Contending as some of the tallest, mightiest, and most muscular spectacles in the state are the hulking (and beautiful) trees just twenty minutes up the road from the gold country town of Murphys in Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Grab your fleece, a snack, and a bottle of water, then hit the trail for spectacular groves of giant sequoia redwoods.

The most popular trail here, the North Grove, is currently (*summer 2022) undergoing maintenance work so parts of it are closed; however, you can still hike the middle section of it to witness the trees. To escape the crowded North Grove, go eight miles deeper into the park on Memorial Parkway Road to the South Grove.

It’s a 3.5- to 5-mile round trip (depending on your route; pick up a map on-site in the visitors center or the front building). We recommend a loop hike out to the Agassiz Tree—at 25 feet in diameter and 250 feet tall, it’s the grand giant of these grand giants. 

TIP: There are plenty of fire roads in this park as well, ideal for mountain bikers and dog-walking.

Calaveras Big Trees State Park is about twenty minutes east of Murphys on Highway 4.