Gold, with its glittering promise of the sweet life, once lured into this region more than 300,000 fortune seekers from the far reaches of the world. From 1848 onward, the '49ers, as they were called, staked their claims in the streams and foothills of the Sierra Nevada, covering a 300-mile-long area known as the Mother Lode. Today, those who venture along Highway 49, the Golden Chain Highway, discover an abundance of history, nature, and outdoor recreation. California's gold rush lives on today in these towns that form the golden chain.