About Calaveras Big Trees State Park
Calaveras Big Trees State Park was brought into the California State park System in 1931 to preserve the North Grove of giant sequoias. This grove includes the "Discovery Tree", the first Sierra redwood noted by Augustus T. Dowd in 1852. The Park area has been a major tourist attraction since that time, considered the longest continuously operated tourist facility in California. Over the years, other parcels of mixed conifer forests have been added to the Park to bring the total area to approximately 6,500 acres. In addition to the popular North Grove, the Park features the primitive South Grove, a five mile hiking trip through a spectacular grove of giant sequoias in their natural setting. Other attractions in the Park include the Stanislaus River, Beaver Creek, the Lava Bluff Trail and Bradley Trail. The Park also houses two main campgrounds with a total of 129 campsites, six picnic areas and hundreds of miles of established trails. The Park is open year-round, sunrise to sunset. Activities include cross-country skiing, evening ranger talks, numerous interpretive programs, environmental educational programs, junior ranger programs, hiking, mountain biking, bird watching and summer school activities for school children.The number for camping reservations is 1-800-444-PARK. On-line reservations are also available at www.parks.ca.gov. Reservations are offered up to 7 months in advance beginning at 8 am on the first reservation day of the month. Calaveras Big Trees State Park is on reservation beginning May 13th thru September 8th.
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