Prior to the Gold Rush, Miwok Indians lived in this peaceful meadow surrounded by pine and broadleaf forests. Today the 135-acre park offers visitors the opportunity to experience Miwok culture firsthand. Well worth seeing is the flat limestone outcrop pitted with hundreds of chaw'se, or mortar holes, used for grinding acorns into meal. Nearby are re-created Miwok bark dwellings and a ceremonial roundhouse that still hosts local tribal gatherings. The small Chaw'se Regional Indian Museum (open year-round Mon-Fri 11am-3pm, weekends 10am-4pm; closed Jan 1, Thanksgiving Day, Dec 25) is dedicated to Sierra Nevada indigenous peoples.