Hiller Tunnel Trail
This is a totally unique way to visit the Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park. It’s not a hike; it is a brief adventure. Especially for kids supervised by parents.
It’s not a hike; it is a brief adventure.
Wear shoes for wading water, take a flashlight...
DESCRIPTION:
0.25 mile, moderate, elevations: 3000’-3080’, ½ hour.
As a minimum visit the museum in North Bloomfield to learn the history of the tunnel’s uses and then stop by to see the beginning of this engineering feat. But if you’re adventurous, the 600’ tunnel is passable during low water periods. Wear shoes for wading water, take a flashlight and a friend, and be prepared to get muddy. This is history up close. For some, claustrophobic close. Check with Park officials, and read up on the real story first. Definitely no bikes. Equestrian riders are smart enough to not ask, but horses are out of question.
| Miles | Elevation Range | Options |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3000’-3080’ |
|
DIRECTIONS:
To Hiller Tunnel Trail
Drive 11 miles north of Nevada City via Highway 49, turn east on Tyler Foote Crossing Road. Follow this paved road with its painted yellow center-line even though it changes names to Cruzon then Backbone Roads in the15 miles to Derbec Road. At this intersection turn right and follow it until you enter the Park. First time visitors should stop at the Visitor Center in downtown North Bloomfield. Call 530-265-2740 or see www.cal-parks.ca.gov and search Malakoff.
The signed trailhead lies 2 miles west of town site on the North Bloomfield Road. The hike to the tunnel is only a couple hundred feet.
ACTIVITIES:
Hiking: Dayhikes (Rating: Good)
Correction, a half hour hike. Corection, a small adventure not a hike. Yet, totally unique. But during a dry time of the year, only.
Historic Sites (Rating: Exceptional)
This is the site of historically the largest and richest hydraulic gold mine in the world. The mine, which consisted of an open pit over a mile long and reportedly 600 feet deep, was closed down in 1884 by a court decision. Today the Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park offers unique hiking and outdoor opportunities unparalleled anywhere else.
Much of the town of North Bloomfield remains and offers a glimpse of the life of the miners in the mid-1800s. The park offers guided walking tours of the reconstructed dwellings and businesses. Nice museum. Hours reduced in winter. Call ahead: phone (530) 265-2740.
