Nestled at the foot of a grass-covered hill on the banks of the American River, this 276-acre state historic park commemorates the town of Coloma, the site where James Marshall stumbled across his first nuggets of gold. The town, founded in 1847 by Marshall and John Sutter as the site of a new sawmill, served as the seat of easily mined El Dorado County during the rush's frenzied heyday but sank into relative obscurity as the supply of placer gold was exhausted. In 1857 the county seat was moved to Placerville, and Coloma became an agricultural village. Today some 70 percent of Coloma (population 200) is preserved within the park boundaries. Historic structures line peaceful Main, Back and Brewery streets, and the modest rapids of this celebrated stretch of the American River invite kayakers and rafters, as well as panners, to try their luck. At the Gold Discovery Museum, exhibits and an excellent video presentation (12min) summarize the geology of gold and the history of the Gold Rush, describing the ruinous effect of the discovery on the fortunes of both Marshall and Sutter.