Six Mile Rd - Angels Camp, CA
Six Mile Rd is an easily missed connector in the Central Sierra foothills, running parallel to Highway 4 just outside Vallecito and rolling right up into Murphys, CA
Sitting right at the bottom of a long straightaway, it is incredibly easy to blast right past because your brain is already focused on the epic Ebbetts Pass mountain curves ahead—or you're just stuck in a line of slow-moving traffic heading up the hill.
Do yourself a favor and hang a left onto this narrow, no-center-line backroad. You can’t quite call it a "goat trail" anymore because the county gave it a fresh coat of smooth asphalt not long ago, though you still need to watch out for a bit of gravel kicked up by trucks cutting the corners. Six Mile Rd is an absolute blast of non-stop S-curves climbing steadily uphill with virtually zero traffic compared to Highway 4.
Wanna guess how long it is? The name gives it away, making it a perfect alternative to escape the main highway congestion. Even better, it drops you right out at Ironstone Vineyards, one of the premier attractions in Calaveras County. Known for its rich Gold Rush history, beautiful gardens, and hosting legendary outdoor concerts with acts like Sheryl Crow and Bryan Adams plus the occasional custom car club.
From the winery, Six Mile Road flows directly into the heart of Murphys, CA before connecting back with Highway 4. This iconic foothill destination is said to have produced at least $20 million in Gold Rush-era wealth during its heyday. In fact, the placer dirt here was so staggeringly rich that the local miners' claims were strictly limited to just eight feet square! At the Ironstone Vineyard Museum, you can check out the world's largest crystalline gold leaf, weighing in at 44 pounds- this one rock is said to be worth nearly $1 million dollars.
Beyond Murphys, the traffic starts to thin as you rise above the last of the foothill communities to make it up to the epic Ebbetts Pass above the 8000 ft level.
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