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Calaveras Big Trees
Overview
Calaveras Big Trees State Park offers a profound connection to California’s natural history. Established in 1931, this park preserves two groves of ancient Giant Sequoias that have stood for centuries. RVers visiting the park find themselves immersed in a towering forest canopy that provides a cool, shaded retreat from the California heat. It is a place where the scale of nature truly humbles every visitor, featuring the historic Discovery Tree stump and massive fallen logs that showcase the sheer magnitude of these woodland giants.
Location & Surroundings
Situated in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Arnold, California, the park is easily accessible via Highway 4. The surrounding area is characterized by rugged mountain terrain, dense pine forests, and the pristine waters of the Stanislaus River. Traveling along the Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway provides a breathtaking entrance to the park, showcasing the high-elevation beauty of the region. This mountain setting ensures crisp air and a distinct change of seasons, providing a refreshing alpine atmosphere for every traveler.
Amenities & Park Features
The park features two primary campgrounds, North Trees and Oak Hollow, both offering a rustic camping experience within the woods. It is important to note that there are no hookups available at the sites, so travelers should arrive prepared for dry camping. However, the park provides essential facilities including paved parking pads, central water faucets, flush toilets, and coin-operated showers. A convenient dump station is located near the park entrance, making it manageable for self-contained RV units to stay comfortably for several days.
Nearby Attractions & Things to Do
The primary draw is the North Grove Trail, an easy loop through the most famous trees. For a more secluded experience, the South Grove offers a longer hike into a remote stand of ancient redwoods. Beyond the trees, visitors can enjoy swimming and fishing in the Stanislaus River or exploring the nearby town of Arnold for local dining and supplies. The Visitor Center and Museum provides great educational context regarding the local ecosystem, while the nearby Stanislaus National Forest offers endless miles of additional exploration.
Who This Park Is Best For
This park is ideal for travelers who prioritize natural beauty and tranquility over resort-style amenities. Because of the winding mountain roads and specific site size limits, it is best suited for smaller RVs and camper vans rather than large fifth-wheels or heavy motorhomes. It is a perfect fit for families, hikers, and photographers who want to spend their days wandering through historic groves and their nights under a star-filled mountain sky far away from city lights.
Amenities
- Recreational Facilities
- Policies
- Other Amenities & Services
- Recreation Nearby (within 10 miles)
- Facility
- On-Site Rentals
- Sites
User Reviews
Rumplestiltskin
We visited Hite Park, which is about a 2-hour drive from Sacramento. The entrance fee is $10. There is a small museum and gift shop with mugs, shirts, sweaters, and small souvenirs, but the prices are unreasonably high — a basic sweater for $45 is simply overpriced. The park looks nice at the beginning, but very quickly you realize that there is not much to see. There is very little greenery, very few trees, and the main trail eventually crosses a road and ends at a cliff, with nothing else beyond that point. You just turn around and walk back the same way. Aside from a couple of big trees, there is nothing truly impressive. Honestly, it’s not a place I would visit again. It’s fine to see once, but I definitely wouldn’t go there a second ti
T West
Absolutely breathtaking! A very accessible place for the most fascinating forest walk! Stopping to walk among these beautiful giants is worth every second. Went in October- and between the leaf season and no crowds it was the best time to see them!
Monica Morse
Big Trees is an understatement! These are magical and majestic groves of Giant Sequoia & Incense Cedar. The size and beauty of these ancient giants will take your breath away. Recommend doing the South Grove Trail (5 mile, 2 hours) first (road may be closed when there’s a lot of snow). It’s a gorgeous hike. Thank you to the people who preserved the South Grove in 1950-1960s! Then head back to the visitor center. Pick up the little guide pamphlet (and donate $1!!) for the super informative self guided tour through the North Grove.
Edith Sutterlin
We really enjoyed the North Grove Trail , the 3 senses trail, and the interactive table with the pine cones and needle samples to help us see the difference in 5 common conifer trees in the park. The gift shop had a good selection of items for adults and cjhildren's educational and fun souvenirs, books, clothing, etc. The back room at the Visitor center was small, but very well done. I especially loved pushing the buttons for the different bird calls. I only wish they promoted and featured the two films we saw in the small theater. They were very informative and well done, but we kind of accidentally saw the theater entrance, with no signs of what was in there, and no indication that there were 2 different films to watch and their viewing length. My guess is most all visitors miss seeing them entirely and don't even know they are there.
Georgina Curry
This place has it all. Redwoods, thick beautiful forests, rivers and all types of hiking choices. Beautiful place to camp. I spent the day doing small hikes and driving the entire park taking in all the beauty. Must see if your looking to get outdoors.
Rich Bromberg
Beautiful park - fantastic, informative trail through the Sequoia grove. Easy trail supports wheel chairs. Lots of other trails as well, some more challenging. Something for everyone. Nice visitor center with a museum. Park staff - rangers and docents, extremely helpful and friendly. Great location - easier to get to than Sequoia National Park if you want to see the majestic trees.
Ram Dongre
We have visited this park quite a few times at different seasons and every time it is just marvelous! It is simply magical to witness these trees that have lived majestically through thousands of years. The visitor center provides great details about the life cycle of these trees, has a gift shop, and a movie theater. Plenty of parking and we did see a pop up food service. North grove had points 18-26 closed for some reason so we had to return on the same path. Only Verizon had cell service here and only at the visitor center but not inside the trail.
Monika Patterson
I used a California State Parks Library Pass and borrowed a hiking backpack from my local library and I'm still in awe. The park is absolutely breathtaking. Towering sequoias, peaceful trails, and that clean, healing forest air. As a struggling lung disease gal - thank you Mother Nature for the healing air. ❤️🩹 What made this trip so special was knowing my own family stood in front of these very trees over a hundred years ago. Being in the same space, breathing the same air, was powerful and grounding. It felt like time folded in on itself. To anyone who has something negative to say about this park: maybe try visiting a state that doesn't have any state parks. Be humble, not hateful. Nature doesn't owe us perfection but it offers peace if you let it. Thank you to the state park system and our libraries for making this healing experience more accessible. This was more than a hike it was a full-circle moment. I’m forever thankful for such an incredible experience.
Shilo Wheeler
I got married at this state park at the beginning of May 2025 and I truly couldn't have asked for a more perfect experience. I had booked the venue sight unseen. The past eight months of booking and communication naturally came with a bit of nervousness but the entire process was seamless thanks to the outstanding communication from the park staff. From start to finish, they were responsive, informative, and so helpful, making the planning process smooth and stress-free. When the big day arrived, the park was absolutely stunning — even better than I imagined. The natural beauty created the perfect backdrop for both our ceremony and reception, and the atmosphere felt magical. Everything ran perfectly, and it was the perfect day for my perfect wedding. I’m so thankful to have chosen this place for one of the most important days of my life. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a breathtaking, well-managed outdoor venue!
Deborah Landau
Absolutely amazing! I highly recommend catching one of the volunteer-led hikes. We did the south trail, and it was spectacular. We thought it might be a bit much for us 6 miles round trip), but the trail is mostly flat and very well maintained. I can't recommend this park enough, it was just incredible.