Enjoy one of the newest additions to our nation’s wilderness – Cache Creek Wilderness Area, part of the recently signed Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Act.
Venturing along rolling green hills dotted with old oak trees, on a clear day a hiker can gaze to the west and spot the gentle peaks of the coastal mountains or look east and marvel at the grandness of the Sierra Nevada. Bald eagles soar above as free-roaming Tule elk graze in the open grasslands of the foothills and a mountain lion ventures down a steep canyon to drink from the cool waters of Cache Creek. This natural beauty and wild scenery can be found just 60 miles outside of Sacramento in the newly designated Cache Creek Wilderness Area.
One of the newest additions to the national wilderness system, the Cache Creek Wilderness Area was designated in conjunction with the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Act signed into law by President Bush on October 17, 2006. The law set aside 27,245 acres of BLM land within the Cache Creek Natural Area to be managed as wilderness – free from the influence of human development and completely open to the public. The varied terrain, diverse ecosystems, abundance of wildlife, and close proximity to the San Francisco-Sacramento area make Cache Creek a truly unique and important addition to our nation’s wilderness. According to local BLM officials there are no other stands of its size in the central valley that are largely free of man’s influence.
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| More from Cache Creek. Photo by Matt Dietz. |
For the active outdoors-person, Cache Creek offers an abundance of recreational opportunities. Hikers and horseback riders can experience the diversity of the landscape by trekking from the oak woodlands of Brushy Sky High peak, situated at 3,200 ft., down to the dry chaparral ecosystem along Cache Creek at the area’s eastern boundary – a change in elevation of 2,600 feet! For the river runners out there, the turbulent waters of Cache Creek offer challenges to any level of kayaker or rafter. Anglers can hook into the hefty catfish and carp that thrive in the creek and its tributaries, and if they are lucky they may catch salmon, which are beginning to successfully return to the area.
Hunters and wildlife viewers flock to the Cache Creek Wilderness Area for its wealth and variety of native species. The region is the second largest wintering area in California for the threatened bald eagle. A free-roaming herd of Tule elk, the smallest species, forage in the open grasslands at higher elevations. Additionally, the area supports healthy populations of black bear, mountain lion, blacktail deer, coyote, fox, bobcat, badger, river otter, and wild turkey. Bird watchers are especially fond of Cache Creek, as it is visited by over 150 species of birds annually.
Visitor Information
The Cache Creek Wilderness Area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The local field office is located in Ukiah, CA, roughly 100 miles north of San Francisco.
Ukiah Field Office
2550 North State Street
Ukiah, CA 95482
Phone: (707) 468-4000
Maps
Wilderness Area [pdf]
WestSouth
East
Directions
Redbud Trail: From Interstate 5 at Williams, take Highway 20 west about 29 miles to the North Fork Cache Creek/Redbud Trailhead. The trailhead provides parking, maps and information for hiking and equestrian access. (Or: From Clearlake Oaks, travel east on State Highway 20 for 8 miles to the trailhead.)
Judge Davis Trail: From Interstate 5 at Williams, take Highway 20 west about 20 miles to mile marker 46.07. There is a parking lot on the south side of the highway: look for an old wooden sheep corral. The trail parallels Highway 20 for the first 80 yards or so, then cuts back into the hills. (Or: From Clearlake Oaks, travel east on State Highway 20 for 17 miles to the trailhead.)
Horses and bicycles are allowed only from the third Saturday in April through the third Saturday in November.
Caution: Due to the realignment of Highway 20, the access to the parking area is steep (approximately 10% grade). Use extreme caution when entering or leaving the area, especially if pulling a heavy trailer.
Perkins Creek Ridge Trail: This trail can be accessed from the Redbud Trail (see above), approximately one mile from the North Fork trailhead.
