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Eldorado National Forest
Your Gateway to the Sierra!
Come discover, explore, and enjoy your Eldorado National Forest.
Alerts
- Christmas Tree Permits for 2024 have sold out.
- Mormon Emigrant Trail is closed to passenger vehicles for the winter. See Forest Order 03-24-02 for specific details.
- Crozier Fire Area: Forest Road, Trail and Area closures. The fire area closure has been reduced in size, opening up most of the Rock Creek OHV Trail System. View the Forest Order map to check if the trail you want to ride is still closed. See Forest Order 03-24-13.
POST-FIRE ADVISORY - The Mosquito, Crozier, and Caldor fire areas continue to have potential for falling trees, mudslides and debris flows. Recreating in a post-fire area always carries a number of hazards and dangers. We recommend checking out other areas in the forest outside the fire areas for your recreation activities.
Thousands of visitors are drawn each year to the Eldorado National Forest’s rivers, lakes, and streams alive with fish; mountains and meadows for alpine and nordic skiing; campsites and picnic areas in alpine backcountry and diverse forests. Four hundred miles of hiking trails pass through all kinds of terrain, from gentle oak foothills on the west to the 10,000-foot crest of the Sierra Nevada. Two major highways - Highway 50 and Highway 88 - run through the Forest, making it an easy drive from Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Forest Service is committed to nurturing and managing the National Forests in order to ensure the health of the land. As we respectfully use and play in these precious public lands, we are taking part in a shared vision for the future.
Quick Links
Features
Caldor Fire Recovery
Recovery after a major wildfire is a long term process. The first steps involve repairing areas damaged by fire suppression, and mitigating safety hazards such as fire weakened trees, burning stump holes, damaged utilities, and hazmat concerns. Recovery also includes the Burned Area Emergency Response, the rebuilding process for recreation residences, and Caldor Fire restoration activities.
Spotlights
Great American Outdoors Act
The Great American Outdoors Act enables federal land managers to address deferred maintenance and other infrastructure projects on national forests.
El Dorado County Resource Advisory Committee
The El Dorado County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will be active in 2025. We look forward to working with the RAC and the community on a new set of conservation projects this coming year.
Caring for the Land
Work on the Eldorado National Forest has a foundation in its 1989 Land and Resource Management Plan and other environmental guidance.
Passes & Permits
Learn about day use and overnight permits to plan your wilderness visit. Other passes and permits are also available.