Tuolumne County, CA— Popular outdoor recreation routes in the Stanislaus National Forest are reopening to the public after being closed for over three years following severe winter storm damage in 2023.
Forest officials announced that Lumsden Road is now open to the South Fork Campground, with Cottonwood Road scheduled to follow suit this Thursday (May 21). The openings arrive just in time for the busy Memorial Day holiday weekend, delivering long-awaited positive news to local outdoor enthusiasts and rafters.
The reopening restores access to popular campgrounds and river access points that have been entirely cut off since the winter of 2023.
Merals Pool, the launch and put-in site is fully open for river recreation.
Both Lumsden and South Fork campgrounds are officially open to visitors.
“The launch/put-in at Merals Pools is open as well as both campgrounds; Lumsden and Southfork,” said Groveland District Ranger Thomas Meyer.
Restoring the storm-battered Lumsden Road required a massive financial and logistical effort. Approximately $1.45 million was secured to fund the extensive repairs, drawing from the Federal Highway Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads (ERFO) and the American Relief Act
While significant progress has been made, drivers should note that Lumsden Road remains closed from the South Fork Campground to Jawbone.
Joint road crews from the Stanislaus and Shasta-Trinity National Forests are scheduled to begin the next phase of repairs, working from the Jawbone side down to the Lumsden Bridge. Officials anticipate this segment of the project will be completed by the end of the summer. In the meantime, active crews are on-site this week brushing out roads and clearing campgrounds to ensure visitor safety.
Private rafting permits are waived during the current season due to ongoing reconstruction and permits will resume in October via Recreation.gov.
Travelers are advised to drive cautiously through these areas, remain alert for active work zones, and expect minor delays on Cottonwood Road following the holiday weekend.
