Angels Camp, CA…Life gets going so fast. We tell ourselves we need to slow down, watch more sunsets, laugh with family and friends, breathe in the fresh air, and just take in all the beauty that surrounds us. Come to Calaveras where life moves at a little slower pace, and time stands still for a moment while we refresh our minds, our bodies, and our souls just watching the sun set.

Watch the Sunset at New Melones Lake

Rent a houseboat on New Melones Lake at New Melones Lake Marina for your own personal sunset viewing. Perfect for a summer day playing on the water with a water slide, peaceful fishing, and just plain relaxing.

Watch the Sunset at La Contenta Golf Club

La Contenta Sunset

Play a sunset round of golf at La Contenta in Valley Springs anytime in the spring or in the cooler summer evenings. Honored by Golf Digest, La Contenta Golf Club continues to improve as one of Northern California’s best public / semi-private golf clubs and event centers. La Contenta Golf Club, an 18-hole championship course, features rolling terrain, beautiful vistas and wonderful course layout to make your round a total joy. Designed by Richard Bigler, the course features a blend of meadow and valley fairways and rolling highlighted by the dramatic drop of the signature 13th hole.

Watch the Sunset at Lake Alpine

Lake Alpine Sunset I Courtesy of Instagrammer @miss_lindsey_lgc

Lake Alpine, located at an elevation of 7,350-feet (2,240 meters) is one of the most picturesque places to spend a summer day. The lake is formed by snow melt, so the water is very cold until well into the summer. It’s regularly planted with trout – making for some great fishing here on 180 surface acres with an average depth of about 40 feet (12 meters). Get your fishing license online from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife or at Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods in Arnold, and spend a perfect day watching the fish bite.

Watch the Sunset at the Top of the World (Arnold Rim Trail)

The Arnold Rim Trail features some of the area’s best hiking, trail running, mountain biking and horseback riding. When you set out to explore you’ll climb to incredible vistas, descend into canyons to pass over streams, discover unusual rock formations, wander through old growth forests and probably stumble upon a variety of wildlife too (yes, there are bears in the area!). Best for day hikes, most people set out to find the hidden waterfall and/or the best views.

Watch the sunset from the top of Cougar Rock on this intermediate hike led by members of the Arnold Rim Trail Association. Distance is about 4 miles total, with 730 feet of elevation gain. If you haven’t done one of these hikes, you owe it to yourself to join the fun. This is an intermediate level four mile hike with 730 feet of elevation gain, the equivalent of a seventy-three story building, so be sure to assess your level of conditioning.

Hidden between Hathaway Pines and Arnold just off of Hwy. 4 you’ll find the Arnold Rim Trail (ART), a 17.5 mile trail system that has been in the works since 2007. Behind unassuming neighborhoods lie a number of intriguing destinations, including San Antonio Falls, Cougar Rock and Top of the World. And it wouldn’t be unusual to have these spots all to yourself most days.

Access the ART near the Sierra Nevada Logging Museum at White Pines Lake, or via Avery Sheep Ranch Road where there’s a parking area approximately 2 miles down the road on the right hand side (if coming from Hwy 4).  If your destination is San Antonio Falls it probably makes most sense to park at White Pines, while those interested in Cougar Rock may want to park off of Avery Sheep Ranch Road.