Notes: Palace Hotel Tree is the namesake of the luxurious Palace Hotel in San Francisco. In the 1870s, the round opening at the base of the tree reminded South Grove visitors of the hotel's opulent Grand Court carriage entrance.

Drive: Palace Hotel Tree is 123 mi (198 km) east of San Francisco near the community of Arnold.

From U.S. Interstate 5 in Stockton, transfer to California State Route 4 East. Drive east 74 mi (119 km) on California State Route 4 East to the entrance to Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Turn right onto Big Trees Parkway (also known as Walter W. Smith Memorial Parkway), pass the park entrance station (entrance fee required), and drive southeast 8.4 mi (13.5 km) on Big Trees Parkway to the South Grove Trailhead parking lot.

Hike: From the trailhead at the southern edge of the parking lot, hike south 0.2 mi (0.3 km) on Beaver Creek Trail, past the junction with the northern half of the Beaver Creek Trail loop (which leads to the Beaver Creek Picnic Area), to the junction with South Grove Trail. Turn right at the trail junction and hike south then northeast 2.2 mi (3.5 km) on South Grove Trail, across the bridge over Beaver Creek, past the junction with Bradley Grove Trail, across Beaver Creek Road, past the (western and eastern) junctions with South Grove Loop Trail, and past Calaveras King, to Palace Hotel which stands beside the trail on your left.

View Palace Hotel Tree location in Google Maps

Panoramas: Click panoramas to take a virtual tour of Palace Hotel Tree

Photos: Pictures of Palace Hotel Tree taken from different sides