Forget Yosemite, Visit California's Lesser-Known Park With Giant Sequoia Groves And Forest Trails

The state of California is well-known all over the world for its stunning natural scenery. With beautiful beaches, rugged mountain ranges, and forests with ancient trees that seem to climb all the way to the sky, it's easy to see why so many outdoor enthusiasts adore The Golden State. California has the most national parks in America, and many of them are extremely popular tourist destinations. They're well worth adding to your west coast bucket list, but they can also become crowded and congested during peak tourist season. Yosemite National Park is one of the most-visited parks in the country year after year, so overcrowding and traffic are common visitor complaints there. If you're looking for somewhere that is lesser-known, you might want to check out Calaveras Big Trees State Park instead.

Calaveras Big Trees State Park is located about two hours away from Yosemite National Park and about 100 miles southeast of the city of Sacramento. It isn't nearly as vast as Yosemite, but it protects two groves (the North Grove and the South Grove) of giant sequoia trees that are every bit as majestic as the ones you'll find in more popular tourist destinations across the state.

On a visit to Calaveras Big Trees State Park you can enjoy hiking among the towering trees. Biking is also permitted on some of the trails. When you're ready to take a break from exploring, there are plenty of places to pause and enjoy a picnic lunch. If you'd like to stay for longer, Calaveras Big Trees State Park offers campsites and cabin rentals.

Calaveras Big Trees State Park was established in 1931, about four decades after Yosemite National Park was officially designated as the third national park in the United States. The Indigenous Miwok people occupied the land that is now Calaveras Big Trees State Park for generations, and thousands of their descendants still live in the area today. The state park was created in order to protect and preserve the incredible giant sequoia trees that have stood there for many hundreds of years.

According to California State Parks, a man named Augustus T. Dowd happened upon the sequoias by chance while tracking a grizzly bear. Sadly, one of the largest trees was cut down, which allegedly took five men 22 days to complete — and outrage over the event helped spark the conservation movement. The stump that was left behind is now called the Discovery Tree. Thankfully, more than a thousand giant sequoia trees still stand within the South Grove alone. Many of the trees are well over a thousand years old. The largest and oldest tree in the park is the Agassiz tree, which stands in the South Grove Preserve.

Today, the park covers 6,498 acres. There are multiple hiking trails and two main hiking areas within the park. The North Grove Trail is an easy 1.7-mile hike that allows you to view some of the massive trees without too much effort. The path can be wheelchair accessible depending on the weather. For a longer and slightly more challenging hike, try the South Grove Trail. It's a 5.5-mile loop that will take you past some of the largest trees in Calaveras Big Trees State Park.

The easiest way to get to Calaveras Big Trees State Park is by car, and it makes a great side quest on an ultimate road trip to explore California's breathtaking national parks. The closest major airport is Sacramento International Airport (SMF), which is about two and a half hours away. The average car rental cost in Sacramento is about $40 per day.

Parts of Calaveras Big Trees State Park are open year-round, but the Walter W. Smith Parkway road closes annually around the first snowfall and reopens in the spring time. This closure cuts off access to the Stanislaus River and South Grove parts of the park. If you want to experience all that the park has to offer, it's best to visit between mid-May and mid-November. The Visitor Center is a great place to start your visit. It is open year-round starting at 10 a.m. each day and is home to a small museum and a gift shop. Entrance to the park costs $10 per vehicle on weekdays and $12 per vehicle on weekends and holidays.

The best place to stay near Calaveras Big Trees State Park is within the park itself. Camping offers the perfect opportunity to soak up all of the natural beauty. Oak Hollow Campground and North Grove Campground allow tents and RVs of up to 30 feet. Each site has a picnic table, a fire ring, and a bear locker. Amenities include bathrooms and token showers. Nightly rates for camping start at $35 per site. There are also a few cabins available for rent, but at the time of writing they were temporarily closed.