Safety and Outdoor Ethics

The Modoc National Forest is dog friendly.  Dogs are welcome in all campgrounds, picnic areas and on most trails.

Problems with dogs in many developed National Forest recreation areas have increased seriously in recent years.  The few rules that apply to dogs are meant to assure that you and other National Forest visitors have an enjoyable outdoor recreation experience.

Last year, one of every eight dogs was involved in a situation. If you are camping with your pet and want to be sure that privilege remains available in the future, please practice the following:

• Leave vicious or unusually noisy dogs at home. Because they will disturb or threaten others, they will not be allowed in public recreation areas.
• During the day keep your dog on a leash no more than 6 feet long, or otherwise restrict its freedom to roam at will. Domestic animals are not allowed to run loose in recreation areas where they will disturb others.
• At night keep your dogs and other pets inside an enclosed vehicle or in a tent.
• Developed campgrounds are for people, not animals. Please do not bring more than two dogs or other pets to any one campsite.
• Do not bring dogs onto developed swimming beaches, even if they are restrained. Guide dogs are an exception.
• Dogs may not be left alone at your campsite, picnic area or in your vehicle.

When out on the trails, be sure you leash your dog whenever approaching other hikers, horses and pack stock. Horses and pack stock may spook at an inquisitive or boisterous dog, injuring the rider.  Hikers may not enjoy meeting your dog running loose on a narrow, steep trail.

Whether in camp or out on the trails, your fellow visitors' reactions will be a major factor in determining whether dogs continue to be welcome in developed National Forest recreation areas. Most complaints about dogs are about noise or dog mess. To avoid complaints from other forest visitors, consider these suggestions:

• Never leave your dog alone in a closed vehicle or tent even for a short time. It may whine or bark while you are away.
• Clean up after your pet. It will only take a few minutes, and there is no single action that will more favorably impress your fellow campers.
• Whenever possible select a campsite on the edge of the campground and away from the shoreline.
• No matter how well behaved your dog is, he must be on a leash at all times in developed areas.

By practicing good dog etiquette and being a conscientious dog owner, you will know that you are helping keep the National Forests a "dog friendly" place. 

If you are an experienced packer you are probably tempted to skip this section and just load up and go.  You probably hope you won't find a mess left by careless campers at your favorite spot.  Each two legged mammal has the responsibility for their 4 legged animals to minimize the impact we leave on the land.  Since more people visit the backcountry every year, please take a few moments to review a few simple ways to lower your impact and leave the land better than when you found it.

Minimum Impact Philosophy:  Disguise the sight and sound of your passage, leaving no sign that you were ever there.

Planning Your Pack Trip

Know Before You Go

Before you go, contact local land managers for maps, regulations, information and rules concerning permits, campfires, party size, grazing, weed-seed-free feed, trail conditions and closures and more. Make alternate plans in case of bad weather.

Physical Fitness

It's easier to travel outdoors when both you and your animals are in shape for the trip.  Select trips where you can walk out if you need to lead an injured animal.

Stock

Know your stock:  Which animal leads best? Which ones are followers? Which is the slowest traveler? The slowest animal determines the speed of the pack string. Are they familiar with trails, packing and with the equipment you plan to use? Get your animals used to highlines, pickets, hobbles, and various temporary corrals at home before you go.  Never "try" new ideas or new equipment in the wilderness miles from the nearest vet or doctor.

Bear Safety

There are bears in the South Warner Wilderness and other areas of the Modoc National Forest.  Food odors can attract hungry or curious bears and other animals too, so it is important to store your food properly. In some areas, this means using bear-proof boxes and panniers.

Your cooking and wash-up area should be at least 100 yards from where you sleep.  Never sleep in the clothes you wore for cooking.  Wash all scents of food, fish and/or game from your hands.  Never store food, snacks or toiletries or the packs/boxes in which they traveled in your tent.  For more tips on camping and traveling in bear country visit Be Bear Aware.

Feed

Supplemental Feed

Don't get caught unprepared when you find your favorite grassy meadow is dry or overgrazed. Plan to take supplemental feed and get your stock use to it at home. Ask local land managers about available grazing and restrictions, so you know how much supplemental feed to bring and where to camp.

Certified Weed-Seed-Free Feed

While planning, find out if hay and uncertified feed are allowed where you're going. It may not be required, but you can help prevent the spread of noxious weeds by using certified weed-seed-free feed.  The process used to make horse pellets destroys the weed seed.  Cubes may or may not be weed free certified.  Check the tag on the feed bag.  Hay can be certified by the county Ag Extension Agent.  Ask your feed dealer for the Agent's documentation of the hay.

Many areas permit only certified weed-seed-free feed because some feed contains seeds of noxious weeds and non-native plants. Once established, noxious weeds such as spotted knap weed and leafy spurge can spread and destroy grazing for your stock and wildlife.  You can help protect the land, native plants and your grazing rights by carrying only certified weed-seed-free feed into the forest and by starting your animals on it several days before the trip.

Packing

The Bare Essentials

Lightweight, compact camp equipment: sleeping bags, tents, camp stoves, cookware, and utensils help reduce the number of pack animals, allowing you to take what you really need and minimize your impact on the land.

Nosebags and Mangers

Use of nosebags and mangers to feed your stock hay, pellets or grain will help reduce waste, you don't have to feed stock on the ground, and it's easier on the land.  Animals should use this equipment at home and be comfortable with it before traveling.

Safe Drinking Water

For short trips, carry enough water for the duration of your trip and some unexpected emergencies.  Outdoor stores and catalogs carry filtering devices, chemical treatment tablets and tiny stoves that can boil drinking water quickly without the need for a campfire.  A giardia filter is highly recommended for preventing the awful symptoms of giardiasis.

Food

Taking prepackaged meals, dehydrated or freeze-dried food, or repackaged food will save space and reduce weight. Use lightweight, reusable plastic containers and plastic bags instead of glass and cans.  While it may be tradition, leaving the cast iron skillet at home along with the giant wall tent and opting for more modern lightweight gear will also reduce weight.  This means fewer pack animals will be needed, meaning less feed to carry and less grazing on the land around your campsites.

Minor Mishaps

Take insect repellent and a first-aid kit for both you and your stock.  Make sure you know how to use first-aid kits.  There are many useful web sites to teach you appropriate ways to deal with snake bites, altitude sickness and other life-threatening emergencies.  Be prepared.

On the Trail

Use your "horse sense!" It's easy to overlook, but your own or your animals' lives could be at risk in rough country. Let your stock pick their way through boggy places, slide zones, on slick and steep trails, and through deep water and snow. Or get off and lead them through treacherous stretches.

• Always stay on trails. Cutting across switchbacks tramples plants and creates parallel paths which erode severely.
• Although it's tricky, keep your stock from skirting shallow puddles, small rocks, and bushes. This helps prevent the creation of wide, deteriorating trails.
• At rest stops even short ones tie your stock off the trail. This is courteous to other trail users and helps reduce wear and tear on the trail. Before you move on, scatter the manure.
• NO SMOKING WHILE TRAVELING!  If you are a smoker learn the rules on how and when to enjoy a smoke in the forest safely and correctly.

Trail Courtesy

In the backcountry, say hello! A little simple courtesy makes life more pleasant for everyone.  Observe the basics of trail courtesy:

• In steep, rough country, down-hill traffic usually yields to uphill traffic. If you have a better place to pull off, do so, and let the other folks pass through.
• Hikers and mountain bikes should yield to all stock traffic because it is easier for them to move off the trail. People with llamas and goats should yield to horse and mule traffic because it is easier for them to move off the trail. If they don't, smile and yield the way, or ask them to stand below the trail and wait quietly for your stock to pass.
• In the backcountry, say hello!
• IN STEEP COUNTRY, DOWNHILL TRAFFIC YIELDS TO UPHILL TRAFFIC.

Controlling Stock in Camp

Your animals are important and valuable.  If they wandered off, you'd have a heavy load on your shoulders! Be sure to familiarize and refamiliarize stock with all containment methods you plan to use before you ride into the backcountry. 

• Keep pack animals at least 200 feet from streams, lake shores, trails, and camping areas. This helps keep water clean, protects the soil and plants, and keeps trails and campsites clear of loose stock. Rotate stock around the area to reduce trampling and prevent overgrazing.
• Choose a hard and rocky spot; Never the middle of a meadow or next to a lake or stream.
• Use tree-savers and place the rope about 7 feet above the ground.  Run the rope between the straps, tie with a quick-release knot, and pull tight.  The highline with a tree saver strap prevents stock from trampling roots and chewing bark.
• If you must tie stock to a hitching rail or dead pole, tie a four-to-six inch round pole between two trees. Place padding or wooden shims under the lash ropes to protect the bark. Use rope or twine instead of nails or wire. Always dismantle and take it with you when you leave.
• If you choose to picket, practice at home and make sure your animal accepts the rope.  Avoid areas with obstacles so the rope doesn't get hung up. If you walk your animal to the end of the rope before turning it loose, it's less likely to injure itself by running past the end of the rope. Move the picket pin frequently, to prevent trampling and reduce overgrazing. When you break camp, be sure to take that picket pin with you.
• Hobbles work for some animals, but others can move fast while wearing them.  They can be miles away by the time you finish your coffee.  Again, get your stock used to them before going into the backcountry.
• When you plan to spend several days in one spot, a temporary corral or fence is a good way to keep your stock in camp. Make sure your stock are trained to stay in temporary corrals before leaving home. If you find permanent corrals at trailheads or designated horse camps, use them!
• Rope corrals are relatively easy to rig and move, but they do require extra rope. One method uses two parallel ropes tied with loops or bowlines and threaded with cross ropes for a more secure enclosure.

Your Camp

Like most people, you enjoy campsite privacy and solitude. Where should you put your stock and gear? You can follow the "200-foot guideline":  Keep stock and gear at least 200 feet from the nearest lakes and streams, meadows, trails, and other camps. In the South Warner Wilderness, this is a requirement which helps keep streams and lakes clean, protects the soil and plant life, and keeps trails and campsites clear of loose stock.  It's helpful to follow it in other areas of the forest too.

• Picking a Spot: Select an open, well drained, level spot. In Wilderness areas, you must follow the 200-foot guideline. Rotate stock throughout the area to reduce trampling and prevent overgrazing.
• Soaps and Detergents:  For washing chores, use a basin at least 200 feet from water sources. Water plants and fish are extremely sensitive to soap, even biodegradable soap, and can die from it.
• Cleaning up: To prevent contaminating water sources with stock or human waste, dump it at least 200 feet from water, camp, and trails. Use biodegradable, unscented, white toilet paper. Bury human waste and toilet paper in a small "cat hole" in the top 6 to 8 inches of soil or use a latrine for large parties or long stays. Cover your latrine completely.
• Campfires: Where fires are allowed, we all enjoy the romance of a campfire. However, campfires sterilize the soil, blacken rocks, and leave long-lasting scars on the land. Build them where campfires were previously built. Keep your fires small, attend them while burning, and let them burn down to a fine ash; then stir, scatter or pack out ashes according to local practice for that site.
• Fire Pans and Cookstoves are good alternatives to traditional campfires. Fires built in fire pans are similar to campfires on the ground but cause less damage. You can also use a cookstove instead of a fire: it's light, convenient, and reduces impacts to the land.
• Structures: Rock walls, log benches, lean-tos, and other structures may not be built in the South Warner Wilderness.  These man-made structures detract from and needlessly impact the natural landscape. If you need shelter, bring lightweight equipment with you.

Breaking Camp

When planning your trip, plan for how you will contain and "pack out" all refuse, garbage, campfire debris and trash.

• You may not burn trash in the South Warner Wilderness.
• Burying garbage or any trash, is prohibited.
• Break up and scatter horse manure and fill in pawed holes.
• Clean up and remove all signs of campfires.
• Finally, scatter a covering of needles and cones over the site.

Come back again next year and it should be nearly impossible to find the spot where your and your animals camped.

Choosing a Campsite

Look for a campsite that is invisible from the main trail or road. Tents and packs with subdued earth toned colors can help hide your campsite from nearby campers and travelers on the trail. This will give other visitors a greater feeling of solitude.

Pick a site that is at least 200 feet from a lake shore. Plants along the shore are easily trampled and killed by tents and campfires. Have a good place for a tent where you will not have to destroy vegetation by trenching.

When dispersed camping in a trailer or motorhome, do not drive off road.  Park in turnouts that have been used for vehicles before.  Make sure no part of your vehicle or trailer extends out into the roadway.  Always stay back 200 feet or more from lakes and streams. 

Campfires

The use of a camp stove, backpacking stove, barbecue or a campfire outside of a designated campground requires a California Campfire Permit.  Permits are available free of charge at all Modoc Forest Offices, BLM and CAL FIRE offices and at Readyforwildfire.org.  They expire every year on December 31.

• Campfires can leave unnecessary signs of man’s presence in the forest. The best way to prevent a campfire scar is to use a portable stove and not build a fire at all. If you build a fire, here are some ways to lessen its impact.
• Use only fallen dead wood.  DO NOT cut down snags. Keep your fire small. To prevent your fire from spreading, clear away the duff and litter until you reach dirt. Make sure there are no overhanging branches or severe winds.
• A ring of rocks is not necessary. Rocks will do little to contain a campfire and the flames will color them an unsightly black.
• Never leave your fire unattended and erase all trace of your fire before you leave. Fires should be drowned with water before you go to bed at night and before you leave your campsite any time.  Never allow campfires to smolder and go out on their own.  They can flare up hours or even days later and start wildfires. More on campfire safety.

Trash

Not all garbage, paper, and plastics will burn in a campfire. Aluminum cans and foil will not. They break up into small pieces that become litter.  Do not leave these small, unburned scraps behind.  Please pack them out. Note:  burning trash in the South Warner Wilderness is not permitted.

Cigarette butts, pull tabs and candy bar wrappers are litter. Never bury trash of any kind. The bears and small animals dig up these garbage pits and scatter the trash.  Please pack out all trash and litter. The next camper to the area will certainly appreciate you also picking up any litter left by previous campers.

Soap and Human Waste

• Fish and soapy water do not mix. Please wash your dishes well back from the shore in a pot of water and then dump the water on the ground 200 feet or more from any lake or stream. Wash yourself at least 200 feet away from streams and lakes also.
• Bury human waste with the heel of your boot, a shovel, or a trowel. Dig a hole six inches deep or more into the soil at least 200 feet from lakes and streams. Afterwards, cover with dirt to allow microorganisms to decompose the waste. If you are in a large group, dig a long but shallow latrine. Remember to fill it in before you leave and return the area to the condition you found it in or cleaner. Consider purchasing one of the many commercial products available for the accumulation and disposal of human waste.

Breaking Camp

• When breaking down your camp, always drown your campfire. Make sure it is out by feeling the ashes with the back of your hand. If any ashes feel warm, use more water. Scatter the cold ashes and any rocks away from the campsite where they can’t be seen. Spread needles and twigs over the fire scar.
• Scatter your firewood.
• Pack out all garbage and unburned materials.
• If using stock, scatter animal manure for quicker decomposition.
• Fill the latrine (if you had one).
• Check your campsite and know that you are leaving it cleaner and more natural than it was when you arrived.

As a visitor to the Modoc National Forest, you are asked to follow certain rules designed to protect the forest and the natural environment, to ensure the health and safety of visitors, and to promote pleasant and rewarding outdoor recreation experiences for all visitors. Forest Officers are empowered to enforce the Federal Regulations. Please take time to read and understand them.

As the need arises, the Forest Supervisor may issue Special Orders/Closures that will close or restrict the use of certain areas. Such orders will be posted on bulletin boards around the forest so that visitors can be familiar with them. Copies of the orders will also be available in the offices of the Forest Supervisor and the District Rangers.

Please remember to be careful! You are primarily responsible for your own safety. Look out for natural hazards and dangers when you are in the Forest. If you hike off of trails or swim or dive in rivers or lakes, you do so at YOUR OWN RISK.

 Fee Areas:

• You must pay a fee to use certain developed sites and facilities. Such areas are clearly signed or posted as requiring a fee.
• Where fees are required, you must pay them before using the site, facility, equipment, or service furnished. 

Camping:

• Day use areas such as picnic sites, swimming beaches, and other day use areas are only open between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.  Camping or overnight parking is prohibited in day use areas.
• Campgrounds and other recreation sites can only be used for recreation purposes.
• All campgrounds have a limit to the number of days you can camp.  Campground stay limits are posted at the entrance.
• In campgrounds, camping is permitted only in those places specifically marked or provided.
• At least one person must occupy a camping area during the first night after camping equipment has been set up.
• Do not leave camping equipment unattended for more than 24 hours.
• The Federal Government is not responsible for any loss or damage to personal property.
• Remove all personal property and trash when leaving.

Campfires:

• Obey restrictions on fires.
• Open fires may be limited or prohibited at certain times.  At all times, outside of developed areas, a California Campfire Permit is required to have a campfire, use a barbecue, use a camp stove or lantern.  Permits are free from any California Forest Service Office.
• Within campgrounds and other recreation sites, build campfires only in fire rings, stoves, grills, or fireplaces provided for that purpose.  Keep fires small and contained.
• Be sure your fire is completely extinguished before going to sleep at night and each day before leaving your site.
• YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING FIRES UNDER CONTROL.

Property:

• Do not carve, chop, cut, or damage any live trees. Preserve and protect the Modoc National Forest. Leave natural areas the way you find them.
• Close all gates and be aware of private property boundaries.
• Enter buildings, structures or enclosed areas in National Forests only when they are expressly opened to the public.
• Native American sites, old cabins, and other structures along with objects and artifacts associated with them, have historic or archeological value. Do not damage or remove any such historic or archeological resource. The taking and possession of artifacts is prohibited.

Sanitation:

• Throw all garage and litter in containers provided for this purpose, or take it with you.
• Garbage containers, when provided, are reserved for the use of visitors to the Modoc National Forest, not visitors to or owners of private lands or lands under permit.
• Use water faucets only for drawing water.
• Wash food and personal items away from drinking water faucets.
• Prevent pollution - keep garbage, litter, and foreign substances out of lakes, streams, and other water areas.
• Use toilets properly.  Do not throw garbage, litter, fish cleanings, or other foreign substances in toilets and plumbing fixtures.

Operation of Vehicles:

• Obey all traffic signs.
• State traffic laws apply to all roads in the Modoc National Forest unless otherwise specified.  This includes the requirement for a valid driver's license.
• When operating vehicles of any kind, do not damage the roads, land or vegetation or disturb wildlife. Avoid driving on unpaved roads or trails when they are wet or muddy.
• Within campgrounds and other recreation sites, use cars, motorbikes, motorcycles, or other motor vehicles only for entering or leaving, unless areas or trails are specifically marked for them.
• Park only in marked parking areas.
• Do not park your vehicle so as to block, restrict, or interfere with the use of roads or trails.
• Obey area and trail restrictions on the use of trail bikes and other off-road vehicles.

Pets and Animals:

• Pets must always be restrained or on a leash while in developed recreation sites.  Leashes or tie ropes may not be longer than 6 feet.
• Pets (except guide dogs) are not allowed in swimming areas.
• Please clean up and properly dispose of all pet droppings.  For more on dogs see Canine Campers.
• Saddle or pack animals are allowed in recreation sites only where authorized by posted instructions.  For more on horses and pack stock see Horse Sense.

Fireworks and Firearms:

• Fireworks and explosives are prohibited in all National Forests.
• Firing a gun is not allowed:  in or within 150 yards of a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation site, or occupied area; across or on a road or body of water; in any circumstance whereby any person may be injured or property damaged.

National Forest Wilderness:

• Motor vehicles and motorized equipment are not allowed in wilderness areas.
• Preserve the wilderness - "Leave only footprints, take only pictures."
• Using a trail, campsite, or other area of the wilderness by a group of more than 25 members is prohibited except with a special-use authorization.
• For more on wilderness ethics see South Warner Wilderness,  Leave No Trace and Wilderness Ethics.

Public Behavior:

• No fighting or boisterous behavior.
• Keep noise at a reasonable level.
• Please be considerate of fellow visitors.
• Threatening, intimidating or interfering with any forest employee is a federal offense.

Audio Devices:

• Only operate audio devices, such as a radio or musical instrument, so that it does not disturb other visitors.
• A permit is required for operating a public address system in or near a campsite, developed recreation site, or over a body of water.

Business Activities

• You may not sell, offer to sell or advertise any product or commercial business on the Modoc National Forest.
• Permits are required for any commercial activity including non-profit organizations.  For information see Special Use Permits.

Last But Not Least...

Our final rule: Enjoy your visit!  Plan to come back!