Visitors Asked To Stay Away From Stanislaus National Forest

Caltrans photo

Sonora, CA – While many may be excited to head up to the Stanislaus National Forest and play in the nearly seven feet of snow, forest officials are requesting visitors refrain from doing that for the next few days as crews are assessing damage from recent windy, wet storms.

Forest spokesperson Diana Fredlund cautions, “Our biggest concern for folks is whether or not they’ll be able to travel safely because some of these roads may be unplowed. Even if they are plowed the roads are probably going to be slippery and still have some snow on them. So, we are encouraging folks to stay away.”

Caltrans continues to work on getting the roadways clear but currently there are difficult driving conditions on the forest highways. Another problem says Fredlund is parking. Many of the lots will not be cleared until late Saturday. She details, “Especially at Pinecrest, which is where a lot of folks enjoy going. We’re not going to necessarily have any parking lots opened and plowed. We are going to be working on trying to get things dugout. So, it’s going to be really difficult for them to find a place to safely park where they won’t be causing any hazards on the roadways or possibly getting a ticket.”

Another concern if individuals do make the trip is vehicles getting stuck in the snow. Fredlund adds, “It could take some time for resources to be able to reach you, causing dangers to you and the first responders.”

Caltrans will announce when the roadways have been cleared and are safe to travel, relays Fredlund, who says the will mean the parking lots are open to all of those who want to frolic in the snow.