South Grove Trail

The South Grove Trail leads to the largest and most remote concentration of giant sequoias at Calaveras Big Trees State Park, requiring a five-mile round-trip journey through mixed conifer forest that rewards the effort with an encounter with the Agassiz Tree and Palace Hotel Tree, two of the largest sequoias in the park. Unlike the heavily visited North Grove, the South Grove sees a fraction of the visitor traffic, allowing for a contemplative forest experience among these ancient giants that can exceed 2,000 years in age. The trail descends from the trailhead parking area before crossing Beaver Creek and entering the sequoia groves that are clustered in multiple distinct stands along the drainage bottoms where winter snowmelt provides the year-round moisture these trees require. The forest understory in the South Grove is particularly rich, with giant corn lily, ranger buttons, and Sierra shooting star filling the openings between the massive trunks in early summer. American black bears are frequently observed in the South Grove during berry season in late summer and fall, and their scratching marks are visible on fallen logs throughout the area. Osprey and belted kingfishers hunt Beaver Creek from overhanging snags above the stream crossing. The South Grove road is typically closed by snow from November through May, so advance road condition checks are essential for spring visits. The remoteness and length of this trail make it one of the most rewarding sequoia experiences in the entire Sierra Nevada.