Here’s another wonderful wide spot in the road. Just above Big Trees State Park, Dorrington was a historic stopping place on the Big Tree-Carson Valley road and was a toll station from the 1890s until 1910, and was originally called Cold Spring Ranch due to an ice cold spring. The Dorrington Hotel was built in the late 1880s and served as a depot for stockmen and provided lodging for guests visiting the Giant Sequoias at Calaveras Big Trees State Park. The Hotel today accommodates visitors in their beautifully restored and historic rooms and offers a fine dining restaurant downstairs. Also find the Lube Room Saloon for food and beverage and peanuts that make a good floor covering. Across the Highway, find the friendly and updated Dorrington Inn Chalets that offer private A-Frames to visitors, a rustic choice over a standard motel room. Take Boards Crossing Road here off Highway 4 to Big Trees Village locations and then 5 miles down to the Stanislaus River for camping, fishing and swimming. This path to the river is a free access but the road is closed in the winter.
CCR Insider: Legends persist that the ghost of Rebecca Gardner still haunts the Dorrington Hotel. Going back to1868, the property was known as Gardner’s Station; however, in 1902 the Post Office Department objected to the name hence the change to Dorrington. Perhaps her spirit is still protesting government over regulation? The Lube Room burgers are worth a stop.