The visitor center has a little gift shop, a small museum and sitting area where there are park…read morevolunteers to provide information or jr. Ranger packs for the kids. They also offer guided walks at certain times as well as park maps. I the museum area there is a staff member to provide information on the animals native and the plants as well as offer furs you can touch. The gift shop consists of various shirts, books, pins, stickers, postcards, they even sell walking sticks and junior ranger uniforms. You can get glass blown trees and ornaments as well as some snacks. We got a few things from the gift shop and browsed the museum. March - October the visitor center is open until 5pm unless there is a power outage. The rest of the year they close at 4.

Visit Any Wonder…read more Visitor center for one of CA's most underrated state parks and has undergone a fairly recent (2013) renovation, making this one of the nicest visitors center we've encountered. The Good: *Amazing collection of books for sale that's curated by the non-profit Calaveras Big Trees Association. Carissa was staring at it for a good twenty minutes while my illiterate ass milled about not-so smartly. :) *Great selection of Big Trees themed swag, as well as other CA State Park swag. *Nature center w/ some historic Native American items on display. *A video playing on a loop talking about the Giant Sequoias. *Clean restrooms *The State Park employees *OUTSIDE* the center were friendly and full of good info. The Meh: *Don't really sell anything (e.g., drinks, food, medicine, etc.) beyond souvenirs. *One of those VCs that has shifting schedule: May, Seven days a week 10AM-5PM Memorial Day Weekend 5/24, 5/25, 5/26 and 5/27 10AM-6PM June to August, Sun-Thur 10AM-5PM, Friday & Saturday 10AM-6PM The Ugly: *Guy working the register was a bit stuck-up. I'm not sure what his deal is, but he's definitely not the usual friendly State Park employees we're accustomed to meeting. TLDR: Great VC and a must-stop when visiting Big Trees Park.

We are so thrilled we found this newly opened boutique inn on Booking.com that's located behind the…read moreEbbetts Pass Visitors Center right in between Sarafina's and Giant Burger. This charming "home away from home" has two private suites that will comfortably accommodate a family or two couples. Only my husband & I were here, so we weren't given a key to the smaller suite, but it's only $25 extra per person should you need the other room. The kitchen has a dining table for 4 and comes fully stocked with a full-size fridge, sink, microwave, pots & pans, silverware, plates, & everything else you could need to cook (the only thing they don't have is the food!). There's also a comfy living room with an electric fireplace, couches, games, books, & a bar. There's even a covered porch that overlooks a private wooded half-acre complete with 4 chairs to enjoy the serenity and beautiful trees. It's essentially your own private cabin to relax in & take in the gorgeous scenery. If you don't feel like cooking, there's plenty of nearby restaurants to choose from; Sequoia Woods Country Club & Big Trees State Park are 5-minute drives, with Bear Valley Ski Resort & Lake Alpine 30-minute drives. The personal touches & details that have been added make this feel "homey" and not at all like a normal hotel stay. This is most definitely our new go-to spot to stay when we're in the area. I'm so happy to spread the word about this gem! :)

This is a nearly perfect place to stay when visiting the Big Trees. As a family of three, we are…read morebudget conscious, and enjoy being able to stay in a condo-style hotel so that we can cook & eat "at home." Not only does this save money (which can then be used for activities, souvenirs, etc.), but it also ensures that we can avoid trying to find a family friendly restaurant that will meet all of our needs. (Eating out with a 4 year old boy is not always the easiest task!) The owners, Sid & Kate, were hospitable to the extreme without being AT ALL intrusive. We saw them once or twice (walking their dog, working the little gift shop) and never felt "watched" or uncomfortable at all. I believe they genuinely would have done just about anything to make our stay wonderful. They definitely add a nice, homey touch to the experience. BUT... even without the wonderful customer service, the Bear's Lair would still be a great deal!! The cost is right, the accommodations terrific (great atmosphere, great ambiance, very clean), and the amenities were perfect. There was not a single thing that could have been done to make our stay more comfortable. When we booked the suite, they contacted us to confirm our reservation, provide us with the rental agreement & asked our son's age so that they could ensure there were age-appropriate games and toys for him. The owners were also extremely helpful when it came to recommending various restaurants for the one or two times we ate out, and they made some suggestions when I asked for nearby toy stores. Overall, it was very nice & we will definitely stay there again. In fact, next time we will probably invite friends and take advantage of the fact that the suite is perfectly set up for two couples / small families! *** Only "caution" - while the wi-fi is free (with the provided password), there is NO phone service if you are an AT&T customer. This did prove challenging for me as a small business owner because it was impossible to receive or return phone calls. Thankfully, I was able to keep in contact w/our business via email. Thanks for a great stay, Sid & Kate!! The Taylor Family

This fellow is nice and helpful. Always shows up promptly and provides good service for good…read moreprices.

Response was rude. No help I emailed several times and their…read moreresponse was abrupt and not helpful. I was trying to arrange a ride to/from a concert. Luckily, Uber was available.

We recently stayed at Timberline Lodge and was during the same snowstorm when the power was out…read morethroughout Arnold. We had lost our car to a tree and made to the Lodge. We had the opposite experience and highly recommend the lodge. The manager and her husband were wonderful and very caring. They saw our Expedia reservation come in even with the power out and helped us get setup quickly. We were so grateful to have a cozy warm room with the gas fireplace stove. There was hot water and the room was perfect. When we had delays leaving the next day because of the snow and no car, they let us take the time we needed to figure things out. The manager's husband saved us in the end and gave us a ride to Murphy's so we could be somewhere with electricity (and food). He was so kind to do that and we won't forget. Thank you for having such a lovely place and it was beautiful in the snow too! Robert & Marianne

I kind of like the old timey feel with the wood paneled walls but this motel is right next to the…read moreroad so the road noise is quite loud. We could also hear people in other rooms when our fan wasn't on. I was surprised that the cups for the coffee are plastic instead of ceramic. This was the only hotel available but I wouldn't stay here again unless I was desperate.

We went wine tasting and exploring the Gold Country in the limo. John was a great driver and very…read moreknowledgeable about the wineries and the products they produce. Murphy's was so much fun and no one had to be designated driver! I highly recommend!

I can't say enough about how amazing this service is! Gail and team are incredibly accommodating…read moreand cater to everything they have access to. Highly recommend this business. I wish I could give it more stars!!

This is the second time we have enjoyed the train, both times have been very good, and excellent…read morecustomer service. we will recommend this experience to singles and families as well. the conductor shares some facts that are interesting. Thank You and we will see you again.

Really cool train ride! It was very peaceful going through the woods in this train, and the…read moreconductor was extremely knowledgeable. It doesn't go super far, as the train moves fairly slowly, but it's a very immersive experience. If there's one thing I would have changed, it's that the conductor was very talkative; while it was great to have the information, it would have been nice to have a better balance of enjoying the calming ambiance and knowledge sharing.

Hopped on the Whiskey Wagon on a whim and had an absolute blast!!! I live in San Andreas and…read morebetween work and property maintenance I hardly ever get out to do anything fun, add that to the recent storms and I've been too nervous to drive the icy windy roads at night. Gold Rush Tour Company gave me a completely stress free night, all I had to think about was what to order at each stop. If you're a local who needs a stress free night out I 100% recommend the Whiskey Wagon and Gold Rush Tour Company in general. If you're visiting the area and don't love planning every minute of you trip, you can trust Gold Rush Tour Company to show you the best of what Calaveras has to offer!

We took a tour with my mom, 90-year-old uncle, and cousins that were here to visit. It was super…read morefun. Jorge was fantastic! He made sure my uncle was comfortable and cared for at each stop. We loved the views and the wine at Aloria, which we had never tried before.

What a cool experience. Got there for the 10:00 am tour, and I was the only guest. The walk to…read morethe cave is only about five minutes, but there's no shade so the earlier the better as the temps heat up. Inside the cave is about 50°. I have no issues with claustrophobia, but if you do there is one tight squeeze that might be a problem. Cash, my tour guide, turned off the lights (after asking my permission) and we experienced total darkness for maybe thirty seconds. It felt like two hours, and I hated it , but still neat and recommend trying if offered. Use the hand rails. They are there for your safety.

The drive here is much more involved than Mercer Caverns with more windy and narrow roads. Once you…read moreget closer the space opens up to a large parking lot and shop you meet at. We were the only ones that signed up for the earliest tour that day and were lucky to have a private tour. The tour has informative history about the caverns with landmarks along the way. The most interesting thing we didn't know about is they have caving adventure tours where you shimny through holes and narrow spaces with a guide but our kids aren't old enough to partake. This was the first show cave in California and townspeople lived in them during harsh winters in the 1800s. There was a bar inside and a church and nails were even given to people to carve on the walls. Because of this there are signs of harm everywhere with soot, broken formations, and dirty coloration from human hand oils and even champagne poured on a rock formation. The caverns are huge and beautiful with some jaw-dropoing rooms. The walking tour is very safe though we loved the slight danger and claustrophobic feel of the Mercer Caverns. When you leave the shop has some cool historical items pulled from the caves on display like glass bottles, etc .. that are worth checking out.

I just saw the great reviews here in Yelp that's why I've tried it. But before that, I've checked…read moreabout 5 other airport shuttle companies and the Airport Black Car Service is the one with reasonable price, and it didn't disappoint me. In this multimedia era where scammers are rampant, and I for one, another victim of online scams, at first really hesitant to book it but eventually did because of the price. The nearer our trip was, the more anxiety I felt thinking it might ghost me on the day of our flight and I don't have plan B. Again, so thankful I made the right choice because when the day comes, a good man came, a very reliable, pleasant, helpful & true to his words. Just imagine, even in an early pick up time of 3:30am, he came on time with positive & friendly attitude. His name is LYES DJABALLAH. We are really grateful. Thank you!! On this day onwards, we know who to call when our family trip comes. We surely know who to trust too. Lyes and this company is highly recommended.

Airport Black Car Service has been an incredibly reliable and trusted partner for my executive's…read moretravel, whether it's from SFO to his home in Sacramento or from Sacramento to San Francisco for business. I just booked again today with little notice to get executive to SF for Super Bowl events tomorrow and Lyes made the process quick and easy.

Great service and trip. Very easy to communicate with and courteous driver. Great price!read more

Love it all !!! This company is top tier ! I would recommend to all friends and family for epic…read moreservice !!