Big trees & Gold Country · California

Calaveras Big Trees and Murphys day trip

Calaveras Big Trees and Murphys

A Gold Country day from Sacramento: a morning among the giant sequoias of Calaveras Big Trees State Park's North Grove, lunch on Murphys' Main Street, a guided trip down the spiral staircase into Moaning Cavern, and an optional late-afternoon stroll through the Gold Rush streets of Columbia.

Time
10–11 hour day
Driving
About 5–5½ hours of driving in total
Best time
May to early November
Updated
$4 USD

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A wooden boardwalk winding between the red-brown trunks of giant sequoias, with young green dogwoods and shrubs under a blue sky
GregMcCollum · CC0 1.0. May 2025 photograph; resized and displayed with crop.
Suggested times, not bookings

Your day at a glance

  • 7:30 amLeave Sacramento for Highway 4
  • 9:45 amCalaveras Big Trees State Park: North Grove
  • 12:15 pmMain Street Murphys
  • 2:00 pmMoaning Cavern spiral tour
  • 3:00 pmColumbia State Historic Park
  • 4:15 pmDrive back to Sacramento
Highlights

Worth the trip

  • The North Grove loop, past the Discovery Stump and the Three Graces
  • Main Street Murphys: lunch, a creekside park and tasting rooms
  • A 144-step spiral staircase into Moaning Cavern's main chamber

What’s in the guide

Detailed stop guidance, rules, practical pitfalls, a route map, Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps links and weather alternatives. Read it online any time, or keep it offline in the Greg’s Guides app for iPhone and iPad. See an example guide →

Plan for the conditions

Expected seasonal weather

From May to early November, the North Grove, high in the pine forest, is usually pleasant for walking: summer highs are typically in the 80s, with lows in the 50s and the odd afternoon thundershower, while May and October are cooler and can bring a rain shower. Murphys and Columbia sit lower in the foothills and run noticeably warmer, often in the 90s in July and August, so the cave's steady 61°F is a welcome break. October mornings and evenings in the grove can be cold. From December to March, Big Trees often has snow, with highs in the 30s and 40s and chains needed on CA 4. These are seasonal expectations, not a forecast for your travel date; check the NWS forecast.

Admission and parking are separate. Check current conditions before departure.

A good day, in the bag.

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