Grass Flat, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Grass Flat, California
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 Grass Flat, California
Location in California
Grass Flat, California
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Sierra |
| U.S. National Forest Service | Plumas National Forest |
| Elevation | 4,859 ft (1,481 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| Area code(s) | 530 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1658652 |
Grass Flat is a special place in Sierra County, California, United States. It is an unincorporated community, which means it's a place where people live that isn't officially part of a city or town. Grass Flat is also known as a ghost town. This means it was once a busy place, but now very few or no people live there.
Where is Grass Flat?
Grass Flat is located in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains. You can find it on Port Wine Ridge Road. This area is part of the huge Plumas National Forest, which is a protected natural space.
The site of Grass Flat is about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) southwest of a mountain called Mount Fillmore. It sits at an elevation of 4,859 feet (1,481 meters) above sea level.
The Story of Grass Flat
Gold Rush Beginnings
Grass Flat became a busy place during the exciting time of the California Gold Rush. This happened between 1848 and the 1850s. People came from all over, hoping to find gold. Grass Flat was set up as a gold mining camp. It was in the northern part of California's gold mining region.
Mining and the Land
Miners at Grass Flat used a method called hydraulic mining. This was a way to find gold by using powerful jets of water. The water was aimed at hillsides to wash away the dirt and rock. This would expose the gold underneath.
This type of mining changed the landscape a lot. Even more than 160 years later, the land around Grass Flat still shows the effects. The areas where hydraulic mining happened are mostly bare. Not many plants grow there. You can also see ponds in the ground. These ponds fill the big holes that were made by the powerful water jets.
