More than 150 years after the gold rush first began, some Americans are still digging for riches all over California.

Set along the American River, Coloma is a peaceful town steeped in gold rush history. Visitors can explore Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park or try their hand at river rafting.

In a creek near the town of Coloma, a remote community wedged in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, the local carpenter spotted pea-sized flecks catching the sun's rays: small gold nuggets.