Proposed off-trail regulations in some CA state parks

Kiel,

THANK YOU very much for posting this. I spend a lot of time in the first five areas on the list:

• Sheep Canyon
• Cougar Canyon
• Indian Canyon
• Box Canyon
• Jackass Flat

Several times a year I visit all of them in a single trip and it is unusual for me to see anyone in these places!

What is frustrating is the proposal was issued in April, and you just alerted me to this, just 4 days before comments are closed. It is difficult to keep up with all the government agencies, some who want to open up sensitive areas and others who want to close other areas, such as the five areas I listed above.

The problem with the areas above, especially Sheep Canyon, Cougar Canyon, and Indian Canyon is the easy access via the 4WD road that connects to Coyote Canyon. Close this road, and most damage (which I have seen little of) will almost entirely mitigated.

I was getting ready to go on a trip, leaving this evening, but I will postpone it until tomorrow so I can draft an email and create a post on my blog.

Again, thank you Kiel.

CA State Parks closed existing dirt roads and trails in Año Nuevo State Park about 10 years ago when they created a new cultural preserve:

Then they scrubbed roads and trails from their map to make sure you didn’t try to hike through there.

This cut off a semi-usable inland connection from Big Basin Redwoods State Park through Año Nuevo to Butano State Park. Now you must hike along a few miles of highways and roads.

— Rex

It really is too bad. I’ve only seen two other people when off trail in Anza Borrego (and they were together).

I wish they’d look at each park this effects instead of just one blanket policy.

I also wrote a letter. Tell your friends!

I just have to chime in …@ Rex

See that road “old woman’s creek road”? 13 years ago I built a cabin three miles up that dirt road, on a friend’s piece of land . I lived in it with my then 7 year old.  They just worked on the road last summer, but it was 4WD even in the summer. I had a small generator but it was a  2 cycle and very loud so mostly I used a deep cycle battery for our lights. A friend studying digital media made a 20 minute movie called  “The house that mama built”  as seen through the eyes of my little toothless girl . It was quite the adventure :)

I can get to there from where we live now entirely through trails.

I have been doing some research since my last post. It seems it is a blanket policy. Anza Borrego has 7 designated Cultural Preserves. The list I posted earlier are all included in the Coyote Canyon Cultural Preserve. Apparently the author of the blog post just “cherry picked” some of the best places in this preserve, because the blanket proposed regulation will pretty much make 30,000 acres of wilderness no longer accessible, since the only existing “trail” is a 4WD road that is really only accessible to extreme 4WD — your typical passenger 4WD ain’t gonna make it.

I drove, and hiked all over out there. Had a IH Scout that got pretty much everywhere. I was married in Culp Valley. My experiences mirror Nick’s with the utter lack of other people. Not unusual to see nobody for a week. Thanks for posting this. Haven’t been there since ’05.

Ken,

Anytime you want to return let me know. You can stay at our house before and after the trip, since it is a bit of a drive… but much closer for you now since you left Fortuna. I was up there a couple months ago… 756 miles one way to Arcata.

Here is a post on my blog. Remember the last day email comments will be accepted is June 6th — 3 days from now.

The post includes 3 trip reports. If you haven’t read them (I have posted links several times here on BPL), you might as well read them, as it may be the closest you will ever get to seeing these places if this proposal is put in place.

Thank you very much Nick.

Just saw this update

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/jun/17/borrego-park-regulation-change/

Managers of individual state parks will be allowed to decide how to implement the new rules, meaning off-trail access in eight cultural preserves within the huge Anza-Borrego park will remain open to the public, local park officials said this week.

Thanks, Kiel. I got home from a two week trip this weekend and had an email from the Calif DPR for a public hearing in San Diego on June 22th. I was working on a 2 minute speech to deliver at the hearing and then received another email from a friend to that same exact link you posted. Good news indeed! Plus I didn’t have to do the 250 mile round-trip to the hearing.