Another great day at Calaveras Big Trees State Park. I was first into park besides those there for…read morecamping. Clean restrooms, clean trails, impeccable grounds and views, ample parking for me but when I was done hiking the spaces were full. Hiked to the viewpoint then walked the numbered trees loop. Saw bear, dear and likely raccoon tracks. Plus saw proof that "yes" a bear does poop in the woods. Lots of woodpeckers, chipmunks, ground squirrels, jays and junco birds, The trees are so large, incredible sequoias. Many of the huge downed trees have been preserved, propped up and or fenced. I hiked about 4 miles. It was a great day.

I went there with my daughter and grandkids and enjoyed Beaver Creek and the Sequoia grove at the…read morenorth end 1.5 hiking loop. Unfortunately my granddaughter's were too tired and it was pretty hot to hike the Bradley trail to the south grove sequoia's. We ended up at the north grove which landmarks were numbered to 25 then back to the visitor center and it was amazing

I went here on a weekday, and when I arrived in the parking lot, I was shocked by how much was…read moregoing on. It definitely did not feel like a safe place to leave a car or to walk alone. There appeared to be drug activity, and there were people living in their cars. It felt more like a place for people to hang out and purchase drugs than a normal parking lot. I observed this as I drove through, which was very concerning. This was a bummer, especially since the trail itself looked beautiful. I'm surprised that law enforcement hasn't been called by the neighborhood, but then again, I understand that people can sometimes become used to these conditions.

We always love hiking here. It's easy to hike with kids, even though it can get a little rocky and…read morea little muddy. The cave is always beautiful, especially when the water is flowing. Today, there are still descent of people hiking, and we came around 12:30 Easy Hike!Gonna come back again soon. P. S please leave no trace

Great place for fishing and swimming. Plenty of spaces to explore and swim…read moreThere are several picnic tables and bbq pits around the lake

White Pines exploring this weekend was insane. My daughter and I had a blast riding some of the…read morefire roads with unreal views. There's miles of roads and trails everywhere that lead down to the river. Super chill people out and about enjoying the weather. Will definitely be back next time in Arnold.

Beautiful scenery and you can choose from different levels of hiking trails. Lots of shade in warm…read moreweather.

For people who enjoy walking threw nature this is a beautiful place ! With a lot to over look enjoy…read morewalking

Absolutely loved it! It's one of the most beautiful lakes I have ever seen. It's in the high…read moreSierras, so it's quite a drive to get there. And to top it off, there's a restaurant, resort and bar right across the street. Can't get any better than that.

I was there for a day trip in May and only the forest ranger was there There was fresh snow and…read moreit's only a couple miles east River Valley ski reserve which was closed.

This was my first and probably my last time doing this hike. It's really beautiful The river and…read morethe waterfall is pretty cool. If you go all the way to the top of the waterfall and then go beyond it for about a mile or so you come to a gorgeous lake. However, this is a strenuous hike. Lots and lots of rock, climbing, and at times I just felt exhausted and I wasn't even sure that I wanted to complete it. I'm glad I did, but I probably won't do it again. The only downfall other than it just being strenuous is that the hike and trail itself is not well marked.

Great hike, not very difficult unless you want to climb all the way up which isn't even necessary…read moreto enjoy the falls, but be mindful of slippery rocks especially if wet. Easy to find secluded spots for bathing. Water is cold! remember it is all melted snow runoff. This is the largest waterfall in the Tahoe area. You may view the Cascade falls near the base, or hike on up to Horsetail. Parking costs $10. unless you have a federal permit, which is available for sale, for seniors, and free for the disabled. We went in late July and the water was gushing nicely, and the weather was fine even though it rained a bit that day.

First full weekend of June, visited the lake several times…read more Parking Saturday by 10:20am, most of the overflow parking across from the restaurant and general store were already full. To avoid walking too far if you have a vehicle, strongly recommend getting here early to keep the walk short. In contrast, on a Sunday at Noon, there were sporadic parking spots lakefront. Crowds Saturday had some areas of the lake crowded with most benches or picnic benches taken but there were some left by 11am. Sunday, dramatically less crowds. Weather Even in mid-60s, being in direct sunlight can feel much hotter and burn you. Water Just fine for early June, did not feel terribly cold. Restrooms Generally in very good condition and multiple throughout the lakefront, no soap though.

Small yet popular lake in the Stanislaus National Forest. Very convenient for Bay Area vacationers…read moreas it is only a 2.5 hour drive. I've done a few summer weekend trips here, but as a child. So don't remember many details, just that it was always a blast, camping with a large group and delving into lake activities. As an adult, I've mostly come to this area during the winter/spring months, and that's only because Dodge Ridge Ski Resort is in the same area. But never really knew how close the actual lake is to the ski resort...until recently when I finally did both in a one weekend stint. The actual lake is man-made, it is a reservoir meant to harness water, snow melt is my guess due to the regular snow fall every winter in these mountains. Then PG&E bulit a dam and used this for hydroelectric energy and you can see the raging water on the bottom of the dam if you hike over to that corner. We hiked only half of the lake on a gorgeous clear winter's day. I wanted to hike the entire circumference of the lake, which is only a little over 3 miles, but we had a small child in our group, so we kept it manageable. The trail is well kept and very easy to stay on, not many off shoots to other trails. It climbs in a few spots but nothing too difficult (at least to me). The lake is in view in practically every spot on the trail, so very very scenic and picturesque. Even though a man-made lake, seeing the clouds drift by the snowcapped mountains and all the pine trees all around, that I never felt like it was a man-made lake. Very natural contours and plant and tree habitat. I saw an occasional deer and tons of birds enjoying the sun on an otherwise cool winter's day. Even saw a couple of eagles soaring from the trees to the lake line, may have even been bald eagles as I observed white heads. I didn't have binoculars to confirm, so just a hunch, but it still felt special. Not much activity on the actual lake during my winter visit, maybe just a few people fishing off of rocks near the shore. No one was boating or swimming in these months. But in the summer, it is a much different story, as my memories recollect. Now i want to come back during the summer/fall and do some camping and kayaking. A promise I am making to myself and will surely bring into fruition. Trust.

AVOID this small manmade dirty "lake"- esp if you're a POC outsider. The locals and staff were…read morepretty rude and not hospitable to "outsiders". The Locals next to us reported our 8' umbrella to staff. (Tattle). Staff demanded we take the umbrella down, due to not "standard" size. (Define "standard"?) Pretty humiliating and darn hot in 90+ temps. They really don't care that you paid $100 total or $10 pp admission for 10 people, and have no shade in the heat. Even if one friend has a heart condition fr. Heatstroke? We were just so miserable that we left after 1-2 hrs. Yes, Rules are rules. Except for the white kids using the OVERSIZED unicorn floatie. Double standards much? Also, No fishing that day. Lake did not stock fish we learned when we got there. So kids were unable to use their fishing poles, like the umbrella. Does the lake post fishing updates on their website? . Disappointing lake visit all around. not friendly to outsiders. imo. Maybe the 5 star reviews are from locals.

The beach is in fact a narrow strip of sand between the water and trees. This leaves you in…read moreuncomfortably close proximity to the unwelcoming and entrenched locals. If you are into renting lake houses, consider another lake.

Great shop right on Hwy 4, in the middle of Arnold. They open at 8, and Bear Valley opens at 9…read more So get there at opening, and drive the 30 minutes. You can be first in line when the lifts open! There were several families there, but service was fast and efficient, and we were on our way in no time. The equipment was in decent shape. They have full Rossi rental packages. The boots were comfortable if not a little basic. The skis were in good condition. Everything looked fairly new. The poles were a little cheap, but who cares--they're just sticks right? We also got a demo package. Nicer Rossi boots plus Atomic skis. The previous week I tried the premium Rossi skis somewhere else, but these Atomics were hot. After I returned them, he offered to sell me a new pair that were on sale. Not this time, but I was tempted. The staff was friendly and knowledgable, without being overbearing or know it all. The were fast too. They sped us through our paperwork, we paid up front, and returned our stuff by 5:30 day of. Great experience overall!

SNAC is the best! They went absolutely out of their way to help us when we were in a tight spot…read moreduring the recent storms, going way above and beyond to make sure our family was safe. They have the best rental game in town, are so knowledgeable and friendly, and are locals. Hit them up in the winter -- or summer -- if you need gear or some local insight. Could not be more grateful for their whole team!