Calaveras County, CA, Offers Up More Than Jumping Frogs In The Wintertime

By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger

You probably know of Calaveras County, CA, for its jumping frog, made famous by Mark Twain.

But did you also know that it is full of wintertime activities, including having a ski resort, as well as river rafting, zip lining, biking and hiking and even distilleries and wineries – complete with an annual grape stomp – the rest of the year?

Well I didn’t either, until I received a press release from Molly Blaisdell of
Hook, Line & Thinker Public Relations.  I was intrigued enough from it that I went to the Calaveras County website, www.gocalaveras.com,  and started poking around to learn a little more about this place 2 1/2 hours from San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite.

Now as far as I can tell, Calaveras County is an old California mining town with modern tourism touches, such as good restaurants – one called Hillbillies, I noted – and accommodations ranging from hotels to lodges to camping and glamping, as well as a number of outdoor activities.

Specifically to wintertime, Molly reports that Bear Valley Resort has been getting dumped on this season with an incredible 162 inches of snow in December. That is five times more than it received last year.

The above-average seasonal snowfall from winter storms in December has made it possible for Bear Valley to operate a majority of its 75 trails and 10 lifts on 1,680 acres of ski-able area, including a wide range of terrain for all skill levels. So it you’re looking for great snow, you can go there without many of the crowds at the Tahoe-area resorts.

“Considering where the snow levels were at this time last year, we’re thrilled to be able to give our guests not just a lot of snow, but record-breaking levels for December that skiers will be able to enjoy for weeks to come,” said Martin Huberty, Executive Director of the Calaveras Visitors Bureau.

But there’s more than skiing and snowboarding. There are snow walks among the giant sequoias at Big Trees State Park, DIY sledding in Stanislaus National Forest and snowshoeing the Arnold Rim Trail. (Park permits, information and equipment are available at the Sierra Nevada Adventure Company or Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods, both in the town of Arnold) More options for cross country, snowshoeing and other activities can be found to the north at SNO-Park areas in Lake Alpine, Spicer and Round Valley (permits required and can be purchased at Bear Valley Adventure Company).

Nearby Bear Valley Cross Country offers a trail system with more than 40 miles of groomed paths criss-crossing some 3,000 acres of diverse terrain, as well as spaces for sledding, tubing and fat-tire snow bikes.

And yes, when the snow melts it has a frog jumping contest. The third weekend of each May, Calaveras County hosts the Jumping Frog Jubilee. Dating back to 1928, the Jubilee takes place over a four-day weekend (Thursday – Sunday) and is one of California’s longest continually-running fairs.