Henry Fire Update (link to InciWeb)—Located in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness northeast of Spicer Reservoir and southwest of Highland Lakes at 7500 ft. elevation. Fire managers are utilizing a confine/contain strategy using ridges, creeks, trails, and natural barriers to manage the fire.
CAL FIRE suspends dooryard burning permits as of May 2: CAL FIRE has suspended all dooryard burning - meaning residential burn piles - until weather conditions allow, likely next fall. If you have questions, please contact your local fire agency or CAL FIRE for more information, or review information at https://burnpermit.fire.ca.gov/.
Prescribed burn plans announced for the Experimental Forest and Mi-Wok Ranger District: News releases for prescribed burn plans on South Fork on the Mi-Wok Ranger District and the Experimental Forest on the Summit Ranger District are located in the News & Alerts section of the website. In addition, maps for both burn notices are included with the news release.
May 4, 2021—Lumsden Road closed for SFPUC improvements project beginning March 1: The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is improving the existing 19-mile Mountain Tunnel, which is more than 90 years old and needs repairs to ensure a reliable water supply to Hetch Hetchy customers. The improvements project will widen parts of Lumsden Road and put rockfall protection into place. Lumsden Road will be closed to all traffic from March 1 through April 30, 2021, limiting access to Merals Pool and the Lumsden Campground areas. After April 30 the road will be accessible weekdays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., and on weekends from 7 a.m. to dusk. Construction may restart on Sunday night. Be prepared for any delays caused by construction. Read more about the Mountain Tunnel Improvements Project.
Forest Visitor Maps
Are you looking for a Stanislaus National Forest map during our virtual services? Our partner, 3 Forests Interpretive Association, or 3FIA, offers National Forest Visitor Maps for sale online! Learn more about other online map tools.
Select any of the following titles to learn more about various topics
Forest Orders
Henry Fire Area Closure effective July 9, 2021 (STF-16-2021-11).
Forest Road Closure (Road 1S28B) effective July 2, 2021 (STF-16-2021-10).
Rainbow Pool alcohol restrictions effective June 25, 2021 (STF-16-2021-09).
Cherry Lake Camping restrictions effective June 25, 2021 (STF-16-2021-08).
Fire Restrictions
Fire restrictions in moderate hazard areas effective June 24, 2021 (STF-16-2021-06) and high hazard areas (STF-16-2021-05) effective May 22, 2021.
Pinecrest Day Use Area
June 6, 2021: The Pinecrest Day Use is open to the public. The Forest Service has been working closely with Tuolumne County and state officials to ensure alignment with all state and county health regulations.
We are asking visitors to socially distance themselves from other parties in compliance with state and county health guidelines.
Trash removal is limited - please pack and take all your trash and waste with you when you leave!
The boat ramp is open.
Pinecrest businesses are open. All permitted businesses are required to follow state and county health guidelines, so you may notice adaptations when you visit them.
Restrooms are open and cleaned daily. Visitors will need to bring their own hand sanitizer and soap in the day use area. We do not provide paper towels, visitors are advised to bring a hand towel if you want to dry your hands.
Park your vehicle in designated locations and aparking spots only.
If you are planning a trip to Pinecrest this summer, please know it gets extremely busy -especially on weekends! Please bring your patience!
Campgrounds
Campgrounds information. Visit our Recreation page, listed as a tab on the upper left corner, to see what recreation sites, including campgrounds, are opening this season. If you have any questions, please call the ranger district where the campground is located for more information.
Wilderness Permits
A Wilderness Permit is required for all overnight trips to the Emigrant, Carson-Iceberg, and Mokelumne Wilderness Areas.
Updated June 2021: Our permit process has changed for the 2021 season. Please help us to serve all wilderness visitors well by contacting us in advance as listed below.
You can acquire a permit the following ways: Phone, Walk - In or Online
Phone: Please call the one of our open offices for your permit 1 to 5 days in advance of your trip departure date.
Walk - In: You may acquire your permit on the same day or day before your trip, from one of our offices that are open to the public.
Online: Online applications must be submitted 5 to 15 days in advance.
To apply online, your trip plan must meet all the following conditions:
You must submit no less than 5 days prior to your trip start date, and no more than 15 days ahead of your trip start date. This gives our staff time to review your request and sometimes ask you to make a change based on our regulations. It also ensures permit requirements are current.
Your trip must be no more than 7 nights total. If your trip is longer, you simply need to call us to get your permit. Our online system currently does not have the ability to handle such long trips.
Your trip must start at one of our wilderness trailheads, and the trip must stay within one of the 3 wilderness areas listed above. Our online system currently does not have the ability to handle multi-wilderness requests.
You must be able to receive email and print your permit from home. Visitors are required to carry a paper copy of their permit with them during their trip. If you do not have a home printer, call us for a permit and we will print it and have it ready at the office for pick-up, either in the overnight box or inside.
Off-Highway Vehicle recreation information - TO BE UPDATED Soon!
Forest Product Permits
If you are looking for other forest product permits, please contact the ranger district (phone numbers are listed above) where you wish to collect other forest products for more information.
Fuelwood permits can be requested through the Permit Request Line at 209-288-6241. Please leave a voicemail with your name and telephone number and a front desk clerk will contact you.
Mushroom permits are available for harvesting on all ranger districts. To request a mushroom permit please call the ranger district office in the area where you want to harvest. View the 2021 free permit 16-117a Forest Products ROG.
For information about other forest product permits, please call (209) 272-5455.
Forest Supervisor's Notes
Forest Supervisor Jason Kuiken believes there is nothing more critical to maintaining good relationships than communication. Residents, communities and ranger districts share a dedication to keeping the forest healthy, but sometimes Forest Service procedures and actions may not be clearly understood by those outside the agency. Jason is committed to engaging the community by sharing information about some of the actions being undertaken on the forest. Jason will post a series of notes highlighting some of the vital activities that go into regaining a healthy forest. Read Jason's notes.
Forest Orders
Fire Restrictions
Forest Supervisor Jason Kuiken believes there is nothing more critical to maintaining good relationships than communication. Residents, communities and ranger districts share a dedication to keeping the forest healthy, but sometimes Forest Service procedures and actions may not be clearly understood by those outside the agency. Jason is committed to engaging the community by sharing information about some of the actions being undertaken on the forest. Jason will post a series of notes highlighting some of the vital activities that go into regaining a healthy forest. 
