Can You Believe.... Angels Camp?

In 1864, Mark Twain wrote his first successful short story, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and Angels Camp became linked with frogs apparently for all time. Today this Gold Rush town’s population is about 3,000. Its main industry is tourism which boasts such attractions as caverns for public viewing, challenging golf, a beautiful lake and marina with houseboat and fishing boat rentals, historic buildings and monuments, interesting shops and great eateries.

Angels Camp pictured above circa 1920, aka the real City of Angels and the only incorporated city in all of Calaveras County, was named after shopkeeper Henry Angel of Rhode Island who started a trading post here in 1848. Several good strikes were made by early miners and within the year over 4,000 miners were working the surface gold of Angels. The source of gold played out quickly but hardrock mining kept the gold industry flourishing in Angels until recently. The town is honeycombed with tunnels from the many successful mines.

In 1864, Mark Twain wrote his first successful short story, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and Angels Camp became linked with frogs apparently for all time. The Jumping Frog Jubilee and Calaveras County Fair is held annually the third week in May. Angels Camp’s population today is about 3,000.

Its main industry is tourism which boasts such attractions as caverns for public viewing, challenging golf, a beautiful lake and marina with houseboat and fishing boat rentals, historic buildings and monuments, interesting shops and great eateries. The Angels Camp Museum is filled with lovingly preserved artifacts from the Gold Rush era and several fascinating outdoor exhibits, including a collection of mining equipment, a blacksmith’s shop and a unique carriage house.