French Gulch, CA

French Gulch is a census-designated place in Shasta County, California, United States. French Gulch was founded by French miners in 1849 and became one of California's major gold producing areas. The town became a major supply place when it became the terminus of the western branch of the California Trail. Taken together, these details give a newcomer a usable picture of French Gulch, where its history, geography, and current gathering places meet. For French Gulch, the memorable detail is the way older history and current gathering places share one local map. Lying a few miles northwest of Whiskeytown Lake, the hamlet lies along Trinity Mountain Road going north from California State Route 299, with the town center approximately three miles north of 299, and about 19 highway-miles from downtown Redding. French Gulch's downtown is part of the local map.