Calaveras Big Trees State Park is a lovely state park near the city of Arnold, located within the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The charming park preserves two beautiful groves of giant sequoia trees, which have been known as a major tourist attraction in the Northern California region since the mid-19th century. Today, the park is considered to be the state's longest continually-operated tourist attraction, home to iconic trees such as the massive Discovery Tree, which was felled in 1853 and measured at a diameter of 25 feet. Though the tree is no longer standing, it has been determined by its ring count to have been 1,244 years old at its felling. The beautiful Empire State Tree, the largest North Grove tree standing today, measures 30 feet in diameter at ground level, while the Louis Agassiz Tree in the park's South Grove measures 25 feet in diameter. Other park attractions include the lovely Lava Bluff and Bradley Trails and the picturequest Stanislaus River. 129 campsites are offered throughout the park, along with six lovely day-use picnic sites.
1170 CA-4, Arnold, CA 95223, Map, Calaveras Big Trees State Park Video