National forests are America’s great outdoors. They encompass 193 million acres of land, which is an area equivalent to the size of Texas.

The Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, manages our national forests for multiple uses and benefits and for the sustained yield of renewable resources such as water, forage, wildlife, wood and recreation. The job of Forest Service managers is to help people share and enjoy the forest, while conserving the environment for generations yet to come.

National forests provide opportunities for recreation in open spaces and natural environments. With more and more people living in urban areas such as Sacramento and the Bay area, national forests are becoming increasingly important and valuable to Americans. People enjoy a wide variety of activities in national forests including backpacking in remote, roadless wilderness areas, mastering a four-wheel-drive vehicle over a challenging trail, enjoying the views along a scenic route, or fishing in a great trout stream, to mention just a few.

El Dorado County’s backyard is the Eldorado National Forest. Established in 1910, the Eldorado hosts over 2.1 million visitors each year. The Forest offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities to the forest visitor looking to explore, seek out new adventures, or revisit old memories. With over 80 developed campgrounds and picnic areas, hundreds of miles of roads and trails, multiple large lakes and reservoirs, innumerable miles of rivers and streams, great scenery and an abundance of plant and wildlife, visitors can find a place or activity to suit them. Where will you find your next adventure?

During the summer there are hundreds of miles of trails for hiking, horseback riding or mountain biking that travel through many diverse habitats from the low elevation oak woodlands to the high elevation sub-alpine/alpine belts in the Desolation and Mokelumne wildernesses.

The Forest has 11 large reservoirs and lakes offering water-related opportunities from boating, sailing and jet skiing on Union Valley Reservoir in the Crystal Basin to the small, quiet non-motorized lakes like Gerle Creek Reservoir and Wrights Lake, which are perfect for canoeing, fishing, swimming, or just floating around on a raft.

Visitors looking for a more rugged adventure with their favorite vehicle should check out the four-wheeling opportunities on the Rubicon 4WD, Barrett Lake, and Long Canyon 4WD trails. If two wheels is more your thing then the Rock Creek, Elkins Flat, and Gold Note OHV areas have trails for both the novice riders and the experienced “old hands” alike.

The spring-summer transition period offers some of the best scenery of the year. A diverse collage of colors is painted across the landscape as wildflowers bloom, welcoming in the summer festivities. Starting in late June keep a close eye for the colorful blooms as you travel through the forest; especially in the Wrights Lake area north of Highway 50. Take away only pictures and memories so others can also enjoy the flowers.

For excellent wildlife viewing opportunities both during the day and at night try the China Flat and Silver Fork campgrounds off of Highway 50 on the Silver Fork of the American River. Sly Park Reservoir, five miles south of Pollock Pines on Sly Park Road, also has great wildlife viewing opportunities. Eagles, ducks, geese, chipmunks, squirrels and deer are just a few critters that share their home with visitors. The best seasons for viewing are spring and summer, though viewing requires patient observation and a minimal amount of noise.

For more information check out the Eldorado National Forest’s website at www.fs.fed.us/r5/eldorado.