In 1865, Mark Twain heard a story in Angels Camp about a man and his jumping frog. He turned it into "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," and it made him famous. One hundred and sixty years later, frogs are still jumping in Angels Camp — the annual Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee has been running since the Gold Rush era, and it's the longest-running county fair in California.
But Angels Camp is more than a literary footnote. It sits on Highway 49 — the Mother Lode highway that threads through California's Gold Country — with giant sequoia groves 30 minutes east, limestone caverns underneath the foothills, a reservoir the size of a small sea, and a wine region centered on the charming town of Murphys. For RVers, it's one of the best-positioned stops in the Sierra foothills.
The 4 dump stations in the area, a 100+ site RV resort, and Corps of Engineers camping on New Melones Lake make it a solid base. But there's one road you absolutely must not take in your RV.
The Highway 4 Warning: Do Not Pass Arnold
Do NOT take an RV on Highway 4 past Lake Alpine toward Ebbetts Pass. Beyond Arnold, the road becomes a steep, narrow single lane with blind hairpin turns and grades up to 24%. This is not a challenging mountain road — it's an impassable one for any rig of significant size. Turn around at Arnold or Lake Alpine. Ebbetts Pass is for cars and motorcycles, not for towed or motorized RVs.
Dump Stations
Four dump stations serve the Angels Camp area. Angels Camp RV Resort has dump facilities. Calaveras Big Trees State Park has a dump station with a 30-foot maximum RV/trailer length restriction. New Melones Lake campgrounds also have facilities.
Browse all Angels Camp dump stations
Where to Camp
Angels Camp RV Resort
Over 100 sites on Highway 49 near the Calaveras County Fairgrounds. Pull-through and back-in sites with full hookups. The most convenient base for exploring the area — central to everything and easy to access.
New Melones Lake — Glory Hole Recreation Area
Two campgrounds (Big Oak and Ironhorse) with 140 combined sites. Campfire rings and picnic tables at every site. On the shores of California's third-largest reservoir. The lake has over 30 miles of hiking trails and water that ranges from swimming to fishing to kayaking. Note: Lake levels can drop significantly by late summer — check current conditions before planning water activities.
Calaveras Big Trees State Park
North Grove Campground among ancient giant sequoias. $5/night ($3 for seniors). Dump station on-site. Maximum RV/trailer length: 30 feet. If your rig fits, this is an extraordinary campground — sleeping under trees that were alive when Rome was a republic.
The Big Trees
Calaveras Big Trees State Park protects two groves of giant sequoias, some over 3,200 years old. The North Grove is the most accessible — a 1.5-mile self-guided trail loops through the giants. These are not redwoods (those are on the coast) — these are sequoias, the most massive trees on Earth by volume. Standing at the base of one, you feel small in a way that photographs can't convey. Year-round trails and educational programmes make this a highlight of any Gold Country visit.
Going Underground
Mercer Caverns
Limestone caves with stalactites, flowstone, and stalagmite formations. 45-minute guided tours descending 440 steps into the earth. The formations have been developing for millions of years. A cool (literally — cave temperature is constant) escape on a hot Gold Country afternoon.
Moaning Caverns Adventure Park
Home to the largest single cave chamber in California. The walking tour is 45 minutes with 234 steps ($4.25 for adults). For the adventurous: rappel 165 feet into the main chamber on a guided rope descent. The cavern got its name from a moaning sound the cave used to make before the entrance was widened for tours.
Gold Rush History
- Angels Camp Museum & Carriage House — Three acres covering Gold Rush history with mining artifacts, vintage carriages, and the Mark Twain connection. Good context for understanding how this town came to be.
- Columbia State Historic Park — A preserved Gold Rush-era town with a working blacksmith, stagecoach rides, and gold panning. Free admission. Feels like walking through 1852. One of the best-preserved mining towns in the state.
Gold Country Wine
The Calaveras wine region has over a dozen tasting rooms, many concentrated in Murphys — a Gold Country town 15 minutes from Angels Camp where the main street is lined with tasting rooms, restaurants, and shops. Many tasting rooms are walkable on Murphys Main Street, so you can park the RV once and taste your way through the afternoon. Ironstone Vineyards is one of the larger operations with gardens and event space.
When to Visit
| Season | Highs | Lows | What to Know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring (Mar-May) | 72°F | 46°F | Wildflowers. Frog Jubilee in mid-May (busiest weekend). Waterfalls at peak flow. Green hills. |
| Summer (Jun-Aug) | 92°F | 60°F | Hot and dry. Lake activities at their best. Caves provide a cool underground escape. |
| Fall (Sep-Nov) | 78°F | 48°F | Comfortable. Grape harvest in wine country. Fewer crowds. Gold and red foliage in the oaks. |
| Winter (Dec-Feb) | 54°F | 36°F | Mild at Angels Camp elevation (1,400 ft). Snow at Big Trees (4,000+ ft). Some facilities close seasonally. |
Tips
- Never take your RV past Arnold on Highway 4. 24% grades and blind hairpins. Serious.
- Jumping Frog Jubilee (mid-May) is the busiest weekend. Book months ahead or avoid it.
- Stock up in Sonora (20 minutes south on CA-49). Walmart and larger grocery stores. Angels Camp has basics only.
- The 76 station on Main Street is the most RV-friendly fuel stop in town.
- Fill water before heading to national forest dispersed camping. Services thin out past Arnold.
- Murphys wine tasting: Park the RV once, walk the main street. Tasting rooms are walkable.
Plan Your Angels Camp Trip
Gold Country delivers: 3,200-year-old trees, caves that predate mammals, a lake the size of a small country, and a frog-jumping contest inspired by Mark Twain. All of it accessible from an RV resort on Highway 49.
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