Folklore and historians (take your pick) tell of an encounter with early day miners and a grizzly bear sniffing out the possibilities of joining the men for dinner. Hardly ruffled, one miner downed the bear with a single rifle shot. Now they knew what to call the place.
The only “commercial” building is the Post Office.
Ah, peace and quiet.
Modern day Grizzly Flat is still so remote, and so little developed, you could find a grizzly bear – if there were any left in California.
Presently, records indicate there are some 1256 residents in the community – about the same as there were during the 1850s Gold Rush. All that remains of historic downtown are signs indicating where some of the key buildings were, including the early-day Post Office. But that’s more than there is to the present-day downtown Grizzly Flat. The only “commercial” building is the Post Office. Down the road there is the Volunteer Fire Department station and still further back down the Community Hall. That’s downtown. The Postmaster has the distinction of being the only resident working full-time. Don’t look for food, lodging or gas, let alone a latte.
Forest trees outnumber the residents and for the most part you can’t see the community or the homes for the trees. We’re talking big trees, dark forest; manicured grassy lawns are non-existent. Ah, peace and quiet.
Quiet, except for ghosts banging around in the only historic, genuine circa 1879 miner’s cabin that is certified as haunted and is available for vacation rental in these parts – probably anywhere. So not only do you get the feel of sleeping in a miner’s cabin, but you can get an entertainment upgrade and have the ghostly miners themselves thrown in for free. (Top that Lake Tahoe.) Then again, if you have to share a bathroom isn’t that usually considered a downgrade?
The town sits immediately below the western boundary of the Eldorado National Forest.
This was and is lumbering country. The Diamond & Caldor Railroad puffed from Diamond Springs, on by Grizzly Flat, and to what had been downtown Caldor. Today Caldor is not even a good ghost town. But you still can follow the old railroad grades in many places including the Forest Service’s marked “Trestle Trail.” This is a hiking trail that drops down from the ridge into the Steely Fork of the Cosumnes River not far above Grizzly Flat. The trail follows over thousands of railroad ties that are still there. The rails were removed after abandoning the logging railroad in the early 1950s. Unfortunately, the four wooden trestles have collapsed, but earlier photos captured their historic look. The Eldorado National Forest developed an excellent hiking guide and map for the area. The map is available on SierraOutdoorRecreation.com as well at Forest Service offices.
Dogtown Creek Falls, a 50-footer, can be viewed from the paved Caldor Road a few miles above town. A short hike leads you down to the falls. It’s definitely worth a look when you’re in the neighborhood.
The Grizzly Flat Road and the paved links deeper into the National Forest are favorite rides by outdoor recreation enthusiasts on wheels – four wheel and two wheel, motorized bikes or pedal power. The Capps Crossing Road (FS #62) leads by the trailhead access to the Trestle Trail but is chock full of chuckholes. Fortunately, there’s still more blacktop than chuckholes, but it’s nearing a 50-50 proposition. The Caldor Road (FS #61) is better and leads by Leoni Meadows and a delightful Christian retreat center that offers not only RV sites but also camping in Indian teepees and covered Conestoga Wagons. Advance reservations for groups are a must.
Both roads connect with the Forest Service’s “North-South Road” (FS #6) that is paved, narrow, and windy but with relatively light traffic. It’s a favorite of bike riders who like the adventurous ride that connects between Highway 88 and the paved Mormon Emigrant Trail Road (FS #5).
North from where you intersect with the connecting North-South Road is the Capps Crossing Campground, a small 10-unit facility on the North Fork of the Cosumnes. Lying south a few miles are two outstanding ORV recreation areas totaling over 100 miles of marked trails and designed especially for motorcycles. Several of the trails are available to ATVs. Further south, there’s the PiPi Campground, a plush camping development for public campgrounds along the Middle Consumes River. There are easier ways to get to these facilities from either Highway 50 or 88, but if you’re in Grizzly Flat, you’re in the neighborhood.
| Population: | 1,256 | Links: | Chamber of Commerce: elsoradocounty.org Visitor Center: www.co.el-dorado.ca.us |
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From the west and Highway 49 take the Bucks Bar Road east out of Diamond Springs for about 5 miles. Follow it for another 5 miles to the 4-way stop at Somerset and the Mt. Aukum Road. Continue straight across the intersection by downtown Somerset east onto the Grizzly Flat Road. Travel 9 miles on the curvy but good road. When you get to the String Canyon Road follow the green highway sign and the more modern road to the left for another two miles to the heart of contemporary Grizzly Flat. If you veer right, you would climb up a very narrow, steep road to the historic soul of the original Grizzly Flat. There is a connecting street between the old and the new that is much easier.