Coarsegold is a small town on the lower slopes of the Sierra Nevada, not far from California’s exact geographic center and Yosemite National Park. The name Coarsegold was derived from nearby Coarsegold Creek, also known as Coarse Gold Gulch, in which gold rush prospectors found large nuggets of gold.

Coarsegold is rarely mentioned as part of the mother lode—but it is, in fact, the southernmost populated settlement in California’s famed mother lode territory. The town was once a stage stop for Yosemite-bound travelers. The Golden Chain Highway (State Route 49) through California’s old gold rush towns and foothill topography begins about seven miles north, in the town of Oakhurst.

Coarsegold consists of scattered ranches, homes on big lots, Indian trust land, and “estate-style” subdivisions. The most populated section is strung along an eight-to 10-mile stretch of State Highway 41 in Eastern Madera County. It’s well worth a trip to visit the town of Coarsegold but better yet to buy and own a piece of history. It’s a great place to live and raise a family. Go see my friends at Montecino and Associates Real Estate.