Whiskeytown Falls Trail Reopened

Early last month I wrote about how much I’ve enjoyed exploring Whiskeytown National Recreation Area hiking trails over the course of my life, and how this summer’s fires resulted in the closure of many of those trails due to concerns of slides and other hazards.

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area Trails Open: December 2008

Well now there’s some good news to report, the temporary reopening of the spectacular Whiskeytown Falls Trail. Here’s the update from the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area website:

Whiskeytown Falls Trail

The National Park Service has re-opened its most popular trail to Whiskeytown Falls after a series of days of fair weather since the first rains of the season. The James K. Carr trail to Whiskeytown Falls will be open until the rains return. Whiskeytown Falls lies within the Crystal Creek drainage, which was the least impacted by the fires and the safest to temporarily re-open to public use.

The National Park Service has closed many trails and roads that were impacted by this summer’s wildfires. Over 6,244 acres burned on the rugged slopes of Shasta Bally in highly erosive soils. The potential for large scale mudslides and debris flows is high during and after rain events and snow melt. These flows can impact the watersheds of Boulder Creek, Brandy Creek and Crystal Creek, including all of the roads, trails, campgrounds and picnic areas in these watersheds.

The National Park Service put these closures in place following the first rain of the season. Signs are in place to warn the public of these closures and hazards. The closures will remain in effect through the wet season. “Keeping visitors safe is our highest priority, these debris flows can become avalanches of mud, trees, rock and water and be extremely dangerous and come with very little warning,” stated Superintendent Jim Milestone. “We are happy to be able to open the trail to Whiskeytown Falls temporarily, until the regular rains arrive” continued Milestone.

For further information please contact the Whiskeytown Visitor Center at (530) 246-1225 or visit the Whiskeytown Website at www.nps.gov/whis.

And here is the updated list of closed trails:

Brandy Creek Falls Trail
Boulder Creek Falls Trail
Mill Creek Trail
James K. Carr (Whiskeytown Falls) Trail (temporarily reopened)
Crystal Creek Water Ditch Trail
Crystal Creek Falls Trail
Salt Gulch Trail
Rich Gulch Trail
Upper Kanaka Loop Trail

And here are the trails where you can still hike:

Mount Shasta Mine Loop Trail
Davis Gulch Trail Trail
Oak Bottom Water Ditch Trail
Clear Creek Vista Trail
Camden Water Ditch Trail
Peltier Valley Road Trail

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