 Hidden Falls Regional Park’s new parking reservation system is now live, including peak-time fee collections. Please place your reservation BEFORE coming to the park. The new system is designed to reduce traffic and congestion at the popular park and make it easier for visitors to plan their visit.
Learn more CLICK HERE.  Campfire Permits are required for open fires, such as campfire, barbecues and portable stoves on federally controlled lands:
HOW TO GET IT? Go online HERE <http://www.preventwildfireca.org/Campfire-Permit> Watch a short video - take a quiz - get your online permit - save or print a PDF, or just bookmark the link on your mobile device to display when needed.  Gold Country Trails Council Trail Head portable toilet will be removed for the winter Oct. 2710/20/2017
 Every spring in May, like the flowers, a Port-a-Potty spouts up at the Gold Country Trails Council Trails Head in the Tahoe National Forest. Gold Country Trails Council is the active equestrian group that maintains maintains the staging area and completely funds this amenity that is used (sometimes abused), but fondly liked by all the trail users.
Every October, the Port-a-Potty disappears for the winter. This year it will be removed on Friday, October 27. Soon the trails will be covered by snow and most folks head down the hill to more friendly and snow-free trails. But, never fear, the Port-a-Potty will reappear in the spring, welcomed again by the tired trail users. As of 7:05 am on 10/20/2017, over 0.5 inches of rain was measured in less than 24 hours at the Georgetown Ranger Station. Because of the extended dry period, this is regarded as the "first rain event" under the Rock Creek Recreational Trails Record of Decision. The Rock Creek Trails will be closed for OHVs, bicycles and equestrians until there has been a 24 hour period of drying weather.
For the latest information on the status of the Rock Creek Trail System, please call (530) 333-4312. Thank you for your cooperation. Jon Jue District Resource Officer Forest Service Eldorado National Forest, Georgetown Ranger District p: 530-333-5550 jjue@fs.fed.us<mailto:jjue@fs.fed.us>  Mother Lode Trails was advised there will be timber sale/logging activity in the White Cloud Campground (Tahoe National Forest) vicinity starting today and continuing until winter weather shuts them down. The logging will start up again in 2018 when weather permits.
There are several popular trails that cross through this area, including the Pioneer Trail. In the future, there will be logging at Skillman Horse Campground in 2018. There will be ADVISORY SIGNS posted and trail users, especially equestrians, are requested to practice caution or avoid these logging activity areas completely.  Lake Tahoe's campgrounds, beaches, picnic areas and roads will begin closing for the winter this weekend, according to the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.
Campgrounds on National Forest lands in the Tahoe Basin managed by Tahoe Recreation, a division of California Land Management, will close on Sunday. They include Bayview, Fallen Leaf, Kaspian, Meeks Bay, Nevada Beach and William Kent. Day-use areas and beaches closing include Baldwin, Kaspian, Meeks Bay, Nevada Beach, Pope and William Kent. Some sites remain open after Oct. 15. For a complete list of sites and closure dates, CLICK HERE. The Taylor Creek Visitor Center is open daily through Oct. 30 and the Tallac Historic Site closed for the season at the end of September. Tahoe Valley and Zephyr Cove Resort campgrounds remain open year-round along with Camp Richardson and Zephyr Cove resorts and beaches. Forest roads generally begin closing around mid-November for soil protection and public safety. For specific closing dates for forest roads, consult the Motor Vehicle Use Map by CLICKING HERE. Although facilities on National Forest lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin close for the winter season, the grounds and lake access remain open year-round. Keep in mind that parking lots and gates close and services, such as water, restrooms and trash collection are not available during the winter season. When accessing these areas in the winter, be sure to pack out garbage and park legally and do not block gates. To see the original article in the Record Courier newspaper, CLICK HERE.  Most of these 43 public lands where the new pass fee is required are outside our area. But we have some very well-loved and used public lands in our area managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, such as the Spenceville Wildlife Area, that are not included under the new pass program. Yet. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is expanding its Lands Pass Program (Program) to include 43 wildlife areas and ecological reserves where visitors must possess a lands pass while on the property. To see all the DCFW lands, go to this map: https://map.dfg.ca.gov/lands/ CDFW manages over 1 million acres of land, most of which is located on 247 ecological reserves and wildlife areas across the state. The majority of funding to manage these lands comes from hunters and anglers through a variety of federal and state programs. The State Legislature directed CDFW to develop more income for land management from user fees by expanding the Program which is currently implemented at six properties. In August 2016, after a lengthy public review process, the Fish and Game Commission voted to add an additional 37 properties. See below. Visitors will be exempt from the lands pass requirement if they are under 16 years of age or are carrying a valid California hunting or fishing license. School or organized youth group field trips are also exempt. Lands passes will not be required until the properties have signs posted that explain the requirement. This year, a daily Lands Pass costs $4.32 and an annual Lands Pass costs $24.33. More information about the Lands Pass Program is at www.wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/Lands-Pass If you have questions about the Lands Pass Program, please contact me at Julie.Horenstein@wildlife.ca.gov. Sincerely, Julie Horenstein Ecological Reserve Coordinator Lands Program, Wildlife Branch California Department of Fish and Wildlife ----------------------------------------------------------------------- From the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife website: "Wildlife Areas and Ecological Reserves managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) are enjoyed by a wide variety of visitors: hikers, birdwatchers, photographers, wildflower enthusiasts, hunters, anglers (people who fish), and more. However, most of the funding used to manage these properties come from two types of visitors: hunters and anglers. To engage all visitors in supporting the areas they appreciate, CDFW has implemented a Lands Pass Program on a limited number of properties since the early 1990s. With recent direction from the Legislature, this program is expanding to 43 properties by 2018."  Tahoe National Forest has closed Skillman Horse Camp for the season. At the request of Gold Country Trails Council, it was open to be used, but without any services, for the month of October as long as the weather held. But a new problem has cropped up...transients and illegal dumping. It was decided that closing the camp and shutting the gate a few weeks early would mitigate the problem.
NEVADA CITY, Calif. – Forest Supervisor Eli Ilano announced that fire restrictions in the Tahoe National Forest will be lifted Friday, October 6, 2017.
Conditions in the Forest prompted the decision to end restrictions. When restrictions are lifted, recreationists may have campfires outside of designated campgrounds with a valid California campfire permit, smoke outside of designated sites, and operate internal combustion engines off forest roads and trails where appropriate. Campfire permits are free from any Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, or California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) office. You can also obtain a campfire permit online at www.preventwildfireca.org. “Although fire restrictions have been lifted, forest fires can still occur,” said Ilano. “Warm, dry and windy weather conditions are still likely outside of our traditional fire season and that means the fire danger is still present. Please continue to be careful with fires while in the national forest.” Never leave campfires or lit lanterns and stoves unattended and make sure equipment and off-road vehicles have working spark arresters. Other wildfire prevention practices can be found at www.fs.usda.gov/main/r5/fire-aviation/prevention. Please remember, Cal Fire continues to have a statewide burn ban. Contact your local Cal Fire office for more information. For more Tahoe National Forest information, go to www.fs.usda.gov/tahoe. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/Tahoe_NF and “Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TahoeNF. |
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