Another short option in Calaveras Big Trees State Park, the Bradley Grove Trail is a quiet and relatively unknown hike in the otherwise busy state park. On our last day staying at Big Trees, we drove all the way into the park to hike one last trail which ended up being the Bradley Grove Loop. At only 2.4 miles, this hike is short and sweet, and made for a nice quick end to our long weekend in the park.
Miles/Elevation:
2.4 miles
396 feet vertical gain
About Calaveras Big Trees State Park:
Located in the lower elevation slopes of the Sierra Nevada, Calaveras Big Trees State Park is a stunning park protecting numerous Giant Sequoia Trees. First declared a state park in 1931, this place has been a major tourist attraction for much longer. The trees here gained widespread acclaim as early as 1852, and it has been a popular site ever since.
At about 6,500 acres, Big Trees is a pretty spacious state park. It may not compare size wise to national parks like Yosemite, but there is plenty of room to explore here! The park contains 7 maintained trails, as well as numerous fire roads that are open for hiking or cycling. Visitors may also enjoy either of the park’s 2 campgrounds.
There is an entrance fee of $10 per vehicle.
Getting To The Trailhead:
Calaveras Big Trees is located just off California state highway 4 a few miles east of the town of Arnold. Upon reaching the park, likely via your own vehicle, continue through the entrance station and pay the fee.
The trailhead for the Bradley Grove Trail is the South Grove Trailhead. Continue all the way into the park, dropping down to the river, and then climbing up the other side of the valley. It’s about a 25 minute drive with the final few miles on a 1 lane road, so be prepared for a bit of a journey!
The Bradley Grove Trail Loop:
From the South Grove Trailhead, begin by following the South Grove Trail down towards Beaver Creek. You won’t be taking this trail for long, but it is required to get to the beginning of the Bradley Grove Trail. After just a couple of minutes, you will reach the bridge crossing Beaver Creek. This is actually a pretty nice spot, so feel free to take pictures or enjoy the water before continuing on!
Always be sure to follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles when in the outdoors!
Across the creek, The Bradley Grove Trail is very clearly marked, so follow the signs and take the left turn to begin the short loop. This loop does have close to 400 vertical feet of climbing, which isn’t insignificant in a short trail like this, and you will immediately gain about 200 feet in the first ¼ mile from the bridge.
The hike to Fordyce Falls near Spaulding Lake is another good hike in the Sierra foothills!
After cresting the initial 200 foot climb, the trail undulates through the woods, and then gradually descends on the second half, so the only big sustained climb is the 200 feet to start.
As you’re hiking, you may notice that the forest doesn’t really contain any giant trees. Unfortunately, this hike will only take you past one Giant Sequoia. There are numerous smaller Sequoias, but only one massive old growth tree.
I was pretty bummed out when we discovered that truth, and honestly without the big trees, this is basically just a standard walk through the woods. On a normal walk through the woods, I guess I would be pretty excited to even see one giant tree, but here I was expecting more. You also will not get any big views or reach any viewpoints, so that one tree is about all you get.
This is bear country so make sure you’re bear safe!
Bradley Grove itself is found near the far end of the loop. This stand does contain numerous Sequoias, but they are young, and do not come close to the size and scale of the giants found elsewhere in the park. This grove was actually planted pretty recently, and while it’s kind of cool to see a stand of young trees growing up together, young Sequoias don’t really look all that different from any of the other trees in the forest!
Always follow basic trail etiquette when on trail!
The grove itself was a disappointing destination, but we still had the return hike to hopefully see some cool stuff. We hiked this loop counter clockwise, and the return leg would bring us close to Beaver Creek!
You’ll hit an intersection where you have the option to go left or right after Bradley Grove. Be sure to take a left here to continue back towards the trailhead. A right will take you onto the maze of fire roads that criss-cross the woods!
I was hoping for a relaxed, slightly downhill, return trip. That was not what we got. The first half of this trail seemed to be pretty well maintained, but the second half was a horror show of fallen trees blocking the trail seemingly every dozen steps.
I honestly lost count of how many fallen trees there were blocking the trail, and while a fallen tree isn’t necessarily a big deal if you can easily duck under it or quickly climb over, it wasn’t that simple. A lot of these trees seemed like they had fallen recently. They were covered in an array of sharp, broken branches, many still had pine needles and thick sap, and they were often at super inconvenient heights. Not high enough to easily get under and not low enough to easily climb over.
Looking for huge old growth Redwoods instead? Head to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park!
I might be whining at this point, but for a maintained trail this level of obstacles is pretty terrible. It would be one thing if we were 8 miles into the backcountry, but this was a 2.4 mile loop in a state park. We at least were fit enough to not be overly bothered, but I can imagine someone imagining a nice walk in the forest with children or elderly parents and coming across this. It wouldn’t be good.
Anyway, we eventually made it through the bramble and emerged at the bank of Beaver Creek. The creek itself is really nice. The water is crystal clear, it was wide and flowing very nicely during our May visit, but it isn’t really anything spectacular. There are no big views looking across or anything.
One of my favorite hikes in the Sierra foothills is the Stevens Trail!
The final stretch of the trail will have you following the creek back towards the bridge, and before long you’ll probably hear people playing in the water or hiking along the South Grove Trail.
Once back at the bridge, your ordeal through the thickets is through, and you are just about done! If you wanted, you could continue further on the South Grove Trail and actually hike to the South Grove. We wanted to get home by this point, so we crossed back across the bridge, and continued the short distance to the parking lot! After just over an hour, we were back at the car and done!
Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 7/10
I seriously considered giving this hike a 6/10 for a number of reasons. There are no big views, there is only one really big Sequoia tree, and the trail is infested with fallen trees making it slow going and frustratingly tedious. However, I am going to give it a 7/10.
Part of my dissatisfaction with this hike was my expectations. I was expecting to see some really big trees, and I think that was fair given this trail is literally in a park called Big Trees. But really this trail isn’t any worse than any forested hike anywhere else, and I wouldn’t punish a trail in Wisconsin for not having big trees. You do also hike along the creek for a bit, so that’s nice.
I certainly wouldn’t recommend this trail if you are visiting Big Trees, and compared to the other hikes you can find in the area it isn’t good, but it’s not awful. Just don’t expect much.
Pros:
- Creek access
Cons:
- No views
- Only 1 Giant Sequoia
- Numerous fallen trees
Alternative Hikes:
Calaveras Big Trees North Grove Loop
When To Hike Calaveras Big Trees State Park:
Located in the middling elevations of the Sierra Nevada foothills, Big Trees is an excellent 3 season hiking destination. While this region does receive snowfall during winter, temperatures will remain relatively warm, and spring should melt the snow quite quickly. Similarly, autumn also will have quite moderate temperatures, though early storms could bring premature snow.
Summers will be quite warm bordering on hot and would make for very nice weather to enjoy outside, though potentially too warm for hiking. All considered, I think the best time to hike Big Trees is in the spring, especially late April or May. The snow should be long gone and temperatures will be very comfortable. This is also the time when higher elevations are still snowed in, making Big Trees a perfect destination!
