"Panoche Hills" by Bureau of Land Management California , public domain
![]() | Panoche Hills, Griswold Hills, Tumey HillsMap and Guide |
Map and Guide of Panoche Hills, Griswold Hills, Tumey Hills Recreation Areas (RA) in California. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
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covered parks
U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Panoche Hills
Griswold Hills
Tumey Hills
Map & Guide
Other Local Resources
Mendota Wildlife Area
4333 Santa Fe Grade, Mendota, CA 93622
CA Dept of Fish and Game
(559) 655-4645
Los Banos Wildlife Area
18110 Henry Miller Rd
Los Banos, CA 93635
(209) 826-0463
Little Panoche Wildlife Area
Little Panoche Reservoir, California 93622
CA Department of Fish and Game
(209) 826-0463
San Luis Reservoir State
Recreation Area
31426 Gonzaga Road
Gustine, CA 95322
(800) 346-2711
Bureau of Land Management
940 2nd Avenue
Marina, CA 93933
(831) 582-2200
BLM_CA_Web_CC@blm.gov
blm.gov/california
BLM/CA/GI-2009-026+8350 REV 3/19
Desert Hills
of the San Joaquin Valley
Bureau of Land Management public
lands in the Panoche, Griswold and
Tumey hills of southern San Benito
and western Fresno counties provide
a wealth of outdoor recreational
opportunities, including hunting, target
shooting, camping, hiking, stargazing
and wildlife viewing.
The rugged hills west of Interstate 5 provide habitat for
many rare and endangered species, such as the San
Joaquin kit fox, giant kangaroo rat, and blunt-nosed
leopard lizard. Vegetation consists of annual grassland,
with saltbrush, Mormon tea shrubs, and yucca. Typical
plants found growing on the gypsum barrens found in
and protruding buckwheat.
Blunt-nosed leopard lizard. Photo by Ryan O’Dell, BLM.
RESTRICTIONS
•
mid-April to mid-October.
• No shooting zone within 150 yards of any
developed area.
• There is no night hunting.
• Vehicles are restricted to designated routes.
• Off-Highway Vehicles (OHVs) are prohibited.
Panoche Hills
The Panoche Hills provide a “badlands” experience just
a few hours from the Bay Area. Panoche Access Road
winds east from Little Panoche Road (J-1 County Road),
up the side of the valley and crests on a windswept
plateau dotted with Mormon tea and juniper. Further
south and east, the hills become a succession of razorbacked ridges and plunging canyons. The southern
end of the hills encompass a series of terraces, along
Panoche Creek, densely covered with saltbrush. The
low ambient light in the region creates ideal conditions
for stargazing, and both amateur and professional
astronomers travel every year to the hills to view the
Perseid meteor shower in August.
Griswold Hills
South from Panoche Road and north of the Vallecitos
Valley, are the Griswold Hills. A foot trail from the
day use area parking lot zigzags up the hillside to the
ridgetop above. The Griswold Hills are a destination
for hunters seeking upland game birds. Rock outcrops
provide homes for the yellow-backed spiny lizard, which
sports a bright black-and yellow collar and can grow
to more than12 inches long. In the spring, the hills are
covered with mariposa lilies, Indian paintbrush, poppies
and wild sage. There is also good habitat for the foothill
yellow-legged frog and the western pond turtle.
Tumey Hills
South of the Panoche Hills are the Tumey Hills, a
series of bare rolling hills and valleys dotted with
saltbush. Two entrances along Panoche Road give
access to the area. Both entrances have pedestrian
walk-through gates for access when entrance gates
are closed. Annual grasslands are lovely in springtime,
protected San Joaquin kit fox, blunt-nosed leopard
lizard, and giant kangaroo rats make their homes in
these hills. Visitors enjoy a day use facility with parking,
shade structures, picnic benches, vault toilets and an
interpretive kiosk with a map and information about the
area.
Photo by Michael Westphal, BLM.
Griswold Hills—Geology
The Griswold Hills are an east-west trending ridge
complex completely located within the north-south
trending Coast Range Geomorphic Province of Central
California. In a general sense this east –west trending
ridgeline is bounded; to the north by the Panoche Valley,
to the east by the Tumey and Ciervo Hills, to the south
by the Vallecitos Valley and to the west by the San
Andreas Fault system.
Located approximately thirty-four (34) miles northwest
southwest of the city of Fresno – the Griswold Hills
provide some of the best exposures of the sedimentary
units making up the Coast Range’s Diablo Range.
The largest component of the exposed sedimentary
terrain in this east-west trending anticline is the
late Cretaceous aged Panoche Formation. On the
successive sequential sections (with the exception of
the regionally missing Oligocene-aged strata) from the
aforementioned Panoche Formation to the Plioceneaged Oro Loma Formation. In essence, other than the
regionally absent strata from the Oligocene – one can
view the sedimentary record left from over 90 million
years of the Earth history in this area.
Traces of the Past
The Panoche, Griswold and Tumey Hills are underlain
by marine sedimentary rocks primarily of Cretaceous
age (65 million years ago). During the Cretaceous, most
of California that we see today was underwater. Small
islands, representing the very highest points of the
present day Coast Range, had just begun to emerge
from the ocean. The present day Central Valley was
a shallow sea. Large sea-dwelling reptiles, such as
Mosasaurs and Plesiosaurs, swam the shallow seas
along with sea turtles and other marine animals near
the islands.
Both the Tumey Hills and Panoche Hills have produced
important fossil discoveries, including mosasaurs and
hadrosaurs. Removal of vertebrate fossils is prohibited
without a permit from BLM.
Plesiosaur Vertebrae Photo by Ryan O’Dell, BLM.
Camping & Hiking
Primitive, dispersed camping opportunities on BLM
public lands in the Panoche, Tumey, and Griswold Hills
are limited to 14 days within any 30-day period at a
particular location. Motor vehicles must stay within 15
feet (roughly 1 vehicle length) of designated routes.
Hiking opportunities are available along existing routes
that are not designated for motor vehicle use.
Please practice Leave No Trace® principles when
visiting all public lands.
RULES REGUARDING FIRE USE
other activities that have the potential to cause a
Additional responsibilities include carrying water and
Livestock Grazing
Photo by Ryan O’Dell, BLM.
Livestock grazing has occurred on public lands in the
Panoche, Tumey and Griswold Hills since the 1800’s
and continues today under the BLM grazing leases
authorized by the Taylor Grazing Act of 1942. Please
do not disturb or harm the livestock animals grazing on
public lands.
Hunting
Hunting opportunities on BLM public lands within the
San Joaquin Valley consist primarily of game birds
(chukar and quail), wild pig and deer. The BLM and
California Department of Fish and Game manage
Panoche Hills Wilderness Study Area. Photo by Michael Westphal, BLM.
game animals for hunting by providing watering sites
(guzzlers) and planting cover shrubs. All areas are
known for the bird and pig opportunities, with deer
being found primarily in the Griswolds.
Special Designations
Two Wilderness Study Areas (WSA):
Panoche Hills North and Panoche Hills South, are
managed for their wilderness qualities until Congress
designation. No motorized access is allowed within the
WSA to prevent impacts to these values.
Much of these public lands are also part of the
Panoche-Coalinga Area of Critical Environmental
Concern (ACEC) and the Monvero Dunes Research
Natural Area (RNA), which are managed to preserve and
protect many special status plants and animal species
that inhabit the region. Sightings of endangered San
Joaquin kit fox, blunt-nosed leopard lizard and giant
kangaroo rats are not unusual; however, wildlife viewers
should take care and avoid disturbing these sensitive
species in their natural habitats.
Photo by Michael Westphal, BLM.
The region has long been known to bird enthusiasts
for the uncommon species that can be seen, such
as phainopepla and mountain plover. Other animal
species, like the San Joaquin antelope squirrel with its
distinctive stripes, can also be seen by the alert wildlife
watcher. The rare Ciervo aegialian scarab beetle and
the San Joaquin dune beetle are found only in the
Monvero Dunes.
How Can I Help?
Anyone can volunteer. Youths must volunteer with a
parent/guardian, or be a part of an organized group
such as a school, civic or church with written consent.
To become a volunteer, apply at Volunteer.gov and/or
nearest you.
198
198
San Lucas
269
Coalinga
198
198
198
198
269
33
269
41
269
San Ardo
269
41
Lockwood
41
RESTRICTIONS
• Closed to motorized use during fire season from
mid-April to mid-October.
k
• No shooting zone within 150 yards of any
developed area.
• There is no night hunting.
P7
• Vehicles are restricted to designated routes.
• Park within 15 feet of designated routes.
P2
• Off-Highway Vehicles (OHVs) are prohibited.
P4
P3
]!
!
3
P8
J
33
152
Los Banos
152
233
99
2.Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
145
145
165
3.Dispose of Waste Properly
165
156
156
1.Plan Ahead and Prepare
233
59
165
152
33
Hollister
145
PA
N
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AC
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SS
Fo
rk
25
25
ttl
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Panoche Hills
North WSA
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Panoc
Littl e
146
OC
180
6.Respect Wildlife
Three Rocks
25
146
4.Leave What You Find
5.Minimize Campfire Impacts
33
145
7.Be Considerate of Other Visitors
25
269
25
269
269
269
25
198
8
P1
P9
198
198 198 269
198 198
198
269
198
San Lucas
Coalinga
198
198
198
198
33
269
269
269
Lockwood
41
41
41
0
P2
For animal fossils (includes shells):
1.Vertebrate fossils (any animal with a backbone)
CANNOT be collected.
2.Shells CAN be collected.
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Rules Regarding Fossil Collection
269
269
San Ardo
P1
LIT
198 198
King City
101
PA
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180
33
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25
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145
5
Soledad
146
P14
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25
P1
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180
33
25
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180
180
Creek
P1
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59
165
152
P6
So
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165
33
33
152
P10
Mercy Hot
Springs
P5
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!
Mi ne Creek
For plant fossils:
M
P11
yC
1.Collecting plant fossils of scientific interest including
fossilized leaves or needles, plant reproductive
structures (cones, flowers, seeds), and fossilized
logs (> 6 inch diameter) is PROHIBITED.
P7
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P2
Vasquez
Bureau of Land Management
P1
P3
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!
3
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P6
Ag
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PA
N
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AC
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Panoche Hills
North WSA
P1
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ila
So
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Fo
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P12
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Any and all fossil collection must be
County Boundary
for personal use only.
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!
Kiosk
Rules Regarding Fire Use
!
3
¹
!
Picnic Area - Trailhead
A California Campfire Permit is required for any
Services
dispersed campfire on public lands. This free permit can
J
Mercy Hot Springs
be obtained from the Central Coast Field Office, or on-
No Motorized Access Year Round
P22
§5
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TU1
La
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Mercy Hot
Springs
Wilderness Study Area
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P10
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P13
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State
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P4
Creek
Panoche Hills
South WSA
P1
P14
P1
P9
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P1
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Pa
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P2
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3
!
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line at www.preventwildfireca.org.
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Seasonal fire restrictions may prohibit campfires and
BLM Roads
other activities that have the potential to cause a
County Roads
P11
TU1
!
P1
TU
4
P13
P22
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
¹
!
the fire is dead out. Never attempt to build a campfire
during windy conditions or leave a campfire unattended.
4
TU
Silver
Creek
in California.
Tips for Responsible Recreational
Shooting
• Never shoot if you do not have a clear view of your
target and beyond
TU
12
TU6
TU
1
• Shooting sites should have high dirt berms free of
rocks and vegetation
01 0.5
1:45,000
TU1
TU1
2 Miles
TU
12
TU6
TU
1
Report unlawful activity to authorities by calling 9-1-1
Griswold Creek
TU7
No warranty is made by the Bureau
of Land Management. The accuracy,
reliability or completeness of these data
for individual use or aggregate use with
other data is not guaranteed.
nta
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r ee
cito
TU5
Val
le
s Cr
eek
TU1
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k
NE
Val
le
BLM_Panoche-Tumey-Griswold-Hills_brochure_20x18.indd 2
cito
Don’t let target
shooting end
with a wildland fire
• Steel core ammunition is
prohibited
• Incendiary or tracer rounds are prohibited
WI
D RIA
• Exploding targets are prohibited
s Cr
eek
NE
• Remove your target materials, shells and trash
• Practice target shooting only in areas open to
recreational shooting
TU8
Pim
e
• Don’t shoot glass or other objects that can shatter
• Don’t shoot household appliances or other objects
dumped
TU1
0
k
• Don’t shoot upon or across roads, waterways or
trails
• Don’t shoot at trees, cactus or other living things
TU8
TU5
Silv
e
Cre r
ek
In order to prevent the accidental poisoning of California
TU1
TU1
Silv
e
Cre r
ek
TU1
4
TU
TU
7
Griswold Creek
Restriction on Lead Ammunition
N
TU7
er
Sil v e k
C re
G1
a shovel to prevent an escaped campfire, and ensure
condors, lead ammunition had been banned for hunting
v er
Sil e k
C re
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ee
Cr
TU
4
!
3
]
!
Additional responsibilities include carrying water and
Perennial Stream
Intermittent Stream
!
3
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!
2
TU
r ee
!
TU
7
TU1
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ree
P1
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ila
Pa
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no
PANOCHE
ta l
C
!
Ag
u
3
!
!
]
Pim
en
!
2
TU
Panoche Hills
South WSA
G1
wildland fire. Know before you go.
Interstate
Silver
Creek
PANOCHE
La
s
2.Small diameter (< 6 inches) fossilized branch
fragments CAN be collected.
W ID
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7/11/2019 3:51:02 PM