Leisure: Panning and Soaking
Panning for gold in the San Francisquito Canyon
Visiting hot springs was a special treat in the backcountry
Some of the earliest gold discoveries in California occurred in Ventura County in the 1840s.The subsequent gold rush brought over 300,000 people to the state.
The rush died out in the 1850s but gold was still being found in Ventura County at the turn of the century and beyond. In the 1920s, panning for gold in creeks in Ventura County was still a fun pasttime.
For some young folks in the 1920s, a 30 mile round trip hike to a hot spring was a day of fine entertainment.Hot springs were also a wonderful way to relax after the many vagaries of travelling the backcountry.
Bathing at Lyon Springs, Matilija Canyon circa 1920
Lyon Springs Resort, Matilija Canyon
Matilija Hot Springs circa 1905