Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Protected sequoia forest in Sierra Nevada, California.

Calaveras Big Trees State Park covers 6,498 acres (2,630 ha) in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties, four miles (6.4 km) northeast of Arnold in the middle elevations of the Sierra Nevada. It holds two groves of giant sequoia: the North Grove with about 100 mature trees and the larger South Grove with about 1,000. The trunks are thick and deeply furrowed, reddish-brown with lighter tan and gray ridges, and taper as they rise toward sprays of dark green foliage.

A hunter stumbled upon the first grove in 1852, which drew visitors from around the world. California authorities formally converted the area into a state park in 1931 after decades as a private tourist site.

The Tule River Tribe's language gives two of the sequoia's names, toos-pung-ish and hea-mi-withic; wawona is another. John Muir called the grove "a flowering glade in the very heart of the woods." Visitors can still find the Hercules tree, where John M. Wooster carved his initials in the bark in 1850.

The North Grove sits close to the entrance and offers a short, level loop suitable for wheelchairs. The South Grove requires more time and effort, as it runs through rougher terrain with elevation changes.

A felled tree in the North Grove was repurposed as a dance floor, which remained a popular photo spot for many years. This massive stump helped spark public support for protecting the remaining trees.