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Calaveras, located 4 miles (6 km) northeast of Arnold, California in Calaveras County, became a State Park in 1931 to preserve the North Grove of Giant Sequoias. This grove included the Discovery Tree, the first Sierra redwood noted by Augustus T. Dowd in 1852. This area has been a major tourist attraction ever since, and is considered the longest continuously operated tourist facility in California.
Over the years, other parcels of mixed conifer forests, including the much larger South Grove of Giant Sequoias (purchased in 1954 for $2.8 million), have been added to the park to bring the total area to approximately 2600 ha or 26 km² (6,500 acres). The North Grove contains about 100 mature Giant Sequoias; the South Grove, about 1,000.
The area known as the North Grove is home to a giant stump which is the only remainder of the Discovery Tree. It measured 24 feet (7.3 m) in diameter at its base and was estimated to be 1300 years old when felled in 1853.
In addition to the popular North Grove, the Park also features the South Grove, with a five mile hiking trip through a spectacular grove of Giant Sequoias in their natural setting. The South Grove includes the 'Agassiz' tree, 74 m tall and 6.8 m diameter 2 m above ground (7.6 m diameter at the base), the largest tree in the Calaveras groves. It is named after zoologist Louis Agassiz (1807-1873).
Other attractions in the Park include the Stanislaus River, Beaver Creek, the Lava Bluff Trail and Bradley Trail.
The Park also houses two main campgrounds with a total of 129 campsites, six picnic areas and hundreds of miles of established trails.
Activities include cross-country skiing, evening ranger talks, numerous interpretive programs, environmental educational programs, junior ranger programs, hiking, mountain biking, bird watching and summer school activities for school children. Dogs are welcome in the park on leash in developed areas like picnic sites, campgrounds, roads and fire roads (dirt). Dogs are not allowed on the designated trails, nor in the woods in general.
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