"Rice Canyon OHV Area" by Bureau of Land Management California , public domain
BLM Eagle Lake Field OfficeWilderness Study Areas |
Brochure of Wilderness Study Areas in the BLM Eagle Lake Field Office in California. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
featured in
California Pocket Maps |
Welcome
U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Wilderness Study Areas
Eagle Lake Field Office
The Bureau of Land Management is responsible
for 260 wilderness areas and 491 wilderness study
areas in the western United States and Alaska. From
primitive hunting locations to remote fishing, hiking,
and camping spots, these designated areas provide
unparalleled opportunities for time spent outdoors.
Wilderness Study Areas
The wilderness study areas of California’s Eagle
Lake Field Office offer an amazing opportunity to
experience the vast ruggedness of the western Great
Basin. Stretched before you are vast panoramas
of sage and rice grass uplands rising to eroded
volcanic peaks, bisected by canyons and abundant
with wildlife. Here mammoths once foraged near
Pleistocene Lake Lahontan. Later these regions
formed the homelands for hunter-gatherer peoples,
and still later they were marked by the wagon tracks
of explorers and emigrants from the East.
Rugged, quiet, and mostly untouched by humans,
these places offer rare opportunities for solitude and
primitive recreation in an increasingly urbanized
world. However, their future is still undetermined.
Map & Guide
Protect your public lands and resources by
staying on designated routes and trails!
In 1976 Congress directed the BLM to evaluate
all public land under its jurisdiction for wilderness
characteristics. These identified areas became WSA
set aside for Congress to consider adding to the
National Wilderness Preservation System. Until
Congress decides to add or end consideration of a
WSA, the BLM manages the area to preserve its
suitability for designation as wilderness, defined by
the Wilderness Preservation Act as “where the earth
and community of life are untrammeled by man,
where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.”
Congress mandated four wilderness characteristics in
each WSA that must not be impaired:
2550 Riverside Dr.
Susanville, CA 96130
(530) 257-0456
BLM/CA-GI-2022/003+8000
Bureau of Land Management
Eagle Lake Field Office
www.blm.gov/office/eagle-lake-field-office
Let someone know where you are going
and when you expect to return!
Hospital Information
Banner Lassen Medical Center
Emergency Room
1800 Spring Ridge Dr.
Susanville, CA 96130
(530) 252-2000
size as to make practicable its preservation and use in
an unimpaired condition.
Naturalness: Generally appears to have been
Five Springs WSA
affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the
imprint of man’s work substantially unnoticeable.
Outstanding opportunities: Outstanding
opportunities for solitude or a primitive and
unconfined recreation.
Other features: May also contain ecological,
geological, or other features of scientific, educational,
scenic, or historical value.
The WSAs managed by the Eagle Lake Field Office
are rich in wilderness qualities. They also sustain
cattle grazing and limited vehicle access. This field
office manages over one million acres of public land,
which includes about 330,000 acres of WSAs.
For more information about the WSAs not covered in
this guide and map, please contact the field office
at 530-257-0456.
North Eastern Rural Health Clinic
Urgent Care
Susanville, CA 96130
(530) 251-5000
Contact Information
(530) 257-6121
California Department of Fish and
Wildlife, Lassen County
(530) 254-6644
California State Parks Off-Highway
Vehicle Recreation Division
(916) 324-4442
Emergencies
DIAL 911
Safety
Road conditions can change suddenly in
stormy weather. Many of the cherry stems and
designated roads that access the WSAs are not
maintained regularly.
• Adverse weather, fire, and flooding can all
happen in the WSAs. Check local forecasts
and be aware of changing conditions.
• Mountain lions are rarely seen, but it you
encounter one, do not run. Stand your ground,
look bigger by fanning out jackets, make noise
and throw rocks.
• Use updated maps and orientation, as GPS and
phone signals are limited.
• Bring sunscreen, clothing layers, and plenty of
water and food.
• Always filter or boil water from natural
sources.
• Be aware of other hunters and visitors and
practice safe hunting.
• Range cattle may be encountered in the WSAs
year-round, and they may not move for you.
Use caution and approach slowly.
Central to Five Springs WSA are three ridge-like
peaks: Five Springs Mountain, Cherry Mountain,
and Rush Creek Mountain. Heavily eroded, each
mountain now forms multiple peaks separated by
wide canyons. Rush Creek is a riparian corridor with
willows, but is mostly perennial, as is nearby
Stony Creek.
WSAs that year, it “grandfathered” these routes
in, making them legal for driving and bicycling.
They are open to street-legal vehicles, off-highway
vehicles, and bicycles. While they access the
WSAs, these cherry stems are not part of the WSAs
themselves. The WSA boundaries follow the edges
of the roads.
The legal roads, also open to vehicles, OHVs and
bicycles, are similar. For example, Skedaddle Ranch
Road is legal for vehicle and bicycle use. If you step
out of your vehicle onto Skedaddle Ranch Road you
are not in a WSA. If you step off the road, you have
entered a WSA.
Unauthorized Routes
Creating new vehicle tracks (including bicycle
tracks), routes or surface disturbances in a WSA is
illegal and punishable by law. Visitors using any
vehicles must limit their travel to the legal cherry
stems and designated roads shown on the
included map.
Remote and surrounded primarily by roadless areas,
this WSA is a quiet bastion for wildlife.
Other Recreation Opportunities
• Plan Ahead & Prepare
Rugged and untamed, the core of this WSA is a
massive caldera blending the summits, canyons,
and alluvial slopes of the Skedaddle and Amedee
Mountains. This caldera, an erupted volcanic crater,
crests at Hot Springs Peak (7,558 ft.) where aspen
groves overlook sagebrush-covered flats to the north
and east. These habitats are essential for sage grouse
courtship and nesting and provide for many other
species as well.
• Dispose of Waste Properly
Hikers atop the ranges to the west are rewarded with
views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Honey
Lake and will find ample signs of mountain lions
and coyotes on these elongated inclines, as well as
in the canyons that bisect them. James, Amedee, and
Wendel Canyons support willows, wild rose, and
berry shrubs at the bases of steep, crumbling cliffs.
Gold rush-era wagon tracks cross the northern
sections of the WSA. Smoke Creek Road, along
with Skedaddle Ranch Road, are open for OHV use
and popular with chukar and antelope hunters.
Dry Valley Rim WSA
Defined by a fault block 20 miles long and rising
1,500 feet over its surroundings, the rim of Dry
Valley commands views of Smoke Creek Desert to
the east. In the spring, brilliant wildflowers bloom
where Pleistocene Lake Lahontan once lapped
its shores.
West of there, mule deer and pronghorn antelope
browse grasses and sagebrush, attracting animal
predators year-round and hunters in the fall.
Chukar partridge is the hunter’s favorite bag within
the steep rock escarpments on the Nevada side.
Hunter access to the east is via Pipe Springs Road
• Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces
• Leave What You Find
• Minimize Campfire Impacts
• Respect Wildlife
• Be Considerate of Other Visitors
Where to Drive and Bicycle
Cherry Stems and Legal Roads
There are two main types of routes open to vehicle
and bicycle access in the WSAs: cherry stems and
legal roads. Cherry stems are primitive driving routes
that existed prior to 1979. When Congress established
Hiking
Hiking is a great way to explore the WSAs.
Hike on durable surfaces following Leave No Trace
principles. There are no designated hiking trails in the
WSAs. Choose your own adventure using maps and
orienteering. GPS and phone signals are limited.
Camping
WSAs are great for primitive and dispersed
tent camping. There are no developed campsites
and potable water is not available. Bring plenty of
drinking water and be prepared for harsh desert
conditions. Camping is allowed up to 14 days
Campfires
Minimize campfire impacts by choosing
durable surfaces and cleaning up after use. Campfires
are permitted with a current campfire permit,
available free online or at any BLM or Forest
Service office. Seasonal fire restrictions may prohibit
campfires during periods of high fire danger. Make
sure your fire is completely out and cold to the touch
when leaving camp. You can get a campfire permit
and check on fire restrictions and conditions by
checking with the Eagle Lake Field Office.
Ride on durable surfaces following Leave No
Trace principles. There are no designated trails in the
WSAs. Choose your own adventure using maps and
orienteering.
Hunting
Hunting on foot or horseback is the preferred
method in the WSAs. Vehicle use is limited to
legal roads and cherry stem routes shown on the
map. Respect all private property postings and
gain permission to cross private lands. For hunting
regulations contact the California Department of Fish
and Wildlife or the Nevada Department of Fish and
Wildlife, depending on your location.
Leave No Trace
Skedaddle WSA
Activities
Horseback Riding
In addition to this guide the BLM manages several
WSA’s which include Tunnison Mountain, Buffalo
Hills, Twin Peaks and a portion of the Poodle
Mountain WSA. For a map of these WSAs or other
lands, a Recreation Map and Guide is available for
purchase and covers the entire BLM Eagle Lake Field
Office Boundary.
Additional free maps and guides which depict
off-highway vehicle (OHV) use opportunities are
available for the Fort Sage OHV area, Rice Canyon
OHV Area and Dry Valley OHV area at the BLM
Eagle Lake Field Office and on the web at
www.blm.gov/office/eagle-lake-field-office.
1850 Spring Ridge Dr.
Lassen County Sheriff’s Department
Non-Emergency
The Nobles Emigrant Trail is a window into the
past, cutting through Smoke Creek Canyon along the
northern edge of the WSA. Ruts left by wagon wheels
of the pioneers are visible near the interpretive sign
alongside Smoke Creek Road. The landscape is much
as it was in the 1850s, when travelers seeking fortune
and fresh opportunities faced great risk or lost their
lives passing through here.
For more information contact the BLM Eagle Lake
Field Office for a map and guide of the Nobles
Emigrant Trail.
Size: At least 5,000 acres of land or is of sufficient
For more information contact:
while the north side is accessible from Smoke
Creek Road.
Fishing
Please adhere to as the map and signs in the WSAs
when planning vehicle or bicycle excursions.
Respecting these laws is an important part of
protecting these lands.
The California State Parks Off-Highway Motor
Vehicle Recreation Division (OHMVR) grant
program funding is used in part to restore and sign
these unauthorized routes created by OHV use.
Please respect the lands and stay on the authorized
roads and trails! For more information about the grant
program funding visit their website at https://ohv.
parks.ca.gov/
Several of the WSA creeks provide good
fishing, including Willow Creek in the Tunnison
Mountain WSA. For fishing regulations contact the
California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
OHVs
OHV use is limited to legal cherry stems and
designated roads shown on the map. Please stay on
the legal routes. Competitive races are prohibited.
Bicycles
Bicycle use is limited to cherry stem routes
and roads shown on the map. Organized group events
are prohibited.
Other Activities
The WSAs are great places for photography, night
sky viewing, birdwatching, and wildlife viewing.
Prominent Wildlife: You may see pronghorn antelope,
mule deer, wild horses, wild burros, coyotes,
mountain lions, bobcats, Great Basin rattlesnakes,
Great Basin collared lizards, sage grouse, chukar
partridges, golden eagles, bald eagles, ravens,
burrowing owls, and brown trout.
Prominent Plant Life: Expect to see sagebrush, Indian
ricegrass, juniper, pinyon pine, sedges, willows, wild
rose, curl leaf mountain mahogany, berry shrubs,
and aspen.
Cultural Resources
Ancient petroglyphs and other cultural artifacts
may be found in the WSAs. Many of these are
hold spiritual significance to people today. Leave
artifacts where you find them and do not touch or
rub petroglyphs. These are protected resources. It is
against the law to damage, disturb or remove them.
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09
10
55
0
Smok
11
Gilman Spring
15
04
05
06
01
03
10
17
D
01
02
0
45
Jenkins
Troughs
26
25
29
Lower
Smoke Creek
ACEC
Ea
re
tC
Line
04
07
12
11
30
25
26
27
28
29
un
ta
24
23
22
21
Dee p C re ek
4500
08
24
23
27
28
32
31
35
34
33
32
31
36
35
34
33
05
06
01
02
19
23
22
h
S out F o r k Rush C re ek
35020: SKEDADDL E
r et C reek
Sec
ek
36
32
cr e
24
Rd
Deep Cut Rd
k
ree
c
Modo
Se
4500
pC
20
ee
k
23
22
21
0
31
36
35
34
ee
27
28
29
30
26
Cr
20
re
ek
R
an
ch
26
15
550
D
Five Springs
WSA
Dee p C r eek
27
22
21
20
19
Three Springs
BL
M26
02
0
26
23
4500
28
29
30
24
22
e k oke
20
19
24
13
14
15
16
20
60
0
cr
ec
25
p Cut
395
25
27
T30N
19
21
£
¤
Se
ret
S ec
T31N
24
0
5500
Ta b l e l a n d s
23
22
20
re
Sm
14
Sm
ok
et
k
ree
Dee
r
C
0
55
16
21
17
18
13
14
15
16
D e
17
13
Smoke C
17
18
13
13
15
16
17
18
13
14
Five Springs
21
Cr
ee
20
19
24
23
22
S
k
15
17
Burro
Mountain,
6,013 ft
18
13
500
0
16
Ru s h C
0
lle
14
18
Cre ek
re
S
Cree k
Ru sh
Rush Cr
e ek
10
Rd
Va
D eep
Rush Creek
Ranch
Cherry Spring
09
ok
in
et
Five Springs
Mountain,
5,971 ft
08
07
12
12
i
Karlo
13
14
15
11
10
09
08
Sm
0
11
15
16
17
07
12
Locked Gate
09
08
07
0
50
10
a
unt
Mo
ro
ur n Rd
18
12
Bur B
ro
Mo
e
06
0
rm Cre
ek
wsto
ek
R20E
0
55
Modoc Lin
re
R19E
0
450
0
500
Sno
09
08
yC
11
10
07
l
ai
Tr
10
ton
R18E
Locked Gate
50
0
11
01
R17E
01
02
03
04
k
ree
eC
Biscar Wildlife Area
12
02
00
05 50
Ro
ad
04
05
06
01
02
R16E
03
y
03
R15E
5000
R14E
34
0
35