On October 1, California State Parks closed the South Grove area of Calaveras Big Trees State Park for prescribed burning. The closure covers the South Grove Trail, the Bradley Grove Trail, the Beaver Creek area, the fire road around the South Grove, and the Walter W. Smith Memorial Parkway south of the Stanislaus River. For anyone in Arnold whose fall routine includes the 5.5-mile South Grove loop, that walk is off the calendar for now.
The North Grove is still open, and it's the best place to see why the South Grove is closed. The gentle loop near the park entrance went through its own prescribed burns in the fall of 2022 and 2023. State Parks says those burns created ideal habitat for giant sequoia seedlings, and the trail signs ask walkers to stay on the marked path so they don't step on them. The open grove is a preview of the closed one.
Why the South Grove is getting a second burn
This isn't the South Grove's first prescribed burn. On October 29, 2024, State Parks and CAL FIRE crews started burning there and ended up treating 1,145 acres of the 1,317 that were planned. According to the department, this year's South Grove work will re-treat acres that "did not burn well enough to reduce fuel and promote giant sequoia regeneration," and it will add some new acreage nearby.
So the 2024 burn didn't fail. It left patches that didn't get enough fire to do the job, and this fall's work fills in those gaps.
The 2026 plan has four treatment areas totaling about 780 acres, spread across the South Grove, North Grove Meadow, and West Moran. Burning could begin as soon as Wednesday, September 30, depending on weather and air quality. Crews have already prepared the largest sequoias by clearing heavy fuels and organic matter away from their bases, which lowers the chance the fire harms the trees the burn is meant to protect.
The release also sets a loose timeline. Closures "will remain in effect until conditions favor reopening," and smoke may linger after active burning ends. Weather adds a second constraint. Depending on snowfall, cars usually can't reach the South Grove and Bradley Grove from about December 1 to April 30. If the burn closure runs into late November, there may be little or no window to drive to the South Grove before the winter cutoff.
What's open and what's closed right now
| Area | Status as of early October 2026 | What you need to know |
|---|---|---|
| North Grove Trail | Open | Level 1.7-mile loop, wheelchair-accessible when weather allows |
| Grove Overlook Trail | Open | About half a mile on the ridge above the North Grove |
| Three Senses Trail | Open | A few hundred yards near the Big Stump, with Braille markers |
| River Canyon Trail | Open via North Grove Trail | Leads to the Stanislaus |
| Lava Bluffs Trail | Open | Known for its geology |
| Fire roads near the North Grove | Open | Bikes are allowed on fire roads |
| South Grove Trail, Bradley Grove Trail, Beaver Creek area | Closed | Prescribed burning |
| Walter W. Smith Memorial Parkway south of the Stanislaus | Closed | Prescribed burning |
The open list could get shorter. North Grove Meadow is one of this season's burn units, and State Parks says more closures may be added for work in other units. The current list is posted at parks.ca.gov/CalaverasBigTrees. It's worth checking that morning, not the night before.
The North Grove already went through this
Burned ground looks different on a second visit. Self-guided trail booklets are in the brown boxes at the North Grove trailhead, and the numbered markers lead past the Big Stump, the Empire State Tree at stop #5 (the largest tree in the grove), and the Father of the Forest at stop #13, which you can walk through. The Grove Overlook Trail splits off just past marker #2, climbs the ridge, and rejoins the main loop near the Father of the Forest. That ridge was burned in the fall of 2022.
Those are the conditions the South Grove crews are trying to recreate: an open forest floor where giant sequoia seeds can take root. State Parks describes the goals as reducing hazardous fuel, restoring soil nutrients, improving wildlife habitat, and lowering the risk of catastrophic wildfire.
This month, State Parks also leads guided walks through the grove. Three North Grove Guided Hikes are scheduled for October 10, 17, and 24. The park's online listing doesn't give start times or a meeting spot, but State Parks posts program updates on sandwich boards near the Visitor Center and on social media. Programs are free with the $10-per-vehicle entrance fee.
Two notes on logistics:
- Construction near the Visitor Center has been limiting parking and creating daytime noise, and State Parks expected it to continue until at least mid-October.
- The Visitor Center will be closed on October 14 for a planned local power outage.
Outside the park: the Arnold Rim Trail
If you want more miles than the North Grove loop offers, the Arnold Rim Trail is close by. The Arnold Rim Trail Association lists several access points. From the Sierra Nevada Logging Museum in White Pines, which marks the trail's northern end, the first mile is paved and gently graded for wheelchair access. Other access points include the Cedar Center kiosk, Valley View Road, and Avery Sheep Ranch Road. The Valley View access, reached by Lakemont Drive and Valley View Drive, is the shortest route toward Cougar Rock and Top of the World. ARTA warns that the dirt road can be slick or deeply rutted.
ARTA's guided sunset hike to Cougar Rock is on October 24. It's an intermediate 4.86-mile hike with 860 feet of elevation gain. Hikers should arrive by 3:35 p.m. for a 3:50 p.m. departure, and sunset is listed at 6:12 p.m. The group meets at the intersection of Valley View Drive and Forest Route 5N95Y. ARTA says to drive in from Arnold via Lakemont Drive rather than via Avery Sheep Ranch Road, and the hike is canceled if it rains.
ARTA is also holding a volunteer trail workday on October 17 from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Volunteers meet at the Forest Service Calaveras District Headquarters in Hathaway Pines, and the worksite will be announced. Typical work includes brushing back trail corridors. If you're heading out on your own, ARTA recommends downloading geolocated maps because cell coverage is limited. Its printable PDF map is dated January 2024 and notes that newer additions or reroutes may not be shown.
Smoke over town, and a festival about it
State Parks lists Arnold, Dorrington, Big Trees Village, White Pines, Blue Lake Springs, and Love Creek as communities that may see smoke from the burns. The department coordinates burn timing with the Tuolumne County Air District to limit smoke in nearby towns, and it notes that prescribed burns produce much less smoke than wildfires. On burn days, smoke may be visible near the burn area. State Parks asks residents not to call 911 to report it.
The same Saturday as the ARTA workday, October 17, the Firewise Calaveras Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Ironstone Vineyards, 1894 Six Mile Road in Murphys. The burns uphill and the festival in Murphys deal with the same subject, managing fuel before fire season does it on its own terms. That day you could do a morning of trail work out of Hathaway Pines and get to Ironstone in the afternoon.
The October dates in order:
- October 10: North Grove Guided Hike at Calaveras Big Trees
- October 14: Big Trees Visitor Center closed for a power outage
- October 17: North Grove Guided Hike, ARTA volunteer workday in Hathaway Pines, and the Firewise Calaveras Festival at Ironstone Vineyards
- October 24: North Grove Guided Hike and ARTA's Cougar Rock sunset hike
For more on the area around the park, see our guides to weekend life in Arnold's cabin communities and cabin maintenance basics for Arnold owners, or browse the Arnold neighborhood page.
If you own a cabin near Big Trees and want to understand how the forest work around it fits into your property's story, Christina Beil is glad to talk it through. Christina can also prepare a home valuation when you're ready, whether you're sticking around for the South Grove to reopen or starting to plan your next move.
