It was the Veterans Day weekend and the weather was perfect for our yearly road trip to watch the fall colors. Every year we try to visit a new place to watch the California fall colors. My all time favorites are Napa Valley and Sonoma County Vineyards. This year we decided to change it up a bit. This quaint historic towns of Coloma, Auburn, Grass Valley, and Nevada City along Highway 49 have traditionally been known for Fall Colors. Visiting these old rustic towns and seeing the different styles of the places reminded us of what “old America” was like. Nowadays, with the modernization happening all over, it felt good to experience the old culture and tradition and how some places are working hard to maintain it.
All these towns have their own unique characteristics which makes one different from another.
Accessibility♿️ in these otherwise old historic towns are fairly modern. Parking and restrooms are all easily accessible for someone physically challenged. Even the sidewalks are quite spacious and navigable using a wheelchair or a mobility scooter.
Coloma
Coloma is an old American town with a very unique characteristics.The old traditional post office shutter mills and the Blacksmith shop are the attractions of that town.You can experience some spectacular fall colors along the American river en route to Auburn .
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park is another site where you can immerse yourself in the glowing fall colors.
♿️ Accessibility ♿️
There is a general store across the bridge, where there are ♿️accessible parkings and ♿️accessible restrooms.
You can park your car there. From there you can walk or use a ♿️mobility scooter to the center of the Coloma bridge. From there you can get the spectacular panoramic view of the American river with colorful trees on both sides of the river.
Auburn
Old town Auburn is another interesting place along the American River on Highway 49. The old town has a unique flavor of art, culture and shopping. Lincoln way is the Main Street where you can find the old post office and the old firehouse. The old town has many antique museums too. You can just walk down the street and immerse yourself in the arts galore and old town charm.
♿️Accessibility ♿️
- There is an accessible parking right near the Royal Indian cuisine. You can park your car there and take a walking tour .
- Accessible restrooms♿️ and more parking are available at the corner of Washington street.
Grass Valley
Grass valley is a Sierra foothill town known for hosting different celebrations all through the year. While Christmas and Spring are spectacular here, fall is no less. You can experience spectacular fall colors of the oak tress driving along the quaint streets of the town. You can also drive to Western Gateway Park in Penn Valley and Bridgeport Historic state park towards Marysville to watch the the fall foliage.
♿️Accessibility ♿️
Old town grass valley is completely accessible.There are accessible ♿️parking and ♿️restrooms at the intersection of the Mill street and Neal street.
Nevada City
The best of all on Highway 49 was Nevada city. The entire town has spectacular fall colors. You can walk or use a scooter or ♿️wheelchair around Nevada street enjoying the quaint shops, restaurants and spectacular colors. The best fall colors in this town are located in the old-fashioned Victorian neighborhoods surrounding the downtown historic districts. The old maples trees which were planted in earlier centuries are the most colorful one.
A drive down the Old Downieville highway is a must. It is the real icing on the cake. It is about 6 miles highway from Broad street to the point where it meets Highway 49. This route is a real charm during Autumn season.
For more info
https://www.nevadacitychamber.com/nevada-city-events/fall-colors-in-nevada-city/
♿️Accessibility ♿️
There are some ♿️accessible parking in the intersection of Coyote and Washington Ave. From that point you can also get a wonderful view of the fall colors along side of the Church.
There are ♿️accessible restrooms in the Commercial street parking lot.
