On our weekend trip to Calaveras Big Trees State Park, we were fortunate to be able to hike one of the park’s toughest trails directly from our campsite! The River Canyon Trail is a steep, switchback laden, hike that takes you all the way from Big Tree’s highest reaches down to its lowest. Starting from the North Grove at the top of the park, this trail descends the entire hillside about 1,500 feet down to the North Fork of the Stanislaus River!
Miles/Elevation:
6.7 miles
1,597 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:
Always be sure to follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles when in the outdoors!
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 main parking area is just to the right of the entrance station near the visitor center.
There are a number of different ways to hike the River Trail. Most will probably begin here at the North Grove next to the visitor center. A little further into the park, you can also park at the scenic overlook; this eliminates the climb out of the North Grove. Another option is to drive all the way to the bottom of the park to the river, and hike bottom up. Or, to add even more confusion, if you are camping, you can hike this trail directly from the Oak Hollow Campground, starting in the middle!
How To Hike:
There is parking at the top of this hike, bottom of this hike, and at the campground near the middle if you’re camping. While you could hike this trail starting at any of those points, I think the best way to do it would be starting at the North Grove and getting a ride from the bottom near the river. The climb is pretty intense, and there aren’t a ton of views in the middle of the trail. If possible, arrange for a ride at the bottom and avoid nearly all of the climbing!
We started in the middle at Oak Hollow Campground, but I’m going to write this article from the perspective of hiking top down since I think it is the best way to do it.
The River Canyon Trail:
From the North Grove and visitor center, begin hiking into the forest and continue for a flat half a mile. After a half mile, you will have to navigate a short 200 foot climb up to the highpoint of the hike. Don’t worry, you won’t have any other significant climbs left to do after this!
The highpoint is actually pretty nice, and there is a good viewpoint to enjoy. You will actually have a short road walk to reach the viewpoint as there is a small parking lot here. Above the tree covered slopes across the valley, you will have views all the way to the high peaks of the Sierra! Enjoy the view, you won’t really get any more, and begin hiking down!
This is bear country so make sure you’re bear safe!
The hike down from the viewpoint begins rocky but will quickly transition into a smooth packed dirt trail. After a short walk through the woods, the terrain opens up into a grassy meadow. Cross the meadow, and then reenter the forest.
Back in the trees, the trail descends down its steepest slopes. For the most part, this is a very well constructed trail that utilizes switchbacks heavily to navigate significant grades, but here you’ll kind of just blast down the hillside! The steep descent isn’t too long, and before long you’ll be back on gentle trails.
Always follow basic trail etiquette when on trail!
Just over a mile and a half from the trailhead, you will hit the intersection leading to Oak Hollow Campground. It basically just looks like a fire road, but continue straight through the intersection to keep heading downhill.
The trail past the campground actually flattens out significantly and you won’t even descend 50 feet in the next half a mile. Half a mile after the campground intersection, you will reach another intersection, this one with the paved park road, the Big Trees Parkway. Cross the parkway using the crosswalk, and continue on!
Make sure you have our ultimate road trip playlist if you’re driving to Big Trees!
After crossing the road, the incline of the trail picks up and you’ll begin losing elevation at a much quicker pace. This is where you’ll also begin encountering some pretty tight and steep switchbacks!
The terrain opens up through this section, though you won’t really have any huge views. You will be able to see across the valley to the opposite wooded hillside, but now that you’re down in the valley, you won’t have much for panoramic vistas, and no looks at the high peaks beyond.
Looking for huge old growth Redwoods instead? Head to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park!
After just under a mile, you will again reach an intersection with the Big Trees Parkway. Again cross the road, and begin on the final descent down the trail. From the second road intersection you still have about 200 feet of descending down to the river.
You’ll soon reach the parking lot at the bottom of the canyon (where you will hopefully have a ride waiting for you!) and from the parking area it’s just a few more minutes. Hike through the mostly flat remaining trail, and soon you will hear and then see the river!
There are quite a few places to reach the water’s edge, but right in front of you on the trail you should see a little sandy area with water access. The river is beautiful, the water is clear, and when we visited in May it was still flowing really well! This would definitely be a good place to hang out for a while, have some food, get your feet wet, and generally enjoy the outdoors!
From the river, what comes next will depend on you. We had a hike back up, which while steep, actually wasn’t too bad. The trail is very well graded and you never really have to deal with any obnoxiously steep sections of trail. Hopefully though, you will have a car or ride ready at the bottom!
Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 6/10
On the surface, you would think this trail would rate pretty highly. River access, scenic viewpoint, very good trail quality, what’s not to like? The thing is, I can’t think of a reason to hike this trail other than for the workout.
Why hike to the river when you can park right next to it? What’s the point in hiking up to the viewpoint when you can drive there? You could argue that the point of hiking there is to simply enjoy nature, and fair enough, but that doesn’t mean this is a good trail. Maybe I’m being harsh here, but I honestly wouldn’t recommend doing this trail. I think a better option would be to drive to the viewpoint and the river, and do a different hike, maybe the North Grove or the South Grove!
Pros:
- River access
- Good trail quality
- Views at the top
Cons:
- Miles of very uneventful hiking
- Trail follows road
- All locations can be driven to
- Few big views
Alternative Hikes:
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!
Links For Further Reading:
River Canyon Trail – California | AllTrails
River Canyon Trail at Calaveras Big Trees State Park
