California Trail - Sutter's Fort

The Terminus

Sutter's Fort was built in 1839 by John Sutter as an agricultural and trading colony in the Sierra Nevada Range of northern California. It was the western terminus of the California Trail, and marked the final destination for California-bound travelers on the trail, as well as for fortune-seekers during the California Gold Rush of 1849. Today, Sutter's Fort State Historic Park lies within the city of limits of Sacramento, the capital of California. Sutter's Fort became Sacramento in the 1850's. The city's geographic location, on the junction of the Sacramento and American Rivers, made it the perfect location for the western terminus of both the Pony Express and the Transcontinental Railroad.

Next Stop: You've made it to Gold Country!