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Family-friendly Ideas for Winter Activities

Calaveras County is one of those great winter spots in California where you can have full-on snow fun at higher elevations, or completely avoid it all together at lower elevations.  Of course, there’s those of us who enjoy both, in which case…sledding in the morning, hiking lakeside by afternoon.  Here are some of our favorite family-friendly ways to enjoy winter in Calaveras.

New Year’s Eve Fireworks at Bear Valley Resort

Ski Bear Valley, one of the most family-friendly hills in the west.   This low-key mountain resort on Highway 4 has everything you want from the big resorts, minus the crowds, which means it’s just as easy for the little ones to enjoy themselves as it is the adults.  Not to mention, Sunset Magazine calls Bear Valley a “skiing sweet spot” because of it’s uncrowded slopes on over 1200 acres.  Bring your family and find out what all the buzz is about.

Photo courtesy of Jordan and Zoey

Snowshoe through giant sequoias at Big Trees State Park…for free.  Every weekend,  Big Trees State Park offers free guided hikes through the North Grove at 1 p.m.  In the winter, when the snow is plentiful, those hikes turn into guided snowshoe treks.  And the best part is that the snowshoes (in adult and kid sizes) are free on a first-come, first-served basis. Entrance to the park is $10 per car. with discounts for U.S. Military veterans and seniors.

Sledding and Tubing at Bear Valley. Big kids and little kids alike can’t resist zipping down a hill on a snow tube or sled.  You can do both at Bear Valley Adventure Company on several groomed hills ranging from gentle to moderate (ages 3 and up!).  Sled rental is $15/$25 and tube rental is $25/$35.

Find your very own sledding hill in the Stanislaus National Forest.  Already have your own sleds and want to make your sledding day more of an adventure?  Head to the SNO-Parks at Lake Alpine or Spicer Reservoir and find your own hill.  Don’t forget to pick up a parking permit before you go for $15 per day or a season pass for $40 available at SNAC or Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods in Arnold, as well as at The Camp Connell General Store in Camp Connell or Bear Valley Adventure Company in Bear Valley or online at the California State website www.ohv.parks.ca.gov.   All that exercise you’ll get hunting for the perfect sledding spot will be rewarded with spectacular views.

Snowshoe the Arnold Rim Trail.  On a good snow year (and we hope that’s this year) you don’t have to drive far to get to the snow and some great snowshoeing. If there’s a good amount of white stuff on the ground in Arnold, you can be sure there’s some good snowshoeing on the Arnold Rim Trail.  Start from the Logging Museum at White Pines Lake where the snow levels are likely higher, or just make a loop around the lake (about 3.5 miles).  Need snowshoes?  Rent them from SNAC in Arnold.

Bear Valley Snowmobile | Sandy Price
Bear Valley Snowmobile | Sandy Price

Snowmobiling in the SNO-Parks.  Love the drive over Ebbetts Pass or down to Spicer Reservoir.  Both are accessible via snowmobile in the winter making for a truly unique way to see the spectacular scenery in these areas.  Bear Valley Snowmobile rents by the hour or by the day and offers various options to accommodate families of all sizes, plus “taxi” service to the SNO-Park entrances.

Or, avoid the snow altogether…

Head underground at Mercer or Moaning Caverns.  Open all year, these iconic caverns in Calaveras offer a great way to escape the coldest, dreariest days. Mercer Cavern, which was discovered more than 125 years ago, offers a 45-minute tour through a quarter mile of its chambers, nearly 200 feet underground.  Moaning Cavern, famous for its chamber that could hold the Statue of Liberty, can keep a family busy for hours with its Spiral Cave Tour or for families with children 12 and over try the Expedition Crawling & Spelunking Tour.

Hit the trails at New Melones and New Hogan Reservoirs.  While there may be several feet of snow at higher elevations, those that want to avoid the white stuff altogether can find some of the best temps for hiking all year.  Try the Carson Creek Trail at New Melones just outside of Angels Camp or the “River of Skulls” trail at New Hogan Lake near Valley Springs. Stop by the Calaveras Visitors Center located in the Angels Camp Museum for trail maps.

Murphys Creek Theater, Inspecting Carol
Murphys Creek Theater, Photo | Emily Graham

Take in a show at the theater or the theatre.  The Angels Theater in Angels Camp is the only movie theater located in Calaveras County. Located in historic downtown Angels Camp, Angels 6 Theater is the perfect place to top off your Calaveras experience with the latest movies in this art-deco style building with its 6 screens. Built in 1924 as the Mother Lode Cinema, Angels 6 Theatres originally opened during the silent film era, featuring piano accompaniment to movies with title cards. Today it houses 6 screens, luxurious modern seating, state-of-the-art sound system and shows the most recent popular movies as well as small, independent films.

Or, why not take the kids to try live theatre? Calaveras has two wonderful playhouses – one in historic downtown San Andreas and one in historic downtown Murphys. Fourth Wall Entertainment Troupe in San Andreas provides interactive theatrical experiences by producing quality entertainment through drama, dance, music, comedy and culture. Murphys Creek Theatre is a professional, regional, year-round live theatre located in the historic, goldrush-era town of Murphys, CA. They’ve performed classics King Lear, Doubt: A Parable, and Satchmo at the Waldorf.  The theater itself is located right across from the Murphys Park in the center of Murphys, so it’s perfect to get a little outdoor time, grab some dinner, then head to the theater for great family entertainment!

What’s your favorite family-friendly winter activity in Calaveras?  Tag us in your photos! #gocalaveras @gocalaveras

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