1852 Stage Stop in California's High Sierra
3431 CA-4, Dorrington, CA 95223
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$$
Standard rooms typically run $150-$250/night; restaurant prices separate.
Access
Limited Access
Historic wood-frame building; staircases to upper floors
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1852 · Stage Stop · Gold Rush Era · Calaveras Big Trees
John Gardner and his wife Rebecca Dorrington Gardner built the Dorrington Hotel in 1852 along the Big Trees Carson Valley Road, the principal route between the San Joaquin Valley and the silver districts of the Nevada Comstock. The hotel served stagecoaches, freighters, and travelers passing the giant sequoias of nearby Calaveras Big Trees.
When the area received a U.S. Post Office in 1902, the Gardners submitted Rebecca's maiden name, Dorrington, for the new community. The hotel survived as the road shifted from stage to highway and is recognized today by the California Office of Historic Preservation. It continues to operate as a small inn and restaurant in Calaveras County.
Rebecca Dorrington Gardner died on October 16, 1910, in nearby Altaville, California. A common variant of the local legend places her death in a fall on the rear staircase of the hotel in 1870; the historical record indicates this version is not accurate.
Sources
Staff and owners describe the haunting at the Dorrington Hotel as friendly and routine. The principal entity is identified as Rebecca Dorrington Gardner, the original mistress of the building, who is reported to walk through the dining room and trigger the motion detector after closing. One season, the owner placed artificial Christmas trees throughout the rooms; the trees were found knocked over each morning until they were removed.
Owners have also recounted instances in which Rebecca's presence was credited with practical warnings, including a story in which her activity drew attention to a gas leak in the kitchen. Reports of children's voices, doors opening on their own, and lights cycling on and off appear in multiple aggregator entries; staff publicly encourage curious guests by switching off lights when diners visit the restrooms.
The hotel makes no formal investigation programming. The legends are part of the property's everyday culture rather than a marketed attraction, and are presented to guests on request rather than by default.
Notable Entities
Book a room in the 1852 hotel built by John and Rebecca Gardner along the Big Trees Carson Valley Road. Guests have reported lights turning on after departure and motion detectors triggered in the empty dining room.
Eat in the dining room where wait staff are accustomed to the motion detector triggering on its own and where Rebecca Gardner is said to walk through during service.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
Grass Valley, CA
The Holbrooke Hotel began as the 1852 Golden Gate Saloon, built in Grass Valley, California by Stephen and Clara Smith during the Gold Rush. A neighboring single-story Exchange Hotel was added in 1853. Fires in 1855 and 1862 led to the current two-story stone-and-brick structure. The hotel was renamed for owner D.P. Holbrooke in 1879 and was designated California Historical Landmark No. 914 in 1974.
Nevada City, CA
The National Exchange Hotel opened in 1856 in Nevada City when the surrounding town was the largest and richest mining settlement in California. The classical-revival brick hotel hosted miners, businessmen, and President Herbert Hoover, and is widely regarded as the oldest continuously operating hotel in California. A full restoration completed in 2021 returned the building to active service.
Mokelumne Hill, CA
George William Léger, born in 1815, established his hotel in Mokelumne Hill around 1851, during the height of the California Gold Rush. The building has burned and been rebuilt twice, with the stone portion of the current structure surviving the 1874 fire. In 1866, Léger purchased the adjacent Calaveras County Courthouse after the county seat relocated to San Andreas and incorporated it into the hotel. Hotel Léger is among the oldest continuously operating hotels in California.