If you are visiting Angel’s camp, this short hike is a hidden gem worth visiting. This swimming hole is off the tourist map and a great place to get out and enjoy an easy/moderate hike.
Natural bridges cavern
Distance : 1.5 miles roundtrip
Time : 1 hour + time to explore the cave
To bring : Water, Tube/Air-mattress for wading in the cave, swimming goggles and contacts if you want to enter the pool and still be able to enjoy the views without being concerned about your contact lenses.
Trailhead: Parrots Ferry Road Parking Lot. The trail starts at a narrow gate in the fence near the pit toilet. The trail is well marked.
What is cool: Caverns with a water-fall. A stream and a swimming hole to cool off on a hot summer day. The pool is deeper than 5-6 feet in places. The water is cold (but enjoyable without freezing) even in July.
What is not cool: Touching the walls of the cavern. The oil from our hand can stop the lime-stone deposits from growing. Don’t go wading if you are alone or if you are not good swimmer.
Getting there from Angel’s Camp.
5miles east on Highway 4 to Vallecito. Turn right on Parrots Ferry Road and drive 4 miles south towards Lake Malones, passing the Moaning Cavern attraction on the right. A very sharp right into a mud parking lot after the sign for Natural bridges. There is no parking fee or entrance fee.
A link to trail map and description here.
Other things to do near-by:
1. Columbia State Park: A real mining town. You can try your hand at panning gold and visit a museum devoted to the life in a mining town. A great place to visit on the 4th of July and join the revelry or have an ice-cream at one of the old-fashioned saloons.
Wells Fargo was essentially the UPS on the West Coast in mining days. We had previously visited Kemmerer in Wyoming where J.C. Penny started in a small wooden house selling supplies to the miners. The mining industry has gone through boom and bust, but the service providers have survived!
2. Moaning Cavern: A commercially operated cavern tour to view stalactites (hanging tight from the ceiling) and stalagmites. A good place to spend the day on a hot summer when you cannot enjoy too many things outdoor. It nice and cool in the cavern when the temperature is around 100F outside.
3. Calaveras Big Tree State Park: Great place to see giant Sequoia tress. This is where I first learned the difference between coastal redwood and inland redwood trees. It is an humbling experience to walk beneath trees which have been here for the last 2000 years.
4. Lake Alpine: An Alpine lake in the Sierras surrounded by pine trees and scattered with rounded granite boulders. Drove past it one summer and saw a lot of people kayaking and kids playing in the shallow areas of the lake. On our to do list.
5. Lake Utica : Managed by BLM, Utica-Union reservoir is a great lake lined with Granite boulders and pine trees. There are areas full of water lily and coves where one can swim to cool off during summer.
Direction: Spicer Reservoir Road (3.6 miles south of Bear Valley) off from Highway 4. Go down for 7 miles past until you come to sign on the left for Utica/Union reservoir and on the right for Spicer reservoir. Get on the dirt road from paved Spicer reservoir road. After a mile or so the road splits with Utica reservoir to the left and Union to the right. The launch beach is off the dirt road where people camp and pit toilets are available.
Lake Utica – Parked at one of the coves for a swim
Water Lily
A picture taken while Kayaking among Water lily
6. Angel’s Camp
Angel’s Camp is a mining town along Highway 4, where Mark Twain stayed after he left San Francisco. He heard about and published the story called “Jumping Frogs of Caleveras County”. Frog is the town mascot and one can get a feel for the wild west days of Gold rush in California by visiting the downtown and stopping by at one of the many shops in the town.
Angels town – note the tile inlays in the sidewalk
One of the inlays : celebrating annual Jumping Frog winners
A welcoming Frog outside world Mercantile Cafe
Many such Frogs adorn the shopping district. This one was outside Mercantile Cafe , operated by a non-profit buttercupfarms. Nice environment, cheerful service and great food in addition to some interesting exhibits from the days of Gold Mining era in California.
1 penny weighing machine …works, weighs in kg
An ornate Cash Machine with Mechanical Calculator built in
American Indian – Shield with bird feathers and turtle shell
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