School and Group Tours

Guided Field Trips (Grades K-12)

During September , October, mid March, April, and May, we offer guided school tours at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Each time slot costs $60 and is limited to 60 students. Reservations can be reserved using the link below. Thirty (30) days advanced reservations are required.

For questions, please contact us at calaverasbigtreesSP@parks.ca.gov or (209) 795-7980 If you would like to request special accommodation based on group size, bus scheduling, etc., please reach out to us, and we will work with you to the best of our ability.

School Tour of the North Grove Trail

Your students will discover the uniqueness and special adaptations of giant sequoia trees and the unique history of this park as they walk by 150 giant sequoia trees.  They will also see the trees that were destroyed in the name of tourism.  The tours are aligned with the Next Generation Standards for each grade level.  This tour lasts between 1 ½ hours- 2 hours.

School Tour of North Grove Meadow

The North Grove Meadow is a beautiful naturally occurring meadow enjoyed by thousands of visitors a year.  Many visitors probably don’t realize that this meadow has an interesting human history which includes changes made during the last century that threaten its very existence. The students will discover how State Parks has restored the meadow to its original beauty and usefulness. The guide will help students understand how the alpine wet meadows are important to forest ecology and how we can restore meadows. They will trace the history of the area from the discovery of the giant sequoia trees to the restoration of the wet meadow.   This tour lasts about 1 hour to 2 hours. 

Home Schools Days

The Wednesdays in April are dedicated to home school groups with guided hikes offered at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m..

Visit the online booking page to book a guided field trip.


Buses to Big Trees School Program 

Thanks to Calaveras Big Trees Association, we offer a field trip program to Calaveras Big Trees called 5th Grade Buses to Big Trees, which provides transportation scholarships to 5th grade classes from Title One schools. Field trips this year are offered in April, and May. You must apply for this program. For more information or applications contact Teddie Jackson 209 795-7980 or teddie.jackson@parks.ca.gov.

Central Valley Title One schools may apply for a $1000 transportation scholarship to enable their 5th graders to use charter buses instead of school buses. This eliminates the time constraints that sometimes come with the use of school buses, allowing students to have plenty of time at the park to explore and learn.

Calaveras, Amador, and Tuolumne County Title One schools may apply for a scholarship, not to exceed $500, to cover school bus transportation costs for their 5th graders.

 passPORTS

California Title One schools are welcome to apply for the passPORTS program to fund their in-person field trip. Want to apply? Complete an online application at https://ports.parks.ca.gov/passports/ . Once you are ready,  book your in person field trip online.


 

Virtual Field Trips

PORTS, or Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students, is a program for classes to virtually visit Calaveras Big Trees during the school year! Teachers can sign up for 45 minute programs to visit the park live with our PORTS Interpreter. Each program focuses on a different aspect of our park but all include a look at a real giant sequoia.

Teachers can book programs here:  https://ports.parks.ca.gov/ 

Can't book a live program?All are welcome to watch recorded Calaveras Big Trees programs on the California State Parks PORTS YouTube Channel under both the 'Live' tab and 'Videos' tab: California State Parks PORTS Programs - YouTube

Questions? Email Lillie Oravetz at lillie.oravetz@parks.ca.gov or call at 209-768-0411. She has irregular availability so please be patient with the response time. Also keep in mind that programs book quickly.

Self-Guided Field Trips (Grades K-12)

Self-guided field trips are FREE with advanced reservations. Reservations are required 30 days in advance. Groups arriving without reservations will pay full bus or car fare. Self-guided field trips can receive free bus parking and up to five free chaperone vehicles. ALL other vehicles must pay.

Self-Guided tours are only offered on Monday and Tuesday at 9:30 am and 11:00 am. For questions, please contact us at calaverasbigtreesSP@parks.ca.gov or (209) 795-7980

Visit the online booking page to book a self-guided fieldtrip.

 

Resources for Parents & Teachers

Teacher Information and Grade Level NGSS Support

Giant Sequoia Book (1st Grade) 

Download the Home Learning Packet

How Big Are The Big Trees