Entry No. 38 — the Sacramento file — filed under: history
Alabama Mine
Originally worked in the 1850s, the Alabama Mine (also known as the Alabama-California Mine) was a gold and silver lode mine that featured a 20-stamp mill and a shaft reaching depths of up to 1,000 feet. The mine was revived in the 1930s but permanently closed during World War II due to wartime gold mining restrictions. Today, the historic site is completely inactive, with its remnants situated on private residential land.
The story
In the 1850s, miners carved into Penryn looking for Mother Lode veins, developing what became the Alabama Mine (also known as the Alabama-California Mine). This wasn't a casual pan-in-the-creek operation—it was a heavy industrial lode mine running a 20-stamp mill to crush low-to-moderate grade ore (often yielding a third of an ounce of gold or less per ton) and dropping vertical shafts up to 1,000 feet straight down into the bedrock.
The crushers went quiet as the easy rock gave out, but the operation saw a brief second act during the economic desperation of the 1930s. That revival was cut short: federal wartime gold mining restrictions during World War II shuttered non-essential operations nationwide, closing the Alabama Mine permanently. Rather than becoming a preserved state park with hardhat tours, the industrial footprint dissolved into private residential land.
What it's like
Do not attempt to hike down the private non-through road or poke around private property—the former mine sits entirely on private residential land, and the dangerous underground shafts are sealed and closed to the public. Instead, treat this as a slow scenic detour along Taylor Road in Penryn. You come for the quiet atmosphere of the foothill backroads, driving past granite outcrops and pairing the trip with accessible public history down the street.
The move: Since the mine is located on private property with no public access, couples can instead take a scenic drive along Taylor Road in Penryn and visit the nearby historic Griffith Quarry Park to learn about the region's stone-cutting history.
📍 Before you go The former mine site is located on private residential property off a non-through private road, and the dangerous underground shafts are completely closed to the public.
- 📍 Penryn
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Alabama Mine, Penryn, CA 95663, USA
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current access before you go.
Pair it with
- Griffith Quarry Museum — Pair the off-limits history of the Alabama Mine with a legal walk around the 1864 granite works and stone office right down the road in Penryn.
- Ken Fox's Great Statues of Auburn — Drive six miles northeast to trade hidden subterranean history for giant, eccentric concrete statues built behind a former dental practice.
- Coloma Jail Ruins — If you want real, accessible 1850s stone ruins, head over to Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park to see the remains of El Dorado County's third jail.
Good to know
Can I tour or walk through the Alabama Mine?
No. The site is located entirely on private residential property off a private dead-end road, and the dangerous shafts are closed to the public.
How deep were the original workings?
At its peak, the hard-rock mine featured a 20-stamp crushing mill and shafts reaching depths of up to 1,000 feet.
Why did the mine shut down permanently?
After reopening briefly in the 1930s, federal restrictions placed on gold mining during World War II forced the operation to close for good.
What is the best public history spot nearby?
Drive less than a mile to Griffith Quarry Park in Penryn, where you can walk public trails and tour an 1864 granite quarry museum.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: westernmininghistory.com · mapcarta.com · supreme.justia.com
last checked: 2026-07-20