California State Parks announces the start of a major renovation project that will improve recreation facilities at the Negro Bar unit of the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area (SRA) beginning on February 2020. 

The renovation project will include:

• New interpretive panels that highlight the area’s historic, natural and cultural resources.
• ADA accessible walkways to the swim beach.
• New stairway access to the beach.
• A new restroom facility.
• A new paddle sport concession facility and Junior Lifeguard facility.
• Improved picnic facilities with picnic tables, shade ramadas, barbecues, trashcans, and additional group picnic sites.
• Converting an existing gravel area into additional paved parking. 

The renovation project is expected to last through October 2020 and will impact access to the swim beach area and day-use parking facilities in the western portion of the park.
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Those areas not impacted will be the launch ramp, main parking area, horse assembly area, group campground facilities and trail access to the American River Bike Trail.
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For questions about this project, please contact California State Parks’ Gold Fields District Office at (916) 988-0205

CLICK HERE to see announcement from Folsom Lake State Recreation area webpage.

The east side of the Independence Trail, east of Highway 49, above the 49 crossing at South Yuba River State Park is still closed. It is due to open next month. 
A historic flume that acts as a bridge, has a failed support beam and is undercut by continuous instability in the hillside. This particular location was closed a few times in the past two years due to landslides associated with the winter 2017-18 storms.

Closure signs are posted at the trail. Please stay off this trail for your safety.

​Thank you for your patience and understanding.
South Yuba River Park Association

The Scotts Flat Trail will be closed from Monday (Feb. 17) through Friday, (Feb. 21) on Nevada Irrigation District property while mastication work is done to remove fire fuels, according to a press release.

NID is using mastication as an effective fuel reduction treatment to reduce wildfire risk and return its forested property to natural conditions, the release states. The work includes the removal of hazardous trees and dense vegetation on NID’s property around Scotts Flat Reservoir. The work will improve forest health and reduce catastrophic fire risk on forested lands adjacent to the reservoir and to nearby residential communities, the release states.

“While the work is being done, the multi-use trail will be closed to bicyclists and hikers for their safety,” the release states. “NID thanks the public for patience and understanding.”

For questions about the closure, contact NID Environmental Resources Administrator Neysa King at 530-271-6733.

CLICK HERE to see original article in The Union newspaper.

After a three-year closure, officials have announced the reopening of the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail along Lake Natoma.
Known best as the American River Bike Trail the long awaited opening will take place this Saturday, Feb. 15, according to a press release issued by California State Parks on Friday morning. Reopening this section of the trail will once again allow the recreating and commuting public to enjoy the north shore of Lake Natoma and the ability to trek completely around Lake Natoma.

The American River Bike Trail is part of Folsom Lake State Recreation Area’s (SRA) 19,500 acres. The park has 95 miles of trails for hikers, bicyclists, runners and horseback riders. A paved, mostly accessible bicycle trail loops around Lake Natoma, linking Beals Point and the American River Bike Trail.

A large landslide covered portions of the American River Bike Trail, located between Nimbus Dam and the Negro Bar area of Folsom Lake SRA, during the winter storms of January and February 2017. In late August of 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in partnership with State Parks initiated repairs by removing the debris that covered the trail as a result of those storms.
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The second phase of the project utilized a geotechnical contractor to scale a portion of the bluff to remove loose rock from the face of the bluff directly above the trail. Following the scaling, crews removed the additional debris and repaved the damaged sections of the trail.

State Parks thanks the public for their patience and understanding as it worked with its partners to reopen this popular trail for everyone’s enjoyment.

As with any outdoor activity, State Parks encourages its visitors to practice safe and environmentally-sound practices such as staying on designated trails, leaving no trace, controlling your speed and always wearing a helmet.

Detailed information on Folsom Lake State Recreation Area can be found online at www.parks.ca.gov/FolsomLakeSRA.

Go HERE to see the original article and photos in the Folsom Telegraph newspaper.

Spenceville's annual turkey hunt will close the park to all visitor entry during the first nine days of the spring turkey season (which starts on the last Saturday in March) except for special turkey permit holders. Photo courtesy of the National Wild Turkey Federation

​Opening Weekend this year is Saturday, March 28, 2020. Spenceville will remain closed to all others but special hunt permit holders from March 28 through Sunday, April 5, 2020.

For any questions call (530) 538-2236.

For more information, go to the website HERE.

The controversial E-bike (electric motorized bike) policy is currently being developed for public lands managed by federal agencies. This newly accessible database covers all lands managed by:

• National Park Service (by state and park)
• Bureau of Land Management (by field offices)
• ​Bureaus of Reclamation (by District)
  
• Fish and Wildlife Service (by individual Refuge)

Select these TABS at the bottom of the spreadsheet to see each agencies list of parks and lands.

​You can access the database HERE.

Policies are literally all over the map, depending on the department and individual land manager. Access ranges from e-bikes not being allowed on any trails, to being allowed on motorized trails and roads but not on non-motorized trails,  to full  access where ever regular bikes are allowed. Also, e-bike access will depend on class of e-bike and some individual land managers.

There are loud objections to adding a new motorized user to non-motorized public trails, and the Dept. of Interior has been revealed to be secretly meeting with e-bike lobbyists for over a year. See article HERE entitled "E-bike industry "advisory group" violated federal law in secretly lobbying the National Park Service.

Because most of the plans were never publicly available and policies were put into place with no CEQA or environmental impact on the trails, or public comment allowed, litigation is being filed all over the country. Ultimately, these policies will be finalized, some now and some after current and future litigation is settled. 

Yes, it is confusing. If you have concerns about your local county, state or federal park and land, contact the managing agency. The local contact lists are HERE and HERE.

This National Forest map, entitled "Interactive Visitor Map 2.0" shows all the federal trails in our area. It also has layers and legends that will help you.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS INTERACTIVE VISITOR MAP 2.0

Trail information is currently available on the Visitor Map 2.0 for several National Forests, although it is not yet for all their units. As updated trail map information becomes available, it will be displayed on the map, forest-by-forest. To see a list of which Forests and Grasslands have published trails data for the Visitor Map, please visit the Data Status Page.

EL DORADO HILLS, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management Mother Lode Field Office will temporarily close the Magnolia Ranch trailhead and parking lot on Feb. 13, for parking lot maintenance and the mornings of Feb. 19-20, while the Wildland Fire Training Center conducts its annual aviation training exercise.

The trailhead will be closed all day on Thursday, Feb. 13, while crews fill potholes in the parking lot with aggregate rock. Outdoor enthusiasts will not be allowed to use the parking lot while the repairs cure.

During the morning hours of Feb. 19-20, the trailhead and some trails will be closed to visitors, while wildland firefighters train with a helicopter.   

Magnolia Ranch is located approximately five miles north of the town of Coloma along State Route 49 and the South Fork of the American River. It is on BLM-managed public lands, situated between Cronan Ranch and Greenwood Creek River Access, which will remain open during the road repairs and training.  
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The BLM appreciates the public’s patience and understanding during these temporary closures. For more information, please contact the Mother Lode Field Office at 916-941-3101 during normal business hours.

CLICK HERE for original press release from BLM.