20 Attractions to Explore Near Sierra Nevada Logging Museum

A small and beautful lake often overlooked by visitors scurrying up to Big Trees State Park or Lake Alpine. Only a mile from Arnold, the lake makes a great family destination for fishing, picnicking, or just taking the kids to a playground.The lake is open year round and holds 260 acre-feet of water when full. The lake doesn't freeze over during a normal winter.

Calaveras Big Trees State Park is a state park of California, preserving two groves of giant sequoia trees. It has been a major tourist attraction since 1852, when the existence of the trees was first widely reported, and is considered the longest continuously operated tourist facility in California.

North Grove Campground is located in the heart of Calaveras Big Trees State Park, close to the North Grove of Giant Sequoias and the Visitor Center.The grove has a low density of sequoias and is mostly a typical Sierra pine forest with a few sequoias scattered around. However, the pines are themselves fine-looking old-growth, straight and tall. The trail is a relatively short and flat loop that meanders through the grove showing off some of the biggest trees in the world.

Hunter Reservoir is a reservoir in Calaveras County and has an elevation of 3202 feet. It is located in a picturesque location and is also a popular recreational location.

The North Fork Stanislaus River is a 31.2-mile tributary of the Stanislaus River in the central Sierra Nevada and Stanislaus National Forest of eastern California. The North Fork Stanislaus River provides outstanding opportunities for experienced whitewater enthusiasts. Boaters may paddle a five-mile, Class IV stretch of the river between Sourgrass, near Dorrington, and Calaveras Big Trees State Park, just east of Arnold.

The Stanislaus National Forest is a U.S. National Forest managing 898,099 acres of land in four counties. Located between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite, the Forest landscape is a continuum of natural and scenic beauty that defines the Sierra. Amid soaring crests, sparkling mountain lakes, towering forests, and canyons carved by cool rushing rivers, visitors discover connections with nature and the spirit of the Sierra Nevada.

Originally called Mammoth Cave, California Cavern was California’s first show cave and is its longest cavern system. The cavern walking tour takes you through several passageways into multiple chambers on a trail system. On the way, you’ll see a wide variety of beautiful white, cream and caramel colored crystalline cave formations including stalactites, stalagmites, cave popcorn, flowstones and helictites.

This is a show cave located in Calaveras county. It is named after the gold prospector Walter J. Mercer who discovered the caves around 1885 and filed a claim. It is formed in a marble unit known as the Calaveras Formation. It also contains a large display of aragonite frostwork. The standard tour of the cave descends 160 feet, 208 steps down and 232 up in a traverse between the natural and an artificial entrance.

This is an unincorporated village located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Calaveras County, California, United States. A former gold mining settlement, the main street today is lined with over two dozen wine tasting rooms and surrounded by local vineyards. Nearby attractions include Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Bear Valley Ski Resort and historic Mercer Caverns. The world's largest crystalline gold leaf is displayed just south of town at Ironstone Vineyards.

A beautiful public park located in the heart of Calaveras and This park holds fun musical events here (known as “First Fridays“) on the first Friday of the month from June through to the beginning of September.The park is also a beautiful place to hold your wedding or special event.

Moaning Caverns is a solutional cave located in Calaveras County, California, near Vallecito, California in the heart of the state's Gold Country. It is developed in the marble of the Calaveras Formation. It was discovered in modern times by gold miners in 1851. One can visit this place and can understand the things in this cave. not at all a tour, it is a little bit adventurous too.

This is a beautiful two-mile round trip hike will lead you to spectacular limestone caverns that have been carved out by Coyote Creek which feeds into New Melones Lake.

The Altaville Grammar School in Altaville, California is one of the oldest grammar schools in California. It was built in 1858 of brick in the Greek Revival style and remained in use until 1950, when it was replaced by the Mark Twain Elementary School in Altaville. After its abandonment, it fell into disrepair, but was restored in 1989 by the Calaveras County Historical Society. The building serves now as an example of a typical schoolroom of the 19th century.

The Calaveras County Courthouse is a historic courthouse building in San Andreas, California. The brick courthouse was built in 1867 and contained the county's courtroom, jail, and sheriff's office; until 1888, executions were also conducted in the building. The Calaveras County Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 28, 1972.

Black Chasm Cavern is a cave nestled in the hamlet of Volcano, located in Amador County, California. It is a dissolution cave, formed by sulfuric acid resulting from Geo-thermal hydrogen sulfide reacting with down-moving oxygenated surface water.

Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park is a California State Park, preserving an outcropping of marbleized limestone with some 1,185 mortar holes This is the largest collection of bedrock mortars in North America. The park is nestled in a little valley. This museum within the park grounds features a variety of exhibits and a vast collection of Sierra Nevada Indian artifacts.

Lower Bear River Reservoir in Pioneer, California is created by its own dam, the Lower Bear River Reservoir Dam, and is owned by PG&E. It is popular for boating, fishing, canoeing, and kayaking, and even water skiing. Nearby trails lead hikers to the upper Bear River Reservoir and beyond into Long Valley. The lake is easy to access for day outings or overnight stays. At 5,800 feet, the reservoir is free of snow before any of the other major lakes higher on Carson Pass.

New Spicer Meadow Reservoir is a reservoir in the Sierra Nevada. It has a surface area of 2,000 acres when full. Visitors enjoy camping, fishing, hiking, and horseback riding. Boats on Spicer are limited to 10 MPH. The lake has 22 miles of shoreline, several islands, and numerous inlets. The upper part of Spicer is limited to non-motorized boats.

New Melones Lake is a reservoir on the Stanislaus River in the central Sierra Nevada foothills, within Calaveras County and Tuolumne County, California. This Lake provides irrigation water, hydroelectric power, flood control, and wildlife habitat. Recreation uses include fishing, camping, and boating within the Glory Hole Recreation Area and Tuttletown Recreation Area.

The Butte Store stands as a solitary reminder of what was once a vibrant community. An Italian stone mason constructed the building in 1857 to serve settlers and miners as both their post office and general store.