It’s been more than a decade since my last visit to the Empire Mine State Park in Grass Valley, so last Wednesday I returned to see how much exploring I could fit into roughly four hours. I was originally planning to stay only two hours, but the time flew by so quickly! Even though the interior of the buildings was off limits, I was able to wander the grounds around the cottage and clubhouse as well as the gardens before checking out the nearby industrial area. Then it was getting later in the afternoon so I only had a quick look at one of the many hiking trails. I had a lot of fun and shot a ton of photos — and I definitely intend to revisit this great park before another ten years goes by.