Backpacking

Backpacking Areas

• General Campgrounds & Trailheads

  The Mendocino National Forest is one of 18 National Forests in California, and is nearly one million square acres in size. Forest Service employees you are most likely to come in contact with, in campgrounds and recreation areas, are here to protect and maintain all the resources of the National Forest. One of their primary responsibilities is to maintain the recreation values of the Forest and to enhance - whenever possible - your Mendocino National Forest visit.

  There are campgrounds on the Mendocino National Forest that use the Pack it In, Pack it Out program for dealing with waste. This means that garbage cans are not provided. Campers and hikers are asked to bring their own garbage bags and take their garbage with them when leaving the area. While this seems like an inconvenience, the funds saved are used to provide additional recreational facilities. Do not bury litter; forest animals can smell it and will dig it up.We appreciate your cooperation and assistance in helping to manage, protect and conserve the various resources of this forest.

  You must obtain a California Campfire Permit if you plan to build a campfire or use a stove, unless you are in a developed recreation area (campground or picnic area). Permits are available free-of-charge at offices of the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFire) and online at https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prevent-wildfire/campfire-safety/.

  Please visit, call, or write one of our Forest Service offices for more information. Unless otherwise indicated, office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am - 4:00 pm. All forest offices are wheelchair accessible.

• Grindstone Trailhead
• Hell Hole Trailhead
• Lantz Ridge Trailhead
• Long Point Trailhead
• Lower Nye Campground
• Thomes Gorge Trailhead
• Travelers Home Trailhead
• Sanhedrin Wilderness
• Snow Mountain Wilderness

  The Wilderness Act of 1984 established 23 new wilderness areas including the 60,000-acre Snow Mountain Wilderness in the Mendocino National Forest. The Snow Mountain Wilderness straddles the summit of the North Coast Range within Colusa, Glenn and Lake counties. The area is less than a four-hour drive from San Francisco, Santa Rosa, and Sacramento.

  The central feature of this wilderness is the large broad topped Snow Mountain, which drains water toward the Sacramento River on the east and the Eel River Basin on the west. The wilderness also has the largest known waterfall on the forest. Elevations range from 1,800 feet in the gorge of the Middle Fork of Stony Creek to 7,056 feet on the summit of East Snow Mountain Peak. The deep canyons skirting the Wilderness compress ecological life zones creating a unique biological sky-island.

  Forty miles of trail are located in the wilderness. This leaves a vast amount of acreage very remote and highly conducive to cross-country exploration. The moderate hike to the top of East Peak affords visitors a magnificent view of the Sacramento Valley and the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the east, Clear Lake to the southwest, the Coastal Mountains to the west, and the timbered mountains of the Mendocino National Forest to the North.

  Good drinking water is scarce in the Snow Mountain Wilderness during much of the summer. Plan ahead and refill canteens at every opportunity. Mountain streams may look inviting but they may not be safe for drinking. Treat all water for drinking and cooking by either processing through a portable water filter or by boiling over a portable cook stove.

• Bathhouse Trailhead
• Bear Wallow Trailhead
• Cold Creek Trailhead
• Deafy Glade Trailhead
• Summit Springs Trailhead
• West Crockett Trailhead
• Windy Point Trailhead
• Stonyford Recreation Area

  The south end of the Grindstone Ranger District offers over 200 miles of some of the most enjoyable and challenging OHV routes in the nation. The "Mendocino OHV Corridor" is a designated 40 mile, east-west route across the south end of the Forest connecting the Stonyford OHV Staging Area and the Upper Lake OHV Staging Area.

  The riding area varies in elevation from 1,700 feet (at Fout Springs), to almost 6,000 feet (near Goat Mountain). Vegetation varies from low elevation chaparral to tall pine and fir forest in the high country.

  The Grindstone Ranger District is not an OHV "park". Off-highway vehicle recreation is just one of the many uses allowed on National Forest lands. Please be considerate of others you may encounter in the forest.

   

  High Resolution Stonyford Area Motor Vehicle Opportunity Guide (PDF 20.1 MB)

• Dixie Glade Campground
• Bear Creek Campground
• Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness

  In the Wintun Indian language, "Yo-la" means "snow covered", and "Bo-li" means "high peak." The second part of this Wilderness' name refers to the headwaters of the Middle Fork Eel River, which originates in this remote and rugged land. This area was first protected in 1931 when it was classified as a primitive area. Further protection was given when this area became part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, created by the passage of the Wilderness Act of 1964. The Wilderness Act of 1984 added another 2,000 acres to the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness, for a total of about 151,626 acres.

  The Wilderness is roughly oval in shape, being about 19 miles long in the north-south direction and 24 miles wide in the east-west direction. The majority of the Wilderness lies in two districts of the Mendocino National Forest (Covelo and Grindstone Ranger Districts). The far northern portion of the Wilderness is in the Yolla Bolly Ranger District of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. To the far west, a part of the Wilderness is in the Mad River Ranger District of the Six Rivers National Forest, and the Bureau of Land Management has a small portion of the Wilderness (also on the western edge).

  The lowest point of the Wilderness is along Cottonwood Creek (2,600' elevation). This is just four and a half miles from the highest point, Mount Linn, at an elevation of 8,092 feet. Several other peaks push their way above 7,000 feet and provide fine views (weather and smoke permitting) of Mount Lassen, Mount Shasta, the Trinity Alps, the Kings Range and sometimes the Pacific Ocean.

• Asa Bean Trailhead
• Blands Cove Trailhead
• Elk Lake Trailhead
• Foster Glade Trailhead
• Georges Valley Trailhead
• Green Springs Campground
• Ides Cove Backpacker Trailhead
• Ides Cove Horsepacker Trailhead
• Rock Cabin Trailhead
• Sticklake Trailhead
• Yuki Wilderness