On Hwy-49, 72 miles East of Auburn. Not content only to preserve many of its 1850s brick buildings, the people of Downieville also keep a shine on the gallows which brought the town the dubious distinction of being the one mining community ever to hang a woman. The town makes for an atmospheric stroll, even though the Downieville Museum (http://www.sierranevadageotourism.org/content/downieville-museum), inside a former Chinese store (and allegedly an opium den) on Main Street, carries merely the usual Gold Country complement of historical photographs and mining tools.

Nowadays it’s quite a hub for mountain bike enthusiasts as it hosts the Downieville Downhill which is a single track trail that drops 4400 m over 17 miles. It also is the venue for the Downieville Classic which is also an adventurous two-day downhill race.