Lost Camp Road Closure?

[written March 22, 2007]

Ron Gould tells me that there may be a movement afoot to gate the old road to Lost Camp from Blue Canyon. It's been about ten years since I started asking Tahoe National Forest to protect the historic China Trail and the Bradley & Gardner mining ditch, both in the Lost Camp area. I believe outright acquisition of the private lands at Lost Camp is quite important.

Howsosever, it happens that the road running south from near Blue Canyon, across the railroad, to the historic mining town of Lost Camp, and to the China Trail, and beyond, to the overgrown old trail running down the Lost Camp Divide, to the Rawhide Mine--the old road, I repeat, passes through yet other private parcels, north of Lost Camp. One of these is owned by a man who posts huge "no trespassing" signs and carries a pistol. He even puts "no trespassing" signs entirely off his property, on Tahoe National Forest land.

This man, it seems, wants to close the Lost Camp Road to the public. It is said he has contacted other property owners nearby, and proposed that they gate the road.

This has been a public road since at least 1858. In case we have to go to court to show the public's right, Ron is interested in talking to anyone who has used the road before 1970. His email address is rgould@colfaxnet.com.

For more information about Lost Camp, see my web page at

http://home.inreach.com/rtowle/NorthFork/Lost_Camp/Lost_Camp.html