Rescue

Rescue, California, brings together the history of historic routes with Pine Hill Preserve and its rare plant life. The town’s history stretches from the old Coloma Road and the former name Green Valley to the routes of the stagecoach and Pony Express. The preserve offers a different perspective: here, the focus is on a rare plant community, distinctive soils, and eight rare plant species. If you’re looking for a hotel for your stay, these two themes can help you consider whether Rescue is a destination that suits your interests.

Gold Rush History and Historic Routes

Coloma Road–Rescue is a California Historical Landmark at the Rescue Junction General Store, 4222 Green Valley Rd. The old Coloma Road in Rescue ran between Sutter’s Fort and Sutter’s sawmill on the American River. On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall rode along this road carrying the first gold discovered in Coloma. The date ties the road to a specific event in Gold Rush history and makes the historical connection between Rescue and Coloma tangible.

Rescue was then called Green Valley. In the 1840s and 1850s, Green Valley was an important way station on the wagon road from Sacramento to the “diggings.” In 1849, Green Valley was selected as a stop on California’s first stagecoach line, from Sacramento to Coloma and Placerville. This places a wagon road heading toward the “diggings” alongside a stagecoach line serving Coloma and Placerville as two distinct transportation connections.

The history of the Central Overland Pony Express also passes through Rescue. At Pleasant Grove House, Pony Express horses were changed from July 1, 1860, to June 30, 1861. From Pleasant Grove House, the Pony Express riders’ route headed west to Folsom and east to Placerville, through Rescue, Dry Creek Crossing, and Missouri Flat. Pleasant Grove House is the starting point for these directions; Rescue is one of the places along the route described.

The dates put these transportation connections in context: Green Valley was a way station in the 1840s and 1850s, the stagecoach line was selected in 1849, and horses were changed at Pleasant Grove House in 1860/61. Taken together, these milestones span several decades of transportation history.

Pine Hill Preserve: Plants and Soils

Pine Hill Preserve shifts the focus from historic transportation to plants and soils. Eight rare plant species grow in the preserve. A rare plant community is limited to soils known as Rescue soils; this soil name comes from the nearby community of Rescue. These two facts highlight different aspects: the number of species describes the preserve’s plant life, while Rescue soils explain the plant community’s connection to particular soils. This gives the name Rescue a connection to the preserve’s soils as well as a place in local history.

The BLM parcels of Pine Hill Preserve are accessible only on foot. Check the latest access information before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Pilot Hill, Shingle Springs, Upper Forni, Pollock Pines, Placerville, Echo Lake, Coloma, Camino.

For the broader travel overview: El Dorado.