Another great day at Calaveras Big Trees State Park. I was first into park besides those there for…read morecamping. Clean restrooms, clean trails, impeccable grounds and views, ample parking for me but when I was done hiking the spaces were full. Hiked to the viewpoint then walked the numbered trees loop. Saw bear, dear and likely raccoon tracks. Plus saw proof that "yes" a bear does poop in the woods. Lots of woodpeckers, chipmunks, ground squirrels, jays and junco birds, The trees are so large, incredible sequoias. Many of the huge downed trees have been preserved, propped up and or fenced. I hiked about 4 miles. It was a great day.

I went there with my daughter and grandkids and enjoyed Beaver Creek and the Sequoia grove at the…read morenorth end 1.5 hiking loop. Unfortunately my granddaughter's were too tired and it was pretty hot to hike the Bradley trail to the south grove sequoia's. We ended up at the north grove which landmarks were numbered to 25 then back to the visitor center and it was amazing

Great place for fishing and swimming. Plenty of spaces to explore and swim…read moreThere are several picnic tables and bbq pits around the lake

White Pines exploring this weekend was insane. My daughter and I had a blast riding some of the…read morefire roads with unreal views. There's miles of roads and trails everywhere that lead down to the river. Super chill people out and about enjoying the weather. Will definitely be back next time in Arnold.

We always love hiking here. It's easy to hike with kids, even though it can get a little rocky and…read morea little muddy. The cave is always beautiful, especially when the water is flowing. Today, there are still descent of people hiking, and we came around 12:30 Easy Hike!Gonna come back again soon. P. S please leave no trace

"stalagmites or stalactites???? " Who knows, but this place is cool…read more Location and parking: kind of out in the middle of nowhere and parking SUCK. Get there earlier or wake up at noon, have brunch, then make your way here and post up for a parking spot. LOL Trail: easy going and plenty of shade along the way. There was people of all ages, sizes, and shape; " Very Do-able". - Secret swim hole: a true gem. Natural, dripping cave filtering the run off from snows above. Water was super cold, but where else can you swim through a natural cave. "Gotta JUMP IN." Very refreshing. Short swim to opposite end of cave. "Safety 1st" - bring a life jacket or floaty. Read sign and follow rules, leave ROVER at home and pick up your TRASH. Adjudication: definitely worth a day trip to check out. "IT's COOL."

Great little place to go and try to reel in some trout when the water flow allows....picnic…read moretables,bathroom are also available...when the river flow lightens up you'll see people playing in the water here... a very popular jeep 4x4 trail entrance is also here.

This is a roadside snow play area off Highway 4 about a couple miles pass the town of Dorrington…read more If you are heading east on Hwy 4 it will be on your left. There is a wide area for parking and it is where the Dorrington-National Forest sign is located. We tried to get a snow park permit for $5 at SNAC in Arnold but they were closed Christmas Day--duh! You can always get one in advance online. Our family was on our way to Spicer Sno-Park on Christmas Day when it began to snow heavily as we passed the town of Dorrington. My parents were getting a little nervous about being stranded in the snow-- saying we should probably turn around, but we didn't want to let the kids down so we kept pushing forward. A couple miles after passing Camp Connell, we see a line of parked cars on the left side of the highway with a bunch of sledders going downhill. There were about 12 cars parked and many more cars pulled up after we did. I was surprised to see a few families traveling from the bay area. Thinking that my snow paranoid parents would not want to go half an hour more in elevation, we decided to stop and just let the kiddies play in this area. I am very glad we did as it was an awesome area for snow play. It is a wide area and the hill is pretty high enough to get some fun sledding action. Adults and children alike were screaming with glee. This is about one and half hour drive from the Central Valley so it is quite closer than Tahoe. Although it isn't as picturesque or gorgeous as Tahoe, it is a convenient location for snow play. There was NO TRAFFIC on the highway and the road and conditions were not as treacherous. AND it is not as busy and congested as Tahoe. Perfect for kiddies..

Everything about this walk, hike, views, sounds, was worth every moment of the visit. We had recent…read moreviewed this from someone else's Facebook post and decided it was part of our summer vibes. This was well worth it. FREE access, views, nature sounds, fishing. What more could you ask for. Pack your own snack or lunch even if you wanted too. You won't many benches to sit along the way, but hey, why not utilize one of the many massive tree trunks that were just cut up on the side of the trail. If you have any type of water shoes, bring those alongside your walking shoes. During our visit we did about a good 4 miles of trail visit. The road entering into the location is very narrow, and almost like a one vehicle a time passing.We would DEFINITELY see ourselves visiting here again. No IF, ANDs or BUTS about it.

Beautiful views and a super unique hike. The dam at the end was very cool too. It was very hot so…read morewe could even get very close and get splashed by the dam water, cooling us off. Pro tip, you can drive up to near the dam and do the trail backwards if you want to be able to see the dam without hiking as long. One caveat, you have to walk single file so it's a bit hard to have any big group conversations.

My family and I were early to check in into our bnb so we decided to take our kids to the park…read more Mixed review with this park. I do like how it has bathrooms. Always a plus for me. Plenty of parking , places to sit, and shade. I think the park needs fixing up as some of the items are damaged so that's a safety concern. Some of the play structure like the swinging monkey bars and the one where you hang on a glide across is too tall for children to reach. It would be great if it was lowered to the children could reach it. It was an okay park.

This playground really needs some attention. I was there yesterday and it's not looking good. I…read morewill not be bringing my granddaughter to this park anymore and I advise everybody to stay clear of this place. There are too many dangers and sharp screws protruding out. It's not good. It needs attention right now.

Very nice park. Very well maintained (old buildings, lots of items). Lots of things to see and to…read morelearn. Highly recommended. Many stores to visit and shop, bakery, restaurants, ice cream, museums and more. Air conditioned store rooms. Some rare book editions on sale in the bookstore! Free parking. Dog friendly.

I come here every year! I walk around and enjoy seeing the old, small town of Columbia that…read moresettlers founded. It is now recognized as Colombia State Historic Park. It has a one-room school house where students of different ages, once sat and listened together to their teacher's lectures, in harmony. I always visit the old cemetery where some members of The Donner family, who survived their perilous journey from Missouri to California during the gold rush, are buried. The old mercantile building and the Blacksmith stable where the horses were shoehorned and cared for, still stands. The countryside is beautiful. The hills and rivers are gorgeous. This is a great place for families and especially for children who should know our great history regarding brave settlers who traveled from far and wide, by horse and buggy (wagon trains of home crafted covered wagons). It is always such a nostalgic feeling going back in history for me. Enjoy this great town!

Utica is a gem of a community park in Angels Camp, CA. It's built on the site of the Utica Quartz…read moreGold Mine that operated from 1850s to WW I. In the early 1930s, the townsfolk got together to turn the old site into a community park. It's a lively gathering spot hosting the seasonal farmers market and special events. Local folks can rent the pavilion picnic are and kitchen. I love this park. But there is even more to love about this park after the recent major renovations. The entire park was closed for a few years. It opened up again last summer. It's all spiffed up. The bathrooms are now ADA compliant and the newer paved walkways are as well. The children's play area has a newer modern, safer equipment with bounce play mat and playground chips. The play area is gated which is helpful to corral the kiddos. Even adults get a play area, well it's a covered area with exercise equipment for circuit training. There is a new covered pavilion with picnic tables and bbq grills, this area can be used by reservation only. Right next to the pavilion is a new commercial grade kitchen that can be reserved along with the pavilion. In the other side of the parking lot is a basketball court (which is not new) but the three pickleball court lines are new. Next to the basketball court is an outdoor covered amphitheater stage with a natural grassy sloped lawn. This is where they have live music every Friday evening during the farmers market season. Along the far end of the park are gravel walking paths. The path has a incline and elevated at a higher level than the rest of the park. Along the path are the old mining equipment dating back to the 1800s. Neat. Also there is a memorial from the high school class of 1961 dedicated to local soldiers fallen in the Vietnam War. The machinery and memorial were previous items before the recent renovation. Another memorial is located near the playground. That memorial i no s dedicated to the 17 men that lost their lives in the 1889 Utica mining disaster. An internal avalanche occurred within the mine. As tragic as it was, more men were not hurt due to the fact they were not working full staff at the time due to doing internal structural timber improvements. The old growth sequoia trees in the middle of the grassy lawn area are a site to behold. Classic old growth beauties well maintained providing cool shade. Don't forget to check out the Mark Twain statue on the grassy lawn. If you didn't know, Mark Twain lived in the area in the late 1800s for a brief period and heard bar stories that help him create the short story of the Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. The statue is life size and was dedicated in 1944 by the Warner brothers film studio for the film premiere of the Adventures of Mark Twain. In 1957, the statue was vandalized with three frogs removed. Rumor has it that it was removed by a biker (motorcycle) gang. But recently the statue was refurbished, adding back the frogs.

Really pleasant, recently renovated neighborhood park! We walked here but there seems to be plenty…read moreof parking, updated restroom facilities, picnic tables, play structures, as well as grassy fields for sitting or playing. Loved the variety of play structures for kids (and adults) of all ages, including chime-based structures to hit with a mallet, a carousel, swings, slides and exercise activities for adults too. Everything seemed in good condition, clean, and safe.

Great place to inner tube down the river. Why do reviews have to be 85 words... who put the English…read moreteacher in charge... what am I writing an essay?

I brought my son to a river rafting excursion at Knights ferry and during that time high explored…read morethe trails and ruins. The history is so interesting. It was such a beautiful hot day, with not a chem trailing the sky. The grass in the hills was pretty dry. I imagined how lush and green must've been when the waters were so high that it wiped out the bridge back in the 1800s