20 Attractions to Explore Near Lake Amador

Pardee Dam is a 345-foot -high structure across the Mokelumne River which marks the boundary between Amador and Calaveras Counties. Popular recreational activities include fishing, boating and hiking. Swimming pools located next to the café are available for your enjoyment seven days a week.

This was a reform school located in Ione, California, in Amador County. Its mission is to preserve, rehabilitate and utilize the historic Preston Castle site as well as preserving the history of the school, its staff and boys. The Romanesque Revival style of architecture was to make the building look like a school rather than a prison. Today, theCastle is open to the public for tours and events.

The St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church is part of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Eastern America. It is built on the presumed location of St. Sava's grave. His coffin had been moved from Mileševa Monastery to Belgrade. The coffin was placed on a pyre and burnt in 1595 by Ottoman Grand Vizier Sinan Pasha.

The Kennedy Gold Mine is a gold mine in Jackson, California, one of the deepest mines on the Mother Lode. It closed in 1942 and together with nearby Argonaut Mine. It has since been re-opened as a tourist attraction.

Kennedy Tailing Wheels Park is located at the transition point between Jackson Gate Road and North Main Street. This park preserves two of the remaining Kennedy Mine Tailing Wheels, the iconic symbols of the City of Jackson that were environmental pioneers during the hard rock mining era of the early 20th century.The park around these historical structures includes a kiosk with historical photographs and information about the engineering and operation of the wheels.

The Knight Foundry, set in the heart of Sutter Creek, is America's last water-powered foundry and machine shop. It was established in 1873 to supply heavy equipment and repair facilities to the gold mines and timber industry of the Mother Lode. Samuel N. Knight developed a high speed, cast iron impulse water turbine which was a forerunner of the Pelton wheel design. Knight Wheels were used in some of the first hydroelectric plants in California, Utah, and Oregon.

The Butte Store stands as a solitary reminder of what was once a vibrant community. An Italian stone mason constructed the building in 1857 to serve settlers and miners as both their post office and general store.

The Amador Whitney Museum exists to promote an interest in the history and culture of the Mother Lode region among both residents and visitors.This building, originally the Kling Building is probably the oldest commercial building in town. It dates back to 1860. Throughout the years, it has housed many types of businesses including the Wells Fargo Drayage Company.

This is an artificial lake in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada which was formed by the New Hogan Dam. The surrounding of this lake is a perfect place for camping, water sports, fishing, hiking, mountain biking and more.

New Hogan Dam is an embankment dam on the Calaveras River, a tributary of the San Joaquin River in central California. The dam lies east of Rancho Calaveras and impounds New Hogan Lake in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

The Calaveras County Courthouse is a historic courthouse building in San Andreas, California. The brick courthouse was built in 1867 and contained the county's courtroom, jail, and sheriff's office; until 1888, executions were also conducted in the building. The Calaveras County Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 28, 1972.

Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park is a California State Park, preserving an outcropping of marbleized limestone with some 1,185 mortar holes This is the largest collection of bedrock mortars in North America. The park is nestled in a little valley. This museum within the park grounds features a variety of exhibits and a vast collection of Sierra Nevada Indian artifacts.

Amador Cellars is a family-run winery showcasing Mediterranean wines, Tuscan architecture and a friendly tasting room staff. The winery produces estate-grown Zinfandel and Italian, Spanish and Rhone Valley varietals. Explore our beautiful location for a barn wedding amid the vines.

Black Chasm Cavern is a cave nestled in the hamlet of Volcano, located in Amador County, California. It is a dissolution cave, formed by sulfuric acid resulting from Geo-thermal hydrogen sulfide reacting with down-moving oxygenated surface water.

Shenandoah Vineyards is the 2nd oldest active winery in Virginia, founded in 1976. Housed in a red barn dating to the Civil War, the winery sits atop an old stone foundation which serves as the aging cellar. The winery features a picnic area with breathtaking views of the surrounding vineyards. The tasting room has knowledgeable, friendly staff and an art gallery featuring contemporary art and ceramics.

D'Agostini Winery refers to both a winery in Healdsburg, California owned by Armagan Champagne Cellars as well as the original vineyard, winery, and wine cellar located in Plymouth, Amador County, which are owned by Sobon Estate Winery. The original winery is registered as a California Historical Landmark.

Originally called Mammoth Cave, California Cavern was California’s first show cave and is its longest cavern system. The cavern walking tour takes you through several passageways into multiple chambers on a trail system. On the way, you’ll see a wide variety of beautiful white, cream and caramel colored crystalline cave formations including stalactites, stalagmites, cave popcorn, flowstones and helictites.

The Altaville Grammar School in Altaville, California is one of the oldest grammar schools in California. It was built in 1858 of brick in the Greek Revival style and remained in use until 1950, when it was replaced by the Mark Twain Elementary School in Altaville. After its abandonment, it fell into disrepair, but was restored in 1989 by the Calaveras County Historical Society. The building serves now as an example of a typical schoolroom of the 19th century.

This is a show cave located in Calaveras county. It is named after the gold prospector Walter J. Mercer who discovered the caves around 1885 and filed a claim. It is formed in a marble unit known as the Calaveras Formation. It also contains a large display of aragonite frostwork. The standard tour of the cave descends 160 feet, 208 steps down and 232 up in a traverse between the natural and an artificial entrance.

A beautiful public park located in the heart of Calaveras and This park holds fun musical events here (known as “First Fridays“) on the first Friday of the month from June through to the beginning of September.The park is also a beautiful place to hold your wedding or special event.