The park is 26 miles (42 km) north-east of Nevada City, California, in the Gold Rush country.

[5] The Malakoff mine pit on the San Juan Ridge is the impetus for one of the nation's first environmental protection measures.

In the late 1860s the towns of Marysville and Yuba City were buried under 25 feet (7.6 m) of mud and rock, and Sacramento flooded repeatedly.

On January 7, 1884, Judge Lorenzo Sawyer declared a permanent injunction against dumping mining debris in the rivers.

[9][10] At an altitude of 3,248 feet (990 m), Malakoff Diggins generally has warm, dry summers and cold, wet winters.

[4] The visitor center has exhibits depicting life in the old mining town of North Bloomfield, with a past population of 1,500 that served as a supply base for the Diggins.

About a block of buildings, some dating to the 1850s, are restored or re-created in a Gold Rush style, including white picket fences.

In summer, park rangers lead tours through a general store, a furnished home, and a drugstore whose shelves are lined with bottles, boxes and vials of medicines.

Park facilities include hiking trails, picnic area, swimming and fishing, a campground and rustic cabins that can be rented by campers.

Other hiking includes:[12] Malakoff Diggins was one of 70 California state parks proposed for closure by July 2012 as part of a deficit reduction program.