Granite Chief Wilderness Trail Reroute

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In 2023, trail crews broke ground on what will be 6 miles of new trail connecting the Tevis Cup Trail through the northern end of the Granite Chief Wilderness. This reroute is a result of declining conditions on the current trail, which has steep grades that have become rutted from repeated use and go over hillside springs, posing user safety and resource damage challenges.  

Last year's record snowpack delayed 2023 work by a few weeks, but that hasn’t stopped our many partners and volunteers from making excellent progress towards completing the trail. After USFS trail crews cleared the route of snow in early spring, the Inyo National Forest Center of Excellence Packers packed supplies into the California Conservation Corps’ (CCC) backcountry basecamp.  

Due to the remote nature of the project, the California Conservation Corps (CCC) have been living at a basecamp within the backcountry and rely on supplies hauled in by pack stock on a weekly basis. Now nearing the end of their season, the CCC are working hard to dig out trail, cut back vegetation and build rock retaining walls all without the use of motorized equipment which is prohibited within federally designated wilderness areas.  

Despite these limitations, the CCC have completed a whopping 1.75 miles of re-routed trail through human-powered tools alone. In addition to progress made by the CCC, Western States Endurance Run volunteers helped construct a rock causeway, also known as an elevated tread platform, that will help reduce erosion in areas of poor soil type.  

Forward progress on the project is thanks to our many partners who have worked alongside Tahoe National Forest staff every step of the way. Partners on the project include the Western States Endurance Run Foundation (organizers of the Western States Endurance Run), the Western States Trail Foundation (organizers of the Tevis Cup Ride), the Pacific Southwest Region Pack Stock Center of Excellence, Palisades Tahoe, Great Basin Institute, and the California Conservation Corps.  

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