Adopt-A-Campsite

Over the winter, I often wondered how to get more people, clubs, groups, businesses or individuals involved in OHV maintenance efforts.

With the release of the latest Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) from the Tahoe National Forest (TNF), three new campsites were officially recognized along with Observation Point (for the first time) and Bear Camp just east of Observation.

I figured, if a trail can be ‘adopted’, why not a campsite? So, starting with these five (actually six) I started looking for volunteers.

Adopting a campsite is no where near as complicated as adopting a trail. Okay, maybe the paperwork is the same but the work load for actually doing the maintenance is much less. We’re talking about checking the site two or three times a year and ensuring that the trash is picked up, the fit pit (if it has one) is free of burnable items for five feet in all directions, the ashes are clean out and disposed of properly and that the size of the ‘campsite’ does not grow.

A few months later, I had three ‘groups’ lined up to adopt a campsite along with myself. That was four down, two to go.

I met with Susanne Jensen of the Tahoe National Forest as soon as she started her six month seasonal duties as the OHV Recreational Specialist on the Truckee District. Susanne was happy to welcome more volunteers to the TNF. She then pointed out there were  a few more campsites along the Forest Road 003-004.

Four down, more like eight to ten to go!

So, this May, I will head out to GPS every campsite in the area of the Rubicon. I will update my map that combines three MVUMs from the TNF, ENF and the LTBMU to include all the campsites available for wheelers exploring the area.

That means the TNF will need a lot more groups to step up and adopt campsites. The sites along Forest Service Road 003-004 are a mile or so from the Rubicon but most have great views and much less traffic driving past them. Many are more hunting camps than wheeling camps but provide a great place to spend the night in the TNF.

So, if you would like to adopt a campsite, along the Rubicon or along Forest Road 003-004 (what I call Barker Pass Road), let me know. I’m currently the liaison between any group adopting a campsite on the TNF near the Rubicon and the TNF.

So far, we have the following groups adopting the listed campsite:

• Jon & Jan Briggs – the elevated camp west of Miller Lake FS#-3010-026
• (The camp with the fallen snag is available to be adopted – FS#-3010-024)
• Tahoe Donner 4wd Club  – the turn out area at Miller Lake FS#-3010-022
• Doug Barr / http://www.TheOtherRubicon.com – no FS# (the camp on the far west end of Miller Lake)
• Sierra Stompers – Bear Camp FS#-16E77
• (Observation Point is still available – FS#-16E78)
• There are many along Forest Service Road 0003-004 available for adoption