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About the Arnold, Dorrington and Bear Valley California Area :

 Arnold: 

Arnold is an attractive town with historic buildings and oak-lined streets, nestled in the Sierra Nevada foothills and surrounded by the beauty of the Stanislaus National Forest. With Lake Tahoe to the north and Yosemite National Park to the south, Arnold is a geographic hub for Sierra activities and residents enjoy proximity to the Calaveras Big Trees State Park, the Stanislaus National Forest, and Bear Valley-not to mention world class golf courses, superb lake fishing, and exciting caverns and mountaineering opportunities. It's quite possible to go golfing and skiing in the same day; if you're efficient you can squeeze in a hike to the sequoias too!  

Clean mountain air, star studded nights, and magnificent wilderness attract visitors and residents alike to Arnold. With a population of around 6,000, the town is large enough to have its own restaurants, interesting shops, museum, and galleries, and small enough to maintain its tranquil tempo and real community spirit. Most businesses are family owned and annual events and seasonal craft fairs add to the friendly local atmosphere.  

LOCATIONThe town of Arnold is found in Calaveras County, California, at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Hwy 4 passes through Arnold on its way north to Dorrington (about 5 miles away) and Bear Valley (about 25 miles away) and south to Angels Camp and the San Francisco Bay area (which is under 3 hours drive west). Hwy 49 at Angels Camp runs north through historic gold rush country to Jackson. Lake Tahoe and Carson City, Nevada are to the north east, about 80 and 100 miles respectively. 

TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORTS About 50 miles west of Arnold, Modesto City-County Airport runs daily flights to and from San Francisco International Airport; from there travelers may fly almost anywhere in the world. Closer to home are the public use Lake Tahoe and Calaveras County Airports, neither of which run scheduled flights at present.  

BRIEF HISTORYThe Arnold area was originally completely forested, and during the mid- to late-1800s, logging was a lucrative industry in the region. (Arnold's Sierra Nevada Logging Museum pays homage to this past.) While others were rushing to surrounding areas to look for gold, settlers came to Arnold to find steady work. The small town began to be a popular stop off for tourists after the Ebbetts Pass Inn was built in 1927 and word began to get out about the beauty of the region.  

Today Arnold remains a popular tourist destination and a thriving community in its own right.