries, and a wine-tasting room.

Only a 20-minute drive from Sonora, Llamas of Circle Home offers a llama experience.

The Ancient Andeans dreamed llamas into existence to communicate at the Soul level as our Speechless Brothers. We strive to facilitate the interactions between the llamas and the individual to enrich the Llama Experience. Through greeting, approaching, touching, feeding, and leading the llamas the visitor connects with the llama energy. We strive to integrate the natural wisdom of the llama with the cultural heritage of this intelligent creature by relating knowledge of the Andean cosmology and the Andean spiritual path.

Only a 20-minute drive from Sonora, you can explore the largest single cave chamber in California at the Moaning Caverns.

Gold miners first explored Moaning Caverns in the 1840s and 1850s. Today, visitors enter by descending a metal spiral staircase for cave tours and family adventures!

Only a 30-minute drive from Sonora, Murphys is yet another Gold Rush town filled with great food, drinks, and local shops.

Murphys is located in the central Sierra Nevada foothills between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park, in Calaveras County, California. Rich in goldrush history, Murphys today is a vibrant, thriving community, alive with art galleries and live theater, over 20 wineries, eclectic shops, fine restaurants, charming hotels and B&B’s, and a multitude of outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities all just a short drive away.

Only a 45-minute drive from Sonora, Calaveras Big Trees State Park is where you can marvel at the beautiful redwood trees of California.

Established in 1931, Calaveras Big Trees State Park preserves a mixed conifer forest with two groves of giant sequoias - the North Grove and South Grove. In addition to the giant sequoia trees, you will find the Stanislaus River, Beaver Creek, ancient volcanic formations, natural meadows, and trails throughout the park allow you to discover the area that has awed visitors since 1852.

Just 1 hour and 30 minutes from Sonora, Yosemite National Park has some of the USA's most beautiful natural wonders.

Yosemite National Park is in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s famed for its giant, ancient sequoia trees, and for Tunnel View, the iconic vista of towering Bridalveil Fall and the granite cliffs of El Capitan and Half Dome. In Yosemite Village are shops, restaurants, lodging, the Yosemite Museum, and the Ansel Adams Gallery, with prints of the photographer’s renowned black-and-white landscapes of the area.

3 hours from Sonora, Lake Tahoe is an awe-inspiring and picturesque slice of America.

Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, straddling the border of California and Nevada. It’s known for its beaches and ski resorts. On the southwest shore, Emerald Bay State Park contains the 1929 Nordic-style mansion Vikingsholm. Along the lake’s northeast side, Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park includes Sand Harbor Beach and Spooner Lake, a gateway to the long-distance Tahoe Rim Trail.

Over 12 delicious beers on tap are brewed weekly. Tasty burgers, sandwiches, salads and appetizers.

Located in the heart of downtown Sonora, Flappy's Pizza Co. not only offers a unique selection of pizzas but also an assortment of delicious appetizers, sandwiches, salads, calzones, and various topped fries and tots. On top of that they have a stellar cocktail menu. You can get a chicken and waffles pizza or regular pepperoni, there is something for everyone at Flappy's.

Serving an efficient menu of upscale, perfectly executed food alongside beer, wine, hard seltzer, hard kombucha, hard cider, canned cocktails, fresh margaritas, and barrel-aged manhattans on our roof-top patio and in our lush Beer Garden.

Located in the stunning hills of Northern California, Indigeny Reserve proudly creates hand-crafted hard cider, citrus-infused liquor, and apple brandy aged in oak barrels. Every day we offer access to our preserve, allowing guests to wander and experience nature’s beauty. We look forward to seeing you.

From the cherished vines of Tuolumne County's golden foothills, luscious grapes are gathered at their peak and crafted by the hands of master winemakers. Come visit our wine-tasting room and beer taproom.