Camino was known as Seven Mile in the late 1850s when it was used as a way station along the busy Wagon Trail. Emigrants heading west to the gold fields and wagons rolling east carrying miners and supplies to the Comstock Lode rolled though the little community that grew around the way station.
Every harvest and apple- pie baking season, families drive into the hills above Camino to buy fresh fruit, pies, organic produce, pies, crafts, pies, souvenirs, and freshly made pies.
Flat water canoeists and kayakers enjoy the long, narrow Slab Creek Reservoir and powerboats are not permitted. The welcoming silence is heavenly.
Today Camino is along the still hectic Highway 50. Now travelers are heading into the Apple Hill area north of town or west into the Sierra Nevada for outdoor activities. Many go over the crest to Lake Tahoe and perhaps to some gambling in the casinos in Nevada. Seven Mile was a Pony Express stop during the short, enthralling history of the Pony Express Trail.
Every harvest and apple-pie baking season, families drive into the hills above Camino to buy fresh fruit, pies, organic produce, pies, crafts, pies, souvenirs, and freshly made pies. Several nearby wineries host wine tasting, including locations in downtown Camino. Later in the season, families head into the Christmas Tree Farms to cut their trees. Apple Hill is what fall was invented for. For information, go to: www.applehill.com.
The Placerville Ranger Station of the Eldorado National Forest is located on the outskirts of town. This is where you can pick up Wilderness Permits and Rental Cabins access information.
The access road leading down to Jenkinson Lake and the Sly Park Recreation Area is a few miles farther up where you turn off Highway 50 at Pollock Pines. Power boating, sail boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian trail riding – Sly Park has it all. Including the crowds on summer weekends.
Slab Creek Reservoir lies north of Camino in a relatively unknown section of the South Fork American River. Access is limited so take a map. Flat water canoeists and kayakers enjoy the long narrow reservoir and powerboats are not permitted. The welcoming silence is heavenly.
Expert whitewater kayakers can float the river both above and below the reservoir. Above: the stretch was dubbed the Golden Gate run because it was considered tantamount to suicide. Since the early days, attitudes, boating equipment, and skills have changed, but it remains one of the more difficult rivers in California. Below the dam, the run is challenging but at least saner. Rafters also enjoy the run when the water release is at a good level.
| Population: | 4,825 | Links: | Chamber of Commerce: www.eldoradocounty.org Visitor Center: www.visit-eldorado.com |
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Travel east up Highway 50 for about 8 miles.