recreation - Calaveras County Home

Preliminary Draft EIR Setting Section
Calaveras County General Plan Update
November 2012
4.15
RECREATION
INTRODUCTION
The Recreation chapter of the EIR describes the recreation facilities within the project area and
the associated potential impacts to the facilities that would result from the proposed project. This
chapter also discusses thresholds of significance for such impacts, and develops mitigation
measures and monitoring strategies, if necessary. Information for this analysis is drawn from the
Calaveras County Profile prepared by the Calaveras County Economic Development Company,1
and the Calaveras County Interim Parks and Recreation Plan. January 8, 2008.2
EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING
Calaveras County offers an abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities given the County’s
proximity to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and historic gold rush towns. The County is located in
the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, between Sacramento and Yosemite on State Route
(SR) 49, which links the towns of the California Gold Country. To the north and south, the
County is bordered by two major rivers, Mokelumne and Stanislaus, respectively, and has a
number of public lakes. Calaveras County also has a state park, a national forest, and several
wilderness areas, as well as multiple of large caverns. Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe,
which offer additional recreational activities, are a short distance away. As a result, the County
offers a variety of recreational activities including, gold mining and panning, camping, biking,
hiking, rafting, kayaking, horseback riding, and fishing. Furthermore, Calaveras County offers a
variety of performing arts, special events, visual arts, museums, golf courses, wineries, microbreweries, and antique shops.
Recreational Facilities
The various recreational facilities located within Calaveras County, including federal, state, and
local public and private facilities, are described below. Approximately 147,451 acres (or 22
percent) of land within the County is owned by different federal, state or other agencies. They
are described below.
Federal Resources
U.S. Bureau of Land Management
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) owns 35,000 acres of land in various locations
throughout Calaveras County. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) owns 19,581 acres
in association with the BLM for the operation of reservoirs. Residents near BLM land often use
CHAPTER 4.15 – RECREATION
4.15 - 1
Preliminary Draft EIR Setting Section
Calaveras County General Plan Update
November 2012
the areas informally for hiking. In addition, the lands serve as habitat for wildlife species in the
area.
Stanislaus National Forest
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) owns the Stanislaus National Forest, which is one of
California’s oldest national forests, established in 1897. Substantial acreage of the Stanislaus
National Forest (78,000 acres) is located within the eastern portion of the County, including a
small portion of the Mokelumne Wilderness area (See Figure 4.15-1). The Stanislaus National
Forest also includes substantial portions of land within Alpine, Mariposa, and Tuolumne
Counties. The Calaveras Ranger District encompasses the SR 4 corridor within the County and
also within Alpine County. Over 20 campgrounds and recreational facilities are within the
Calaveras Ranger District (See Table 4.15-1).
Ebbetts Pass National Scenic Byway
The 58-mile stretch of SR 4 and 89 known as the Ebbetts Pass National Scenic Byway is located
in the counties of Calaveras and Alpine, including 24 miles of road within Calaveras County
from east of Arnold to the Alpine County line, between Arnold and Markleeville, and is
considered the longest of all routes over the Sierras. The Pass is one of the most scenic drives
across the Sierras, is bounded by Calaveras Big Trees State Park and Grover Hot Springs State
Park, and passes through the Stanislaus and Humboldt-Tioyabe National Forests. Expansive
views of granite outcrops, basalt columns, ancient volcanic peaks, deep river canyons, glacially
carved valleys, majestic stands of conifers including giant sequoias, open meadows, clear
mountain lakes, and flowing streams and rivers are afforded along the Ebbetts Pass National
Scenic Byway. In addition, the area, which was home to Native Americans and pioneer
emigrants alike, provides a rich historic background.
Ebbetts Pass was designated as a California State Scenic Highway in 1971 and was granted a
national designation by the U.S. Department of Transportation on September 22, 2005, which is
meant to preserve the unique scenic, natural, historical, cultural, archaeological, and recreational
resources along the scenic byway. The Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway Association works to protect
this scenic and recreational resource through preservation and enhancement programs.
State Resources
Calaveras Big Trees State Park
Calaveras Big Trees State Park is bisected by the North Fork Stanislaus River and straddles the
Calaveras-Tuolumne County line, with 45 percent of the 6,000 acres (or 2,697 acres) within
Calaveras County. Calaveras Big Trees park became a State Park in 1931 to preserve the North
Grove of Sierra Redwoods (sequoiadendron giganteum), commonly known as the giant sequoia.
The North Grove includes the "Discovery Tree", also known as the "Big Stump", which is the
first Sierra redwood noted by Augustus T. Dowd in 1852, and has been a major tourist attraction
ever since. Over the years, other parcels of mixed conifer forests have been added to the park and
potential for expansion of the park within Calaveras County still exists. According to the
CHAPTER 4.15 – RECREATION
4.15 - 2
Preliminary Draft EIR Setting Section
Calaveras County General Plan Update
November 2012
California Department of Parks and Recreation, Calaveras Big Trees State Park is considered the
longest continuously operated tourist facility in California.
Other Providers
There are several other agencies that own acreage within Calaveras County that provide
recreational resources. East Bay Municipal Utility District owns 11,244 acres in the northern
portion of the County adjacent to the Amador County line and Comanche Reservoir. These lands
are accessible to the public by permit. Tri-Dam owns 455 acres in the Lake Tulloch area and
Pacific Gas and Electric owns 474 acres of lands within the Mokelumne watershed.
CHAPTER 4.15 – RECREATION
4.15 - 3
El Dorado
49
þ
}
|
·
Sacramento
Figure 4.15-1
RECREATIONAL
RESOURCE
LANDOWNERS
88
þ
}
|
·
88
þ
}
|
·
88
þ
}
|
·
Amador
Mokelumne Hill
12
þ
}
|
·
^
Wallace
Burson
^
San
Joaquin
26
þ
}
|
·
^
Alpine
Glencoe
26
þ
}
|
·
^
Legend
West Point
^
Rail Road Flat
^
Roads
Calaveras County
Boundary
Army Corp Engineers
Bureau of Land Management
Dorrington
Mountain Ranch
^
Arnold
^
Sheep Ranch
þ4
}
|
·
Bureau of Reclamation
^
Big Trees State Park
East Bay Municipal District
^
Jenny Lind
^
Highways
Lakes
^
^
^
þ
}
|
·
Towns
Landowners
San Andreas
Jenn
y
|
þ
}
·
Tamarack
Bureau
of
Reclamation
Valley Springs
^
Tri-Dam Authority
Pacific Gas & Electric
Lind
49
þ
}
|
·
Stanislaus National Forest
Surrounding Counties
Murphys
Alpine
^
Angels Camp
Amador
Tuolumne
El Dorado
Sacramento
^
San Joaquin
Stanislaus
þ4
}
|
·
Tuolumne
Copperopolis
^
Stanislaus
I
108
þ
}
|
·
20,000
Map Design and Cartography
By Calaveras County GIS
San Andreas, California
November, 2012
10,000
0
20,000
Feet
R:\Projects\PLANNING\GP\PROJECTS\COMMUNITY_PLANS\RECRESOURCE.MXD
108
þ
}
|
·
R:\Projects\PLANNING\GP\PROJECTS\COMMUNITY_PLANS\PLOTS\RECRESOURCE_111912.PDF
For planning purposes only.
All feature locations are approximate.
Preliminary Draft EIR Setting Section
Calaveras County General Plan Update
November 2012
Table 4.15-1
Recreational Facilities within the Calaveras Ranger District
Recreational Facility
Description
A primitive walk-in campground located in a dense lodgepole pine and fir
Backpacker’s Camp
forest within view of Lake Alpine.
A scenic campground located within a mature conifer forest of red fir and
lodgepole pine, with scattered quaking aspen, adjacent to SR 4, nine miles
Big Meadow and Big
southwest of Lake Alpine, 20 miles east of Arnold. The group campground is
Meadow Group
located in an open, grassy meadow surrounded by granitic outcrops and
mature conifer forest of red fir, lodgepole pine, and quaking aspen.
Unimproved campground located in a timbered setting along the banks of the
North Fork Mokelumne River near Highland Lakes, two miles south of the
Bloomfield
Ebbetts Pass summit.
Chickaree Day Use
A free day use area for picnicking located at the east shore of Lake Alpine.
Cottage Springs Day Use A day use picnic area located four miles east of Camp Connell on SR 4.
Crescent Cove Day Use A day use picnic area located one mile west of Hathaway Pines on SR 4.
A large, open area with scattered timber and rock outcrops near the North
Fork Mokelumne River and Mosquito Lakes, five miles west of Ebbetts Pass
Hermit Valley
summit on SR 4. Campsites available in lower Hermit Valley as well as at the
upper, northeast end of Hermit Valley, at Grouse Flat.
Covering 180 acres, the lake lies in a timbered setting at an elevation of 7,350
feet, located on SR 4, 50 miles east of Angels Camp. The recreational area is
Lake Alpine
at the west end of Lake Alpine and offers a boat ramp, camping, and
picnicking.
Group campground located within the Alpine Lake basin, two miles west of
Lodgepole Group
Lake Alpine on SR 4. The overflow campground is located adjacent to the
Campground and
group campground in a large, open, flat area near Lake Alpine and is only
Overflow
open when the Alpine Lake basin is full.
A day use area used for picnicking located at the west end of Lake Alpine,
Marmot Day Use
next to the Lake Alpine campground.
A limited camping and picnic area with 11 campsites, located six miles east of
Mosquito Lakes
Lake Alpine.
Recreation area in Alpine meadow and forest, a quarter mile south of SR 4 at
Pacific Valley, midway between Lake Alpine and Ebbetts Pass, adjacent to
Pacific Valley
the Mokelumne River and near Mosquito Lakes. Offers camping, fishing in
Pacific Creek and the Mokelumne River, hunting, and hiking.
A campground located in a mature conifer forest on the eastern shores of Lake
Pine Marten
Alpine, near Chickaree Picnic Area.
Six campsites in a wooded area with picnic tables and campfire rings near the
Sand Flat
North Fork of the Stanislaus river.
Silver Valley
A campground in a timbered setting at the east end of Lake Alpine.
A campground in a mature conifer forest located two-thirds of a mile west of
Silver Tip
Lake Alpine on SR 4.
Day use area for picnicking, fishing, and hiking located outside Dorrington on
North Fork Stanislaus river at Sourgrass/Board’s Crossing Road, across river
Sourgrass Day Use
from Wa Ka Luu Hep Yoo (Wild River) Campground.
Stanislaus River
Campground with 25 campsites and picnic tables in a mature conifer forest on
the North Fork Stanislaus River near Spicer Reservoir, southwest of SR 4 on
Spicer Reservoir Road. Rafting trips are available along the North Fork
(Continued on next page)
CHAPTER 4.15 – RECREATION
4.15 - 5
Preliminary Draft EIR Setting Section
Calaveras County General Plan Update
November 2012
Table 4.15-1
Recreational Facilities within the Calaveras Ranger District
Recreational Facility
Description
Stanislaus River, which provides a five-mile stretch of Class IV whitewater
rapids between Sourgrass, near Dorringtong, and Calaveras Big Trees State
Park, just east of Arnold.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Stanislaus National Forest Recreation. Available at:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/stanislaus/recreation. Accessed January 2012.
The most significant natural features and most popular tourist attractions of Calaveras Big Trees
State Park are the North Grove, which is within Calaveras County, and the South Grove, which
is within Tuolumne County, of giant sequoias. The tallest tree in the park is over 300-feet tall
and some of the older trees are estimated to be around 3,000 years old. A five-mile hiking trail
through a grove of giant sequoias is offered at the South Grove. Other attractions in the Park
include the Stanislaus River, Beaver Creek, the Lava Bluff Trail, and Bradley Trail. Recreational
activities offered at the Park include evening ranger talks, numerous interpretive programs,
environmental educational programs, junior ranger programs, hiking, mountain biking, bird
watching, and more. In addition, two main campgrounds, with 129 campsites, six picnic areas,
and several miles of established trails, are located within the Park along SR 4 and near Salt
Springs Reservoir in Amador County.
Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail
The Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail is one of 27 official California State Parks trail corridors
that form a statewide trail system linking mountain, valley and coastal communities to
recreational, cultural and natural resources throughout the state. A non-motorized and multi-use
trail bisecting California, the Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail roughly follows the Mokelumne
River from the river’s headwaters at the Sierra Crest down to the river’s mouth near Martinez on
the Carquinez Strait. The trail is split into five segments which spread over six counties. The
Upper and Middle Mokelumne segments of the trail run from Tiger Creek Reservoir at the
western end of the Stanislaus National Forest east along the northern boundary of Calaveras
County, continue to Ebbetts Pass in Alpine County, and end at the SR 49 Bridge. A non-profit
corporation called the Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail Council stewards the public input
process, design, and maintenance of the trail, in partnership with public and private organizations
in the six-county cross-section of California between San Francisco and the Sierra Nevadas.
Reservoir Recreation Areas
Local reservoirs offer many recreational activities within Calaveras County. Brief descriptions of
these local reservoir recreational resources are presented in Table 4.15-2 below.
CHAPTER 4.15 – RECREATION
4.15 - 6
Preliminary Draft EIR Setting Section
Calaveras County General Plan Update
November 2012
Table 4.15-2
Local Reservoir Recreation Areas
Reservoir
Pardee Reservoir
Camanche Reservoir
New Hogan Reservoir
Tulloch Reservoir
New Melones Reservoir
Salt Springs Reservoir
Salt Spring Valley
Reservoir
Spicer Reservoir
Description
Owned and operated by the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD).
Receives water from the Mokelumne River and serves as an important source
of domestic drinking water. Only non-contact recreational activities (e.g.,
fishing, camping, and picnicking) are allowed.
Owned and operated by the EBMUD. Located downstream of Pardee within
the Mokelumne River watershed. Contact recreational activities (e.g.,
swimming and boating are permitted. Campgrounds and other recreational
activities available as well.
Owned and managed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE). Receives water from the Calaveras River. Recreational activities
include boating, swimming, fishing, picnicking, and camping.
Owned and operated by the Tri-Dam Authority for irrigation and domestic
water supply. Located in Copperopolis it is a central focal point and asset for
the community. Boating and swimming is permitted.
Owned and operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Located behind the
625-foot New Melones Dam on the Stanislaus River. Recreational activities
include boating, fishing, swimming, camping, and other use.
Owned and operated by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) for
hydroelectric power purposes. Located at a high-elevation within the
Stanislaus National Forest along the Mokelumne River. Fishing, boating,
swimming, rock climbing, and camping are permitted.
Privately owned campground and reservoir. Located in the lower foothills of
Calaveras County, north of Copperopolis. Fishing, boating, swimming,
hunting, and camping are permitted.
Owned by the Calaveras County Water District and operated by the Northern
California Power Agency for power generation. Located at a high-elevation
on the Stanislaus River system, eight miles southwest of SR 4. Recreational
activities include boating, camping, fishing, hiking, and equestrian
opportunities.
Source: Calaveras County Interim Parks and Recreation Plan, 2008.
Private Parks and Recreational Facilities
Many private developments throughout the County provide on-site parks and recreational
facilities to serve project residents. The County encourages placement of such facilities in private
developments as well as integrated pathways located and designed to be near adjacent projects,
shopping areas, and other public facilities.
CHAPTER 4.15 – RECREATION
4.15 - 7
Preliminary Draft EIR Setting Section
Calaveras County General Plan Update
November 2012
Public Parks and Recreational Facilities
As presented above, major recreational facilities are geographically dispersed throughout the
County and provide substantial recreational opportunities to County residents and tourists alike.
Although the major facilities provide a large range of activities, they do not adequately meet the
needs of more localized, small-scale parks and community meeting places. Local public parks
are scattered unevenly across the County (See Figure 4.15-2), the majority of which are operated
and maintained by dedicated citizens and community groups. Table 4.15-3 presents the local
parks and recreation facilities within Calaveras County and the local community each park
serves. Calaveras County has a passive involvement in the local parks program and does not
directly maintain a system of park and recreation facilities.
The County owns Murphys Park, which is located in the town of Murphys; however, the
Community Club takes responsibility for park maintenance. Ownership of other publicly
accessible recreation facilities in Calaveras County is divided among public agencies, such as
school districts, and private foundations/clubs, such as veteran’s districts. Facilities operated by
the veteran’s districts for their communities are a major component of the local park system.
Boundaries of the local veteran’s districts that offer recreational activities are shown in Figure
4.15-3. The boundaries of the San Andreas Recreation and Parks District, the only parks and
recreation district within the County, are shown in Figure 4.15-4. Community halls provide local
community event facilities on County land as well. Playgrounds provided by elementary, middle,
and high school sites throughout the County contribute to the local facilities network. As shown
in Figure 4.15-5, these school facilities are found throughout the developed communities within
the County. In addition, the Calaveras County Water District also provides or allows for park
facilities on their land.
Other Recreational Resources
Various other recreational facilities exist within Calaveras County, including those discussed in
further detail below, such as commercial facilities, trails, scenic byways, historical facilities, and
more.
Limestone Caves
Several large limestone caves are located and represent a significant and unique recreational
feature within the County. The three major private commercial cavern facilities operating within
the County are the Mercer Caverns, Moaning Cave, and California Caverns.
The Mercer Caverns, located in the Sierra Foothills just outside of Murphys, is a privately owned
and operated facility that was discovered and opened to the public in 1885. The owners of the
facility claim that the cavern is the oldest continually operating commercial cavern in California.
Numerous unusual and beautiful calcite formations are found within the three million year old
cave, including some of the five rarest calcite formations. The cave was used as a mortuary site
by a Native American Tribe called the Yokuts in prehistoric times.
CHAPTER 4.15 – RECREATION
4.15 - 8
El Dorado
49
þ
}
|
·
Sacramento
Amador
88
þ
}
|
·
West Point
88
þ
}
|
·
Basketball
Playground
Sport Field
Trails
Vet Mem Hall
12
þ
}
|
·
^
Community Hall
Horse Arena
Park Sport Field
Tennis
Wallace
Burson
Park
^
San
Joaquin
þ
}
|
·
^
Mokelumne Hill
26
þ
}
|
·
^
^
Lind
^
Rail Road Flat
^
Tamarack
^
26
þ
}
|
·
Legend
^
Valley Springs
^
Community Hall
Park
Playground
Sport Field
Swim Pool
Tennis
49
þ
}
|
·
^
Copperopolis
^
Community Hall
Arnold
^
Sheep Ranch
Basketball
Community Hall
Playground
Sport Field
^
Angels Camp
^
þ4
}
|
·
Park
Swim Pool
Sport Fields
Tennis
Towns
Highways
Roads
Lakes
Calaveras County
Boundary
^
Surrounding Counties
Alpine
Boating
Community Hall
Park
Playground
Sport Fields
Murphys
Frogtown
Sport Field
þ4
}
|
·
Dorrington
Mountain Ranch
^
Stanislaus
Community Hall
|
þ
}
·
^
Jenny Lind
Alpine
Glencoe
San Andreas
Jenn
y
Figure 4.15-2
PUBLIC PARKS
AND
RECREATION
FACILITIES
88
þ
}
|
·
Amador
El Dorado
Sacramento
San Joaquin
Tuolumne
Stanislaus
Tuolumne
Basketball
Gymnasium
Parks
Playground
Swim Pool
Sport Fields
Tennis
I
108
þ
}
|
·
20,000
Map Design and Cartography
By Calaveras County GIS
San Andreas, California
November, 2012
10,000
0
20,000
Feet
R:\Projects\PLANNING\GP\PROJECTS\COMMUNITY_PLANS\PUBLICPARKS.MXD
108
þ
}
|
·
R:\Projects\PLANNING\GP\PROJECTS\COMMUNITY_PLANS\PLOTS\PUBLICPARKS_111912.PDF
For planning purposes only.
All feature locations are approximate.
Preliminary Draft EIR Setting Section
Calaveras County General Plan Update
November 2012
Table 4.15-3
Local Parks and Recreation Facilities
Park/Recreation Facility Name
Tryon Park
Frogtown Baseball Fields
Utica Park
Gateway Park
Copello Park Ball Fields
Bret Harte Sports Complex
Emmerson Courtright Field
Calaveras Timber Trails Park
Black Creek Park
Jenny Lind Veterans Memorial
District Park
C. B. Hobbs Field
Horse Arena
Barry’s Tennis Courts
Shutter Tree Park
Mountain Ranch Community Park
Murphys Tennis Courts
Feeney Park
Murphys Community Park
Murphys Community Pool
Gerald Turner Park
San Andreas Community Park
Nielsen Park
Calaveras Pool
Tennis Courts
The Clay Pits
White Pines Lake and Park
Independence Hall
Community
Angels Camp
Angels Camp
Angels Camp
Angels Camp
Angels Camp
Angels Camp
Arnold
Avery
Copperopolis
Street
SR 4
SR 49
Utica Lane
Greenhorn Creek Road
Copello Drive
Murphys Grade Road
Blagen Road
Sheep Ranch Road
Blcak Creek Drive
Jenny Lind
Daphne Road
Mokelumne Hill
Mokelumne Hill
Mokelumne Hill
Mokelumne Hill
Mountain Ranch
Murphys
Murphys
Murphys
Murphys
San Andreas
San Andreas
San Andreas
San Andreas
San Andreas
Valley Springs
White Pines
White Pines
Lafayette Street
Lafayette Street
Marredda Street
Main and Center
Whiskey Slide Road
School Street
Pennsylvania Gulch Road
Algiers Street
Church Street
Treat Avenue
Park Drive
California Street
Calaveras High School
Calaveras High School
Paloma Road
Blagen Road
Blagen Road
CHAPTER 4.15 – RECREATION
4.15 - 10
El Dorado
49
þ
}
|
·
Sacramento
Figure 4.15-3
88
þ
}
|
·
CALAVERAS
COUNTY
VETERANS DISTRICT
Amador
88
þ
}
|
·
Glencoe
Mokelumne Hill
26
þ
}
|
·
^
Wallace
12
þ
}
|
·
^
San
Joaquin
þ
}
|
·
^
^
Alpine
Rail Road Flat
Tamarack
^
^
26
þ
}
|
·
Burson
^
Valley Springs
^
San Andreas
Mountain Ranch
^
Jenn
y
Legend
West Point
88
þ
}
|
·
^
Sheep Ranch
Jenny Lind
^
|
þ
}
·
^
4
þ
}
|
·
Roads
Angels Camp
Ebbetts Pass
^
Jenny Lind
Mokelumne Hill
^
^
Highways
Calaveras County
Boundary
Veterans District
Dorrington
Arnold
Towns
Li nd
San Andreas
49
þ
}
|
·
West Point
Murphys
Not in a District
^
Surrounding Counties
Angels Camp
Alpine
^
Amador
þ4
}
|
·
El Dorado
Tuolumne
Copperopolis
^
Sacramento
San Joaquin
Stanislaus
Tuolumne
108
Stanislaus
þ
}
|
·
I
R:\Projects\PLANNING\GP\PROJECTS\COMMUNITY_PLANS\VETS.MXD
108
þ
}
|
·
R:\Projects\PLANNING\GP\PROJECTS\COMMUNITY_PLANS\PLOTS\VETS_111912.PDF
19,000
Map Design and Cartography
By Calaveras County GIS
San Andreas, California
November, 2012
9,500
0
Feet
19,000
For planning purposes only.
All feature locations are approximate.
MA R I
A RD
Figure 4.15-4
HW
Y
49
J E SU
S
LOCAL PARK
AND
RECREATION
DISTRICT
26
Paloma
^
H
W
Y
26
WY
H
R
HW
Mountain Ranch
^
D
C
H
Y
^
HW
Y
TA
IN
12
HW
Y
MO
12
U
N
Roads
Parcels
San Andreas
^
MO U N T A IN
O
P
O
Towns
Highways
R
A
49
N
Legend
RA N C H
San Andreas
Park & Recreation
District
RD
L
ST
AT
N
IO
R
D
HW
Y
Calaveritas
^
49
L
P OO
I
S
W
5,400
Y
2,700
0
5,400
Feet
49
T I ON
TA
H
Map Design and Cartography
By Calaveras County GIS
San Andreas, California
November, 2012
RD
R:\Projects\PLANNING\GP\PROJECTS\COMMUNITY_PLANS\PARKREC.MXD
R:\Projects\PLANNING\GP\PROJECTS\COMMUNITY_PLANS\PLOTS\PARKREC_111912.PDF
For planning purposes only.
All feature locations are approximate.
El Dorado
49
þ
}
|
·
Amador
Sacramento
Figure 4.15-5
88
þ
}
|
·
88
þ
}
|
·
West Point
88
þ
}
|
·
!
^
Alpine
Glencoe
Mokelumne Hill
26
þ
}
|
·
^!
12
þ
}
|
·
^
Wallace
!^
!^
þ
}
|
·
^
San Andreas
Arnold
^
^
^
Sheep Ranch
^!
þ4
}
|
·
þ
}
|
·
!
!
Murphys
!
^!
!
!
^
þ
}
|
·
!
^
BretHarte UHSD
MarkTwain UESD
Amador
El Dorado
Sacramento
Copperopolis
San Joaquin
Stanislaus
Tuolumne
108
þ
}
|
·
I
20,000
þ
}
|
·
Calaveras USD
Alpine
Angels Camp
Stanislaus
108
Vallecito USD
Surrounding Counties
Tuolumne
4
Roads
School Districts
!
!
Highways
Calaveras County
Boundary
^
ny L
i nd
49
Towns
Lakes
Dorrington
Mountain Ranch
Jenny Lind
26
^
Legend
þ
}
·
|
!
^!
!
Je n
Tamarack
!
Valley Springs
San
Joaquin
Rail Road Flat
26
þ
}
|
·
Burson
^
^
LOCAL SCHOOLS
WITH
RECREATION
FACILITIES
R:\Projects\PLANNING\GP\PROJECTS\COMMUNITY_PLANS\SCHOOLS.MXD
R:\Projects\PLANNING\GP\PROJECTS\COMMUNITY_PLANS\PLOTS\SCHOOLS_111912.PDF
Map Design and Cartography
By Calaveras County GIS
San Andreas, California
November, 2012
10,000
0
20,000
Feet
For planning purposes only.
All feature locations are approximate.
Preliminary Draft EIR Setting Section
Calaveras County General Plan Update
November 2012
Moaning Cavern Park, located near the town of Vallecito, holds the largest public cave chamber
in California. Many recreational activities are offered at Moaning Cavern, such as guided walk
tours, descending down 165-feet below ground on a spiral staircase, rappelling into the cave, zip
lining, and others. Human remains discovered in the Moaning Cavern are believed to be among
the oldest ever found in North America.
California Cavern, a State historic landmark, is the oldest commercial cave in Calaveras County,
being the first show cave in the State that opened to the public in 1850. Numerous chambers,
passageways, and lakes up to 200 feet deep can be found at the California Cavern, which is
located at Cave City near Mountain Ranch. Activities available at California Cavern include
guided walking tours and spelunking.
In addition to the three major, commercially-operated caverns, other caves in Calaveras County
are of recreational interest, particularly to spelunkers, including the large Crystal Palace Cave,
which is home to an unusual species of spider.
Shared Use Trails
According to the Calaveras County Pedestrian Master Plan and the Calaveras County Bicycle
Master Plan, both dated 2007 but not adopted, various existing and proposed Class I shared-use
pathways are located throughout the County. For example, existing continuous walkways or
trails are present in parts of San Andreas, Angels Camp, Murphys, and Arnold. Potential for
further connectivity development exists in these areas as well as the more rapidly developing
areas such as those in Copperopolis.
Historic Ditches
Calaveras County is home to numerous ditches built during the Gold Rush era for irrigation and
mining purposes, including Kadish Ditch, Poverty Bar Ditch, Jupiter Ditch, Utica Ditch, Fricot
Ditch, Rock Creek Ditch, and others. The ditches are important historical landscape features
within the County and provide walking trails and positive habitat values.
Frogtown
Located approximately one mile south of Angels Camp, Frogtown is the site of the annual
Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee. The State of California owns the 68-acre site.
Numerous public activities are held at Frogtown throughout the year, including the annual frog
jump competition. Camping is also available at the site.
1
2
Calaveras County Economic Development Company. Calaveras County Profile. 2011.
Calaveras County Parks and Recreation Commission. Calaveras County Interim Parks and Recreation Plan.
January 8, 2008.
CHAPTER 4.15 – RECREATION
4.15 - 14