LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Department of Water Resources on Monday announced a seasonal closure of all off-road trails in the Highland Springs Recreation Area to bicycles and horses in an effort to prevent trail deterioration and soil erosion during the rainy months.
While this closure prohibits equestrian and bicycle uses of the off-road trails, the trails remain open to hiking, Water Resources said.
Throughout the closure, equestrians and bicyclists still will have access to and use of the main roads within the park, the department added.
In previous years, heavy wet-season trail use damaged some of the trails. This seasonal closure to horses and bicycles is designed to prevent further damage to and deterioration of the trails and to minimize soil erosion throughout the park.
A recent grant from the American Quarter Horse Association and the Tractor Supply Co. has funded trail repair work by the Lake County Horse Council, in cooperation with the Department of Water Resources and Highland Springs Trails Volunteers.
Work this year will include a gate for wet season closure of a section of trail that has a history of severe damage, Water Resources reported.
Managed by the Department of Water Resources, the Highland Springs Recreation Area comprises more than 3,200 acres of watershed area with approximately 30 miles of single-track trails.
For more information about the closure and repair work, contact the Lake County Department of Water Resources at 707-263-2344.
For information about the Lake County Horse Council, visit www.lakecountyhorsecouncil.com .
For more information about trails, maps, closures, as well as volunteering opportunities with the Highland Springs Trails Volunteers, visit www.highlandspringstrailsvolunteers.com .