Calaveras Big Trees State Brochure

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Calaveras Big Trees State ParkP. O. Box 120

Arnold, CA 95223(209) 795-2334

2004 California State Parks (rev. 1/2007) Printed on Recycled Paper

Our MissionThe mission otheCaliornia Department oParks and Recreation is to provide or the

health, inspiration and education o the

people o Caliornia by helping to preserve

the states extraordinary biological diversity,

protecting its most valued natural and

cultural resources, and creating opportunitiesor high-quality outdoor recreation.

www.parks.ca.gov

CALIFORNIA STATE PARKSP. O. Box 942896

Sacramento, CA 94296-0001

Caliornia State Parks does not discriminateagainst individuals with disabilities. Prior to

arrival, visitors with disabilities who need

assistance should contact the park at the phone

number below. To receive this publication in an

alternate ormat, write to the Communications

Ofce at the ollowing address.

For inormation call: 800-777-0369916-653-6995, outside the U.S.

711, TTY relay service

CalaverasBig Trees

State Park t is unlikely that anyone

couldlook upon the

Sequoiadendron giganteum

andnotfeel a sense of awe

and reverence.

I


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hree miles north of Arnold off

Highway 4, the colossal trees o

Calaveras Big Trees State Park stand in

quiet testimony to a time when giants

ruled the earth. These massive relics,

which can reach a height o 325 eet and

a diameter o 33 eet, are a survivingspecies rom a time when dinosaurs

roamed the earth, and birds, mammals

and fowering plants began to appear.

Some o these trees are thought to be

as much as 2,000 years old.

Located at the mid-elevation level o

the western Sierra Nevada, Calaveras

Big Trees State Park is a prime example

o a mixed conier orest in the yellowpine belt. Giant sequoias dominate

ponderosa pines, sugar pines, incense

cedars and white r. The Pacic dog-

wood displays white blossoms in the

spring, and wildfowers along the Lava

Blus Trail include leopard lily, Hart-

Nevada oothills. The acorns and other

seeds they harvested in the all were

a vital part o their diet. Their way o

lie was rich in ceremonies and social

activities, including the important har-

vesting and grinding o the all acorn

crop. Throughout this area are largegranite outcroppings and boulders with

groupings o mortar holes that bear

witness to the Miwok method o grind-

ing seeds and acorns. Today, approxi-

mately 3,500 Miwok descendents still

live in the area.

PARK HISTORY

In the spring o 1852, Augustus T. Dowd

was tracking a wounded grizzly bear

through unamiliar territory when he

came upon a orest o enormous trees.

The tree that rst caught his atten-

tionknown today as the Discovery

Treewas the largest in what is now

the Calaveras North Grove. At rst

Dowds description o what he had

seen was considered a tall tale untilhe led a group o men to the grove.

The word spread rapidly. Newspapers

picked up the story, bringing curious

visitors and entrepreneurs ready to

exploit the trees.

The tree that had earlier stopped

Dowd in his tracks was the rst casualty

in the rush to exploit the giant se-

quoias. It took ve men 22 days to cutit down. Sections o bark and a portion

o its trunk were shipped to San Fran-

cisco to be placed on display. LaterLooking south from the North Grove

wegs iris, crimson columbine,monkey-fowers, harvest brodi-

aea, wild hyacinth and lupine.

NATIvE PEOPLE

Though some native groups saw

the trees as sacred and untouch-

able, the Miwok simply respected

them and made careul use o

them. These skilled shermen,trappers and hunters built their

seasonal villages alongside the

fourishing rivers o the Sierra

Sequoia cones

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it was sent around Cape Horn to New

York City, where it was considered a

humbug by many who saw it. The -

nancially unsuccessul showing closed,

and while the artiacts were awaiting

shipment to Paris, a re destroyed the

entire exhibit.Further depredations continued in

the North Grove. A magnicent tree

named the Mother o the Forest, was

stripped o nearly 60 tons o its bark

to a height o 116 eet and sent to the

East Coast and abroad. But people

kept coming to Calaveras to see the

real thing. In 1861 the Mammoth

Grove Hotel was built. The resorthotel operated continually until 1943,

when it was destroyed by a re.

THE TREES

Two types o redwood trees are native

to Caliorniathe coast redwood

along the central and northern coast

and the giant sequoia, which appears

in scattered locations along thewestern slopes o the Sierra Nevada.

Conservationist John Muir was

concerned that these giants that had

survived the Ice Age and the ravages

o time were ...rapidly vanishing

beore the re and steel o man...

In 1878, ater a protracted battle over

ownership was settled, the Calaveras

property was sold at public auction.The winning bid, rom James L. Sperry,

was $15,000. In 1900 Mr. Sperry sold

out to lumberman Robert Whiteside,

raising great public protest. Whiteside

declined oers rom ederal legislators

hoping to establish a national park at

Calaveras, and the struggle to acquire

and protect the groves stretched over

the next three decades. During this

time the Calaveras Grove Associationwas ormed. It was inspired by the

Sierra Club and the Save-the-Redwoods

League, which were leading a movement

to establish a system o Caliornia state

parks. Widespread public concern

or the trees was beginning to have a

positive eect.

THE NORTH GROvEIn 1928 Caliornians voted to establish

a state park system through a bond

act. Private donors supporting the

acquisition o the North Grove included

John D. Rockeeller, Jr., and Mrs. William

H. Crocker. The rest o the unding came

rom the Calaveras Grove Association

and the Save-the-Redwoods League. At

last, in 1931 the North Grove came underthe protection o the State o Caliornia.

Now all that was let was to fnd a way to

acquire the South Grove.

THE SOuTH GROvE

Unortunately, the world was now in the

throes o the Great Depression. Newton

B. Drury, acting as Land Acquisition

Ocer or the Caliornia Division oBeaches and Parks, decided against

the acquisition, citing ...the condition

o the state park bond und...and the

diculty in raising private gits. It

would be 23 more years beore the

South Grove was acquired. These were

years rocked by two wars, on-again,

o-again negotiations with the Pickering

Lumber Company, revival o the

deunct Calaveras Grove Association,and a massive grassroots undraising

campaign. Finally, on April 16, 1954, the

primeval wilderness o the Calaveras

South Grove became part o Calaveras

Big Trees State Park.

RECREATION

CampingThe North Grove Camp-

ground has 74 campsites that can ac-comodate tents and RVs up to 30 eet.

The Oak Hollow Campground has 55

campsites or tents and RVs up to 30

eet. All campsites have re rings and

picnic tables, piped water, fush toilets

and coin showers. Call (800) 444-7275

or reservations.

TrailsThe North Grove has a level,

1.5-mile sel-guided trail. The 600-ootThree Senses Trail allows visitors to ex-

perience the eel, smell and sounds o

this magnicent orest. The 5-mile trail

in the South Grove travels along Big

Trees Creek and passes the parks two

largest treesthe Agassiz Tree and the

Palace Hotel Tree. The airly strenuous

4-mile River Trail runs between the

North Grove and the Stanislaus River.Along the Lava Blus Trail hikers can

enjoy the scenic canyon o the North

Fork o the Stanislaus River.


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The Stanislaus River

Picnicking/SwimmingDesignated

picnic areas are located alongside the

Stanislaus River, in the North Grove,

Oak Lea Spring and Beaver Creek

areas.

FishingThe Stanislaus River and

Beaver Creek oer good shing,

particularly or rainbow trout. A valid

Caliornia shing license is required.WildlifeOpportunities or wildlie

observation are abundant in the

park. Bird species include pileated

woodpeckers, northern fickers,

Stellers jays, dark-eyed juncos and

American robins. Deer, raccoons, oxes,

porcupines, chipmunks, chickarees,

fying squirrels, and gray squirrels are

among the native animals. Black bears,bobcats and coyotes are occasionally

seen.

ACCESSIBLE FEATuRES

Campsites and restrooms with showers

at the North Grove Campground; some

visitors may need help with sloped

terrain

One campsite and restroom with

showers at the Oak Hollow Campground

Wheelchair seating spaces, parking,

assistive listening system at the

Campre Center

Parking and exhibits at the Visitor

Center; assistance may be needed at

entry

Parking and .13-mile rope-guided

Three Senses interpretive trail (Braille

text included) through a orest setting Restroom and adjacent parking near

warming hut o North Grove parking lot

The North Grove Trail is barrier ree

Accessibility is constantly being im-

proved. For current accessibility details,

call the park or visit http://access.parks.ca.gov.

PLEASE REMEMBER

Diving is not permitted anywherein the park; lieguards are not available.

Be careul with re in the park.

Do not eed the bears and other wild-

lie that inhabit the park; secure ood in

the ood locker or in your vehicle day

and night.

All trees, plants and animals in the

park are protected by law. Please

dont disturb, injure or destroy them. Dogs are allowed on leash only and

are not permitted on trails.

NEARBY STATE PARKS

Columbia State Historic Park,

3 miles north o Sonora o

Highway 49 (209) 532-0150/4301

Indian Grinding Rock State

Historic Park, 11 miles northeast

o Jackson on Pine Grove-Volcano

Road (209) 296-7488

Railtown 1897 State Historic Park,

in Jamestown on 5th Avenue, o

Highway 108 (209) 984-3953

The Palace Hotel Tree


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The South GroveFire Road

KansasGroup

AgassizTree

Palace HotelTree

Big

Trees

Creek

To Beaver Creek& Parking

The South Grove

SouthGrove

Trail

Not to Scale

This park is supported in part

through a nonproft organization.

For more inormation contact:

Calaveras Big Trees Associaton

P. O. Box 1196 Arnold, CA 95223(209) 795-3840


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The North Grove

Big

Tree

Creek

Jack KnightMemorial Hall

Pioneer Cabin Tree

Three Graces

ThreeSenses

Trail

Motherand Son

Old Bachelor

Huge Burned Stump

AbrahamLincoln

North

Grove-

Big

TreesTra

il

Trail

Overlook

Grove

Park Exit

ToSouth Grove

ToCampsites

ToCampsites

The North Grove

WarmingHut

VisitorCenter

BigStump

Father-of-the-Forest

Mother-of-the-Forest

Not to Scale


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Folsom

Lake

50

8849

99

5

124

16

88

88

108

4

49

49120

99

50

80

0

0

20

10 20 Miles

10 30 Kilometers

Stockton

RosevillePlacerville

Murphys

Arnold

Manteca

Volcano

ElkGrove

LockefordLodi

JamestownKnights

FerryGroveland

Angels Camp

Sonora

Jackson

KitCarson

ColumbiaSHP

Railtown 1897 SHP

IndianGrinding

Rock SHP CalaverasBig Trees SP

to Sacramento

Documents

Calaveras Big Trees State Brochure