Table Of Contents
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The Black Bear Inn is your perfect home base for recreation! Beautiful Sequoias, amazing scenery, and manicured gardens throughout 1.3 acres - all for your enjoyment.
Built in 2002, the Black Bear Inn is perfectly suited for guests seeking a casual atmosphere with first class service and accommodations. We specialize in custom guest dinners by owner Chef Bruce.
Our five guest rooms are ideal for intimate getaways, girls' weekends, ski vacations, fishing expeditions, or just for escaping your busy lives.
We also host/cater small and large events (weddings, family reunions, special birthday and anniversary weekends, etc.).

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Travelers are always looking for memorable and relaxing experiences. Let’s discover more through the words of our innkeepers. Many thanks to Bruce and Wendi Davison for sharing their own secrets with BBOnline.com! Why do most travelers stay at your inn? Our guests are typically outdoor enthusiasts who like to take advantage of the wonderful outdoor activities in our area, and then come back to the Inn for luxury.
What are you best known for?
Our attention to detail: our guests continually comment on the "little things" that we provide.
What makes your inn unique?
We create and serve custom dinners for our guests.
What do you love most about your inn?
It's gorgeous and surrounded by the amazing beauty of the mountains and forest.
If someone has never been to your city, what is the #1 reason to come visit? Calaveras Big Trees State Park is just three miles from the Inn.
What’s the best compliment you have ever received about the inn? One guest commented on Trip Advisor: "With B&B experiences there's great and then there's extraordinarily incredible. Irrefutably, the latter is what you have at the Arnold Black Bear Inn."
What’s the best kept secret about the area? The Black Bear Inn and it's variety of offerings (guest accommodations, wedding venue, special occasion host, private dinners).
If a traveler is staying at your inn for 4 nights, what should he/she do in the area? Hike at Calaveras Big Trees State Park, taste wine in Murphys, golf at Sequoia Woods Country Club, kayak/canoe at Utica, have a custom dinner at the Inn.
Is there anything within walking distance of your inn? Shopping, restaurants, wine tasting, free outdoor concerts, hiking, biking, fishing, swimming.
What is your favorite restaurant/food in the area? Sequoia Woods Country Club for dinner.
Any good area guides/websites that travelers could reference? How many rooms does your inn have? Five.
Do you accept pets? No, but there is a boarding facility in Murphys.
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The beautiful private grounds of the Black Bear Inn is an ideal setting for a romantic outdoor wedding. Exchange your vows in the lower meadow among the oak trees and sweet peas, enjoy cocktails and appetizers in our stunning Gathering Room, and dance under the string of lights on the back patio.With so many areas within and throughout the property - indoors or outdoors, the Black Bear Inn is an ideal setting for your special day. The front lawn area is slightly removed from the Inn for privacy, with ample room for chairs. The back patio can easily serve as a group dining area. The gathering room and large fireplace create a beautiful backdrop for the wedding ceremony. Please call us with specifics and we will be glad to review your options to help make your wedding a truly special event for everyone involved.
Location Uses: Ceremonies, Wedding Receptions, Rehearsal Dinners
Capacity: Max Indoors: 100; Max Outdoors: 150
Wedding Services & Amenities
- Year Round Availability
- Customized Events
- Catering: Provided or Approved Vendor
- Kitchen Facilities: Available for Approved Vendors
- Restrooms: On site
- Bride's Dressing Area
- Parking by Attendants
- Outdoor Lighting
- Garden, Forest, bridge-covered creek
- Other: Event Coordination


Arnold Black Bear Inn provides a spectacular setting for special events inside and out with our footbridge, lawn reception areas, and large patio space. We welcome small and large groups, and provide an exceptional facility for weddings, retreats, anniversaries - any special event. We can accommodate events up to 150 guests, and are happy to assist with catering recommendations. The Inn possesses a beer/wine/spirits license, making beverage service easier for you.
There are many activities to be had in the area in addition to shopping, dining & wine tasting. In Arnold we are surrounded by the beauty of nature with lakes, rivers, caves and some of the largest tree's you'll ever see. There is a lot in the way of arts, entertainment, outdoor activities such as fishing, hiking, horseback riding, zip lining, cave exploration, wineries, breweries, fairs, festivals, winter activities/sports, great food & more. Have an extraordinary experience at Arnold Black Bear Inn for your wedding ceremony, reception, and honeymoon.
Contact us for pricing and availability, or visit the Arnold Black Bear Inn Weddings page on our website. -
Host Your Next Event With Us!We provide a spectacular setting for special events inside the Inn, and outside with our footbridge, lawn reception areas, and large patio space. We welcome small and large groups, and provide an exceptional facility for weddings, retreats, anniversaries - any special event. We can accommodate events up to 150 guests, and are happy to assist with catering recommendations. The Inn possesses a beer/wine/spirits license, making beverage service easier for you.
Please visit the Arnold Black Bear Inn Special Events page on our website for more information. Contact us for pricing and availability.
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We are always honored when guest choose the Black Bear Inn for a special occasion. Whethre a wedding, a family gathering, or a much-anticipated private getaway. We strive to provide exceptional service. Consider us a concierge, and let us know what we can do to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.Below is an abbreviated list of the concierge services we offer. For more details, please the Arnold Black Bear Inn Concierge Services page on our website.
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Dinner Reservations
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Wine Tours
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Excursions
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Massage Therapy & Spa Services -
Gift Certificates
Beautiful Sequoias, amazing scenery and the peacefulness of the heavens full of stars!
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Guests visit from all over the world to experience everything that Calaveras County has to offer - it's easy to spend time here, year-round. Whether you are an outdoor enthusiast, a fan of good food and wine, an artist - you will find what you are looking for! The fishing is fantastic, the golf courses are beautiful, and the activities are endless.- Local Golf Courses
- Performing Arts
- Attractions
- Skiing & Snow Sports
- Wine Tasting
Our concierge service is complimentary with your booking, and we are happy to make any arrangements you need (private wine tasting, cave tours, horseback riding, etc.). Just ask for Wendi when you make your reservation. Please visit the Things to Do in Calaveras County page on our website for more details.
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Bear Valley Ski Resort - www.bearvalley.com
Bear Valley Cross Country - www.bearvalleyxc.com
Bear Valley Music Festival - www.bearvalleymusic.org
Calaveras Big Trees State Park - www.bigtrees.org
Calaveras Visitors Association - www.visitcalaveras.org/htdocs/index.htm
Calaveras Wine Association - www.calaveraswines.org
California Cavern Tours - www.caverntours.com
Gold Country Bike Tours - www.goldcountrybicycletours.com
O.A.R.S. Whitewater Rafting - www.oars.com/htdocs/home.htm
Sierra Nevada Adventure Co. - www.snacattack.com
Forest Meadows Golf Course - www.forestmeadows.com
Greenhorn Creek - www.greenhorncreek.com
Meadowmont Golf Course - www.meadowmontgolf.com
Saddle Creek Golf Course - www.saddlecreek.com
Sequoia Woods - www.sequoiawoods.com
Murphys Creek Theatre - www.murphyscreektheatre.org
Sierra Reparatory Theatre - www.sierrarep.com/index.shtml
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"Putting your retirement to work," Sacramento Business Journal"California's Other Wine Country: Calaveras County, California," Frommer's
"Fund of Dreams," Comstock's Magazine"Arnold's Black Bear Inn Delights the Senses," Sierra Lodstar
"Rest, Relax, & Renew at Black Bear Inn," DVine Wine & Visitors Guide; Page 10 -
After talking about buying an inn for more than 10 years, we finally started our search in 2009. We looked at available inns from the central California coast to the San Juan Islands above Washington state. Although there were many beautiful choices, none of the properties compared to the Black Bear Inn. We were immediately wowed by the grand entrance and gathering room, and quickly fell in love with the Inn.Taking care of people is our passion, and it didnʼt take long to reap the rewards of that passion. We are dedicated to providing exceptional customer service, and catering to the needs of our guests. Our motto, when making daily decisions is, “is this good for the guests, or good for us?” If the answer isnʼt that “itʼs good for the guests,” we make a different decision.
We both have hospitality in our work histories (catering, food/beverage management, golf industry experience, etc.), and knew that those skills would pair well with running an inn. Most recently, we both worked in commercial lending, managing customer experiences for many years. This combination of our skill sets, complimented by Bruce's formal culinary training will result in a continued high level of satisfaction for guests of the Black Bear Inn.