Highway 49 has its southern terminus here and runs three hundred and ten miles through fifty-one cities, towns, and settlements in eleven counties, crossing some of the land's most scenic and mineral-rich country along the gold-rich lower slope of the Sierra. Along its route lie mining regions ranging from the placer and hydraulic mines of the north to the hardrock southern mines. Stones native to each of the eleven counties were selected by the Sierra Historic Sites Association and the Golden Chain Council for the construction here.