Bear Valley 

An attractive village in the spectacular Sierra Nevada Mountains, Bear Valley is an intimate and friendly community that enjoys its beautiful setting to the fullest. Clean mountain air, clear lakes and streams, giant pines, and stunning views are enjoyed by all who choose to live here, and a wide choice of cabins, condominiums, and gorgeous mountain homes ensure that a range of families can afford the good life.  

There is almost no end to the recreational pursuits at your doorstep: skiing, caving, mountaineering, hiking, biking, fishing, kayaking, swimming, and camping are all close at hand at the adjacent Bear Valley Ski Resort, the Stanislaus State Park, and Lake Alpine. Superb golf courses are nearby in the foothills near Arnold as is the Calaveras Big Trees State Park. For over 35 years the superb summertime Bear Valley Music Festival has drawn guests from around the country. The township’s economy is largely based around recreational visitors, with many shops and services catering to skiers, other sportspeople, wilderness lovers of all kinds, and art lovers. 

LOCATION
Bear Valley is in Alpine County, California, on the Beautiful Ebbetts Pass Corridor near the Calaveras County border. Historic Hwy 4 runs through Bear Valley, on its way north from the San Francisco Bay area to Lake Tahoe. Bear Valley is about 25 miles north of Arnold and 20 miles north of Dorrington (both also on Hwy 4), and a relaxed three hour drive east of the Bay area. South Lake Tahoe is about 60 miles northeast on State Hwy-394, which intersects with Hwy 4 north of Bear Valley, or on State Hwy 50 to the north. Carson City, Nevada is about 30 minutes drive east of Lake Tahoe. 

TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORTS
Modesto City-County Airport is about 70 miles from Bear Valley, and SkyWest Airlines run daily flights from there to and from San Francisco International Airport. Closer to home are the public use Lake Tahoe Airport (about 50 miles from Bear Valley in South Lake Tahoe) and the Calaveras County Airport (about 40 miles southwest), although no domestic carriers currently run scheduled flights from them.  

BRIEF HISTORY
Originally named “Grizzly Bear Valley” by explorer Jedediah Smith when he passed through in 1827, Bear Valley was part of the massive rancho that Colonel John Fremont purchased from the Spanish in 1847 for $3,000. Bear Valley remained unsettled until gold was found there in 1850 by Mexican miners. Americans, Chinese, and English hopefuls flocked to the region, driving out the Mexicans in their search for gold.  

A major town sprung up in no time (early records suggest Bear Valley had between three and five thousand residents), and by 1851 the population had reached several thousand. Originally named Haydensville, the town went through several name changes before finally becoming Bear Valley in July, 1858. In the same year, Colonel Fremont made the town headquarters for his extensive mining venture, running a stamp mill and general store there. Business boomed, and in 1859 he bought the Oso House hotel, a regal structure which unfortunately burnt down in 1937. 

At the height of the boom, Bear Valley had a bustling Chinese quarter, blacksmiths, public houses and saloons, several general stores, and an International Order of Odd Fellows Lodge. Early buildings were adobe, and later dwellings, many quite ambitious, built from lumber. Many were destroyed by fire in 1888, and with the decline of gold in the region, nothing was rebuilt. By 1930 the WPA reported that Bear Valley was “almost deserted”. 

In the early 1950s land developers purchased Bear Valley with a plan to develop it as a ski resort. In 1955, 20 acres were subdivided on the north side of the valley and were developed into the present village. The Bear Valley Mountain Resort opened for business in December 1967, bringing life to the local economy, and the population began to rise once more.  

ABOUT EDUCATION
In Bear Valley, children make friends for life. After elementary school, which is held in a one room schoolhouse, they go on to high school (grades 9-12)—also in one room. Familiarity breeds a supportive group, and a strong learning environment; a low student to teacher ratio ensures that your child receives the highest level of attention possible.  

At elementary school, emphasis is placed on creating a family environment, teaching sharing, cooperation, and good citizenship. Teachers are able to serve children’s individual interests to a high degree. At high school, teachers design individual courses of study for each student (to California standards) in support of their chosen futures, drawing on computers, satellite television, and work experience alongside individual and group tuition.
 

Dorrington 

A small town in the golden Sierra foothills, Dorrington has dry gulches, oak lined streets, and a population hovering at around 800. Historic buildings from the gold rush days still house residents; the old hotel and the saloon still feed and water travelers to the region. 

LOCATION
Deep in “Gold Country”, Dorrington is in Calaveras County, California, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. About 20 miles east of Murphy’s on Hwy 4 and 20 miles west of Bear Valley, Dorrington stands at the intersection with Board’s Crossing Road, which runs down to the beautiful Stanislaus River. The San Francisco Bay area is under 3 hours drive west; Lake Tahoe and Carson City, Nevada under 2 hours northeast.  

TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORTS
Modesto City-County Airport, about 55 miles west of Dorrington, has daily flights to and from San Francisco International Airport. Closer to home are the public use Lake Tahoe and Calaveras County Airports, which do not have scheduled public flights at present.  

BRIEF HISTORY
During the Gold Rush era, Dorrington was a depot for stockmen and a stage coach stop on the Big Trees-Carson Valley Toll road. Popular with travelers and tourists and well-liked by miners with money to spend, Dorrington has long been a pretty and hospitable town. The classic Dorrington Hotel was built in 1860 (“if walls could talk…”) and is still serving travelers, now as a B&B.  

Originally named “Cold Spring Ranch”, after its beautiful ice cold spring, the settlement became “Dorrington” in 1902, when its first post office was built. 

ABOUT EDUCATION
There are no schools in Dorrington, so students travel a short distance to nearby Arnold or Murphys for their education. Schools in Arnold bus Dorrington students in and back each day.  

The Vallecito Union School District has two elementary schools, a middle school, a community day school and a home school academy. Unsurprisingly, given the low student to teacher ratios and close knit community membership of the schools, district-wide test scores are consistently the highest in the county and both elementary facilities have been graded California Distinguished Schools. Arnold has one high school, administered by the Bret Harte Union High School District, and students benefit from small classroom size and a large degree of individual attention.
 

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