Gold Country - California - page 858

something of a Harley motorcycle rally) and Mark Twain impersonators make appearances
at Gold Rush Day in the fall.
WORTH A TRIP
CALAVERAS BIG TREES STATE PARK
From Angels Camp, Hwy 4 ascends into the High Sierra, eventually cresting at Ebbetts
Pass , at 8730ft, and then descending to junctions with Hwys 89 and 395. Along the way
the road passes through the hardscrabble town of Arnold , which has a few cafes and mo-
tels strung along the roadside. But the real reason for taking Hwy 4 is 2 miles east of
Arnold and 20 miles east of Murphys: a chance to commune with the largest living organ-
isms on the planet.
Calaveras Big Trees State Park is home to giant sequoia redwood trees. Reaching as
high as 325ft and with trunk diameters up to 33ft, these holdovers from the Mesozoic era
are thought to weigh upwards of 3000 tons, or close to 20 blue whales.
The redwood giants are distributed in two large groves, one of which is easily viewed
from the stroller-accessible North Grove Trail , a 1.7-mile self-guided loop, near the en-
trance, where the air is fresh with pine and rich soil. The River Canyon Trail , a challen-
ging 8-mile hike out and back, climbs out of the North Grove, crosses a ridge and des-
cends 1000ft to the Stanislaus River. Pack enough water for the return trip back up.
It's possible to find giant trees throughout the park's 6000 acres, though the largest
are in fairly remote locations. The visitor center ( 209-795-7980; 1170 E Hwy 4, Arnold;
9am-5pm Sun-Thu, to 6pm Fri-Sat May-Sep, seasonal hrs Oct-Apr) has maps and good advice
on the miles of trails. It's worth checking out the exhibits on sequoia biology and learning
how a few dedicated individuals fought for decades to save them from becoming so many
thousands of picnic tables.
Camping ( 800-444-7275; www.parks.ca.gov ; off Hwy 4; tent & RV sites $35) is popular and
reservations essential. North Grove Campground is near the park entrance; less
crowded is Oak Hollow Campground , 4 miles farther on the park's main road. Most at-
mospheric are the hike-in environmental sites . Store food and toiletries in the provided
bear lockers at all times.
Eating
Strung out along Hwy 49 are a number of motels and diners to refill your gas tank or stom-
ach.