Eldorado Forest Extends Seasonal Closures!

Even though the snow pack for the Sierra is below average, the Forest Service has seen fit to extend the seasonal closure of OHV trails and roads. Typically, opening on April 1st, their trails will now open April 30th.

On the Tahoe side of the Rubicon Trail, this only applies to the Richardson Lake Trail that goes to Sourdough Hill.

Eldorado National Forest   Forest Service News Release   Contact: Kristi Schroeder kristi.schroeder@usda.gov   Seasonal Road and Trail Closure Extended through April 30   PLACERVILLE, Calif., March 27, 2025 — Based on recent and predicted rain and snow, the seasonal closure of dirt roads and motorized trails is being extended through April 30 on the Eldorado National Forest.   Using motor vehicles on dirt roads and trails when soil moisture is high can cause damage to roadbeds from rutting, and impaired water quality from excess erosion.    A minimum three-month closure period from January 1 through March 31 was designated for the core part of the wet season in the Eldorado National Forest Travel Management Plan. This plan also allows the seasonal closure to start earlier or be extended based on actual conditions.   The roads and trails that are subject to the seasonal closure are marked with a “Seasonal Designation” on the current Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUMs) for the forest. The MVUMs are available from any forest office or can be downloaded from the forest website at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/eldorado/maps-pubs/?cid=fseprd637014. The seasonal closure does not affect roads and trails in the Rock Creek Area near Georgetown which has its own wet weather closure process.   For additional recreation information, contact the Visitor Services staff from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday: Forest Supervisor’s Office – 530-622-5061Georgetown Ranger District – 530-333-4312Placerville/Pacific Ranger District – 530-644-2324Amador Ranger District – 209-259-3774     ### USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender