Need a weekend getaway? Balch Park in Tulare County mountains is now open
An iconic Tulare County summer destination is back open for the season.
Balch Park is open for day-use and overnight camping beginning this week, Tulare County parks officials announced.
The popular recreation area nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountains is a lesser-known but equally beautiful alternative to its more famous neighbors, Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. Giant sequoias tower above the isolated park that is located 20 miles above Springville, and its serene ponds are stocked with California golden trout for fishing.
The county-managed park is also a cheaper family outing, with entry costing $5 per vehicle and $20 per campsite. Discounted rates are available for seniors and people living with disabilities.
Reservations are not available. Campsites are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. The park is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through summer.
This is the second summer that the park has been open since the area was devastated by the 2020 Castle Fire, which singlehandedly destroyed a tenth of the world's giant sequoias.
Read more: Sequoia National Park plans to replant 12,000 sequoia seedlings in grove gutted by Castle Fire
Balch Park is contained within the Mountain Home Grove, which is home to several of the earth's largest trees by volume. The area was formerly a hub for logging in the southern Sierra and several massive sequoias were felled until operations there ceased in the 1950s.
The Balch Park area was preserved through the efforts of local families who sought to turn the area into a tourist destination before Allan Balch, president of the now-defunct San Joaquin Light and Power Corporation, donated the land to Tulare County in 1930.
The famed conservationist John Muir reportedly wrote that the Mountain Home Grove was "the finest block of sequoia in the entire belt." Hollywood, too, has recognized the park's beauty, filming blockbusters such as "The Hulk" and episodes of HBO's "True Detective" there.
The Mountain Home State Demonstration Forest neighbors the county park and is operated by Cal Fire as a conservation project. The state forest also reopens to the public this week.
Joshua Yeager is a reporter with the Visalia Times-Delta and a Report for America corps member. He covers Tulare County news deserts with a focus on the environment and local governments.
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This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Balch Park in Sierra Nevada mountains opens after Castle Fire
