The American River Canyon below Auburn is seen as a natural and scenic area but still contains signs of an extensive historical past. This includes historic bridges and bridge sites dating back to the 1850s. The 1849 Gold Rush brought 75 years of mining that ended after massive dredges worked the river for its gold in the 1910s. Unique to the canyon is the Mountain Quarries Railroad, which traveled its way across 17 trestles and an elegant, still-standing concrete bridge to reach the main line in Auburn. The long-stalled Auburn Dam is the latest incarnation of earlier dams, like the 1890s...

The first park ranger in the world was appointed in California in 1866. Galen Clark was chosen as "Guardian of Yosemite," at what was then Yosemite State Park, and the concept of rangers to protect and administer America's great nature parks was born. The tradition continued in 1872 with the establishment of the first national park at Yellowstone. From the earliest days, park rangers have been romanticized; they are explorers, outdoorsmen, tree lovers, animal protectors, police officers, nature guides, and park administrators. The park ranger has become an American icon, whose revered image...