Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail

TRAIL GUIDE - EBMUD MOKELUMNE WATERSHED

Printable Version Camanche/Pardee Trails

Location: Pardee Watershed	Rating	Distance From Staging Area (One Way)	Notes 95% fire-road, 5% narrow gauge.
Campo Seco Staging Area (#9 on the Moke Area map) *EAST*	More Difficult to Challenging		On the east side of the staging area entrance road and across Campo Seco Road notice Osage Orange Maclura pomifera tree. The plants long thorns created a virtually impenetrable hedge. These trees were planted as frontier fencing.
Wildermuth House	More Difficult	0.6 Miles	The Wildermuth House is an excellent example of the stonemasonry work of William A. Watt. The home was built for John H. Wildermuth in 1861. Hand-dressed sandstone blocks which were quarried from the hillside nearby were used in the construction. The Wildermuth House is situated near the old Campo Seco Road, which was heavily traveled between the mining centers of Campo Seco and Paloma, site of the famous Gwin Mine. During the hot, dry Mother Lode summers the house and surrounding garden carefully tended by Mrs. Wildermuth must have seemed like an oasis to weary travelers. Wildflowers Found on the Knoll East of the Wildermuth House: True Baby Stars-pink, Frying Pan Poppy-yellow, Bird’s-Eye Gilia-blue, Popcorn Flower-white, Goldfields-yellow, Tidy Tips-yellow, Cream Cups-yellow, Itherial’ Spear-blue, Meadow Foam- white (in wet areas), Butter Cups ( in shade), Miners Lettuce-white ( in shade of oak trees) , Chick Weed-white ( in shade), Blue Dicks-blue, Eggs & Butter- yellow, Lace Pod-white, Shepherds Purse-white, Calif. Saxifrage-white (in wet drainages), Tomcat Clover-pink, Owl’s Clover-pink, Storks Bill-pink, Henderson’s Shooting Star-purple, Sky Lupine-blue, California Poppy- orange, Rock Lettuce-yellow (hot rocky cliff closer to the house), Purple Sanicle-purple or yellow, Common Madia-yellow.
Lawry Flat Corral	More Difficult	2.5 Miles	Nice 5 mile round trip hike
Between the Lawry Flat Corral and the Olive Orchard			On the west side of the road just past the east gate of Lawry Flat gate look for Bush Poppies Dendromecon rigidi, in the chaparral. They bloom in late spring. Farther on, on the southwest side of the road look for yellow Owl’s Clover and Larkspur that blooms between April and May.
Olive Orchard	More Difficult	3.1 Miles	Notice the grove of Olives on the east side of the road
Between the Olive Orchard & MacAfee Gulch	Rigorous		Creeping Sage, Salvia sonomensis forms a dense mats along the road edge.
MacAfee Gulch	Rigorous	4.1 Miles	A fire swept through the area between the Olive Orchard and MacAfee Gulch in the late 1980’s. Notice the Jepson’s Mahonia, Berberis dictotota, growing near the culvert where the road crosses the gulch. D.L. MacAfee operated the Ellingwood Mine in Valley Springs. A band of serpentine which forms on the western side of the gulch is associated with the occurrence of chromite, ore of chromium. Mining operations were conducted in Pardee and Valley Springs area of Calaveras and Amador counties from 1890 until the end of World War I and on a small scale during World War II. Some was used locally for furnace linings at the Campo Seco copper smelters.
Between MacAfee Gulch & the Kiln	More Difficult		Evidence of placer mining can be seen ¼ mile east of MacAfee Gulch where the road parallels Shad Gulch.
Kiln		5.1 Miles	With the adjacent limestone outcrops one can’t help but wonder if this kiln was used to make cement.
Gale Ridge	More Difficult	8.1 Miles	Near the intersection on the west side of Gale Ridge the most obvious evidence of the previous inhabitants of the area is the presence of some fig trees
Fletcher Gulch	Rigorous	8.7 Miles	The grades of the segment of road east of Fletcher Gulch are a result of topography and the location of property boundaries
Patti's Point	Rigorous	9.6 Miles	One turn in the trail is named Patti's Point after John Garamendi's (former Deputy Secretary of the Interior and State Senator known for his work in environmental protection) wife Patti. Just west of Patti’s Point below the trail Hop Tree Ptelea crenulata is growing. From Patti's Point on a clear day one can seen Mokelumne Peak (near Bear Valley- close to the terminus of the MCCT), Butte Mountain in Jackson, and the Crystal Range. Volunteers and trail crews working on this segment of trail have seen a Bald Eagles flying in the canyon in the winter.
Between Patti's Point and the Log Boom	Challenging		The California Conservation Corps, the Mokelumne Trailbusters and the California Youth Authority wards worked 10 years on this remote1-mile segment of the MCCT between Patti’s Point and the Log Boom. The route between Spanish Gulch and Patti’s Point is very rugged and steep because of property boundaries and topography. The elevation change in this ½ mile is 550 feet. Stairs, landings, and retaining walls need to be constructed to mitigate these steep grades
Spanish Gulch	Challenging	10.1 Miles	The deep cut in the stream below the bridge looks suspiciously like the result of mining activity. Notice the Rock Lettuce Dudleya clinging to the rocky sides of the stream upstream of the bridge.
Between Spanish Gulch and the Log Boom	Rigorous		East of Spanish Gulch and near the base of the wooden steps Glassy Onion, Allium hyalinum grows on the rock outcrop. Notice the the California Storax or Snowdrop Bush, Styrax officinalis var. californica, as the trail descends towards the Log Boom and in one sharp bend in the trail notice the Oracle Oak, Quercus morehus.
Log Boom *(Trail End)*	Rigorous	10.6 Miles	Views of Lake Pardee, wildflowers Apr-May NONpotable water, trough and outhouse at staging area. Outhouse at Lawry Flat and Log Boom
Note: The grass along the shoreline at Pardee is broomsedge bluestem, andropogon irginicus it is a US Native/ perennial and a wetland indicator species. The state of California has a record of it being in Wallace going back to 1968. These trails are not loops! It is the same trail – out and back
Location: Pardee Watershed	Rating	Distance From Staging Area (One Way	Notes 100% narrow gauge
Campo Seco Staging Area (# 9 on the Mok Area map) *WEST*	Easy		This short, quietly scenic, single-track trail provides for a peaceful interlude among some classic California oak woodlands. The path heads 2 miles west from the Campo Seco Staging Area, crosses Sandretto Road, and meanders through rolling hills to muted views of Pardee and Camanche Reservoirs and Mt. Diablo. NONpotable water, trough and outhouse at staging area. It is our expectation to make this new 2-mile segment accessible to those with disabilities. Grade requirements have been met, and we hope to surface this segment with material that will allow off-road wheel chair access.
Between the Staging Area & the Sandretto Road Crossing	Easy	0.4 Miles at the Sandretto Road Crossing	The first part of the trail is an abandoned railroad bed which was used to transport concrete and other materials to the Pardee Dam site during its construction in 1928-29
Between the Sandretto Road Crossing & Vista Dos Lagos		0.5 miles	View of the Watertown Pond completed in October 1854 for the Mokelumne Hill Canal and Mining Company. Migratory waterbirds can be seen with binoculars from this location on the trail. Wildflowers Apr-May. The abandoned water ditch between the trail and the Watertown Pond is the Mokelumne Hill Canal which was used to convey water from the South Fork of the Mokelumne River near Glencoe through 41 miles of ditch and flumes to Camanche Diggings
Vista Dos Lagos	Easy	2.0 Miles	Views of Pardee and Camanche Reservoirs and on a clear day Mt. Diablo and the cooling towers at Rancho Seco
MCCT Segment – Camanche South Shore
Location:	Rating	Distance From Staging Area (One Way)	Notes 75% fire-road, 25% narrow gauge
Camanche SS Staging Area (# 4 on the Mok Area map) EAST *(start)*	Easy to More Difficult		This section offer views of Camanche Reservoir, spring wildflowers, and a tour of the oak woodland, chaparral, and grassland typical of the low foothill country. Potable water, trough and outhouse at staging area.
Tailing Piles		0.5 miles	Historical reminders of the Gold Rush abound, though they are mostly muted by time
EBMUD MW & R Office		3.0 Miles	Notice the tailing piles between the trail and the EBMUD MW & R Office is Chilli Gulch. A portion of the EBMUD MW & R Office was built by the Alan Mining Company. The building was used by the Alan Mining Company as a “clean up room” and at the time it housed a shaker table and furnace to burn off the mercury. Gold was then shipped to San Francisco. In the 1930’s the Alan Mining Company went broke and the Pacific Placer Company came in with a dragline and mined the Chili Gulch up to Chili Camp. The rock dam in Chili Gulch was most likely built to supply the Campo Seco to Poverty Bar ditch with seasonal water
Finnerty Gulch Trail Bridge 235’elevation	Easy	3.1 Miles	Notice the large button willow on the upstream side of the bridge. The rock formation under the bridge is Farmington chert. Chert of this type was used by the Native Americans that once inhabited this area to make tools and points
Between Finnerty Gulch and the Lancha Plana Bridge 235’ elevation	Easy		The trail crosses over the Mokelumne Aqueduct which consists of 3 huge pipes (portions of each is underground) that deliver high quality water 90 miles to the Bay Area. The first pipeline was installed in the late 1920’s and the last in the 1950’s. Look for the first abandoned road north of the intersection of the MCCT and the Mokelumne Aqueduct. This was the road to the Westmoreland Bridge. This area was mined with a dragline and a dredge.
Lancha Plana Bridge	Easy	4.1 Miles	On the West side of the bridge is where Winters Bar was located. One mining company took out 42 ounces of gold in 6 wheelbarrows of dirt at Winters Bar, according to the San Francisco Bulletin, December 24, 1855. When the reservoir is low the abutments of the Westmoreland Bridge can be seen. One source says that the Westmoreland suspension bridge was built by John Westmoreland in 1852, an English immigrant. A few 100 feet from the east side of the bridge are the stone building foundations from the gold rush site of Oregon Bar. Looking northeast from Oregon Bar one can see the remains of the Penn Mine copper mine. In 1859 copper was discovered in Calaveras County. In 1862 copper was discovered near Campo Seco. In 1867 when copper prices fell and operations costs rose operations ceased. Between 1867 and 1919 copper mining became a viable business again. Penn Mining Company bought up adjacent mines totaling 1200 acres in 1867.The smelting of the ore was so caustic that it would deteriorate barbwire fences. The Penn Mine reopened for World War II and lasted until 1959.
Between Lancha Plana Bridge and the Mine Adit	More Difficult	4.3 Miles	At one point the trail crosses over a bluff with deposits of crushed quartz. These tailings could have pumped up as “slurry” from nearby mining operations or were remnants of a stamp mill operation
Lancha Palana & Poverty Bar Ditch		4.4 Miles	About a quarter of a mile from Oregon Bar part of the ditch is used for the trail alignment. The portion of this ditch from Oregon Gulch to Poverty Bar is shown in the 1855 Goddard map. The entire length from near Diamond Bar to Poverty Bar is shown in the 1869 GLO map
Mine Adit	Easy	5.2 Miles	The mine adit at 325 foot elevation was built as a “crosscut” to ascertain the geologic formations in the area in 1880’s. A wooden tie for mine track was found in the adit. It was used for wooden rails that were faced with strap iron. This type of track was used for small scale or temporary work. Notice the olive tree growing out of the tailings pile. In 1862 copper was discovered near Campo Seco. North and across Oregon Gulch copper mining took place
The Great Wall	Easy	5.4 Miles	Trailbusters labored 215 hours over 8 workdays to move and place 10 tons of building rock and 3 tons of drain rock to construct 40 linear feet of 4 foot high retaining wall near Oregon Gulch. This wall is to prevent soil from the cut slope from slumping onto the trail. The building rock was salvaged from material left from the blasting for the construction of Pardee Dam
Copper Smelting Site	More Difficult	5.6 Miles	In 1859 copper was discovered in Calaveras County. The 1869 Government Land Office plat list this location as “old mines”. It is located southwest of the Satellite Copper Mine and northwest of the West Constellation Gold & Copper Mine
Lancha Plana & Poverty Bar Ditch		5.8 Miles	A flume was located in Oregon Gulch to connect the portion of the ditch on the north side to the portion south side of the gulch
Elderberry Gulch		5.9 Miles	The Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle is nearly always found on or near its host plant, Elderberry. This beetle is threatened and federally protected. To protect the habitat for this creature the soil can not be disturbed with mechanical equipment within 100 feet of an Elderberry. For this reason trail development with in 100 of these shrubs was done by Trailbuster volunteers with hand tools. The trail crossing consisting of stone retaining walls were built by Trailbusters as was the armoring of the bank with stone. The 4-5 tons stone used in these structures had to be brought into the site
East M.C.C.T. *(to Trail End)*	Moderate	6.2 Miles	This trail is not a loop It is the same trail – out and back
Camanche SS Staging Area (# 4 on the Mok Area map) WEST *(start)*	Easy		From the staging area the trail meanders southwest past some magnificent ghost pines, across Wade Lane and the aqueduct, then proceed through Manzanita Chaparral. Past a vernal pond and cross the old road once paved that led to the historic town of Camanche (now under water). Then through a wildflower covered meadow that has produced Shooting Stars, Blue Dicks and Foothill Violets. The vast expanse to the west of the trail should be filled with Goldfields, Tidy Tips and Popcorn Flower. At this point the trail crosses Camanche Creek and meanders through open grassland. Then heads west along an abandoned ditch, once used by gold miners, and onto grasslands that echo with the call of Western Meadowlarks. This segment ends on a section of aqueduct road. Wild turkeys are often seen nearby. March to May is the best time to see the wildflowers on this segment. Wildflowers: 1-From the trailgate going west: Filaree(Storks Bill)-pink, Gray Mulls Ear-yellow, Pineapple Weed-yellow, Common Mullein-yellow. 2-Near Wade Lane trailgate: Gumweed-yellow, Fiddleneck-orange, Seep Spring Monkey Flower-yellow, Common Madia-yellow, Pimpernil-orange(sometimes white or blue) 3-Between Wade Lane & Aqueduct Road: Bush Monkey Flower-orange, Sticky Cinquifoil-yellow (@ aqueduct). 3.2-Between Aqueduct Road & small pond in creek: Indian Paint Brush-red, Yerba Santa-blue. 4-Pond: Lowland Shooting Star-white. 5-Old Camanche Road: Sticky Monkey Flower-orange (on rock outcrop) , Twining Brodiaea-purple. 6-Jeep Trail: Buckbrush-white, Virgin’s bower-white. 7-Large Expanse of Thin Rocky Soil Off trail Alignment: (this can be spectacular if flowers are blooming) Goldfields-yellow, Tidy Tips-yellow, Blue Dicks-purple, White Hyacinth-white, Lowland Shooting Star-white, Cream Cups-yellow, Bitterroot-pink (on rocky outcrops), Bird’s-Eye Gilia-blue, Eggs & Butter-yellow, Longhorn Plectritis-pink. 8-Between Jeep Road & Fire Road: Lace Pod-white, Shepherd’s Purse-white, Wild Larkspur-purple, Blue-Eyed Grass-blue, Tri-Colered Monkey Flower( in miners ditch that trail crosses), Itherial’s Spear-blue. 9-Narrow Gauge Trail Meets Fireroad: Frying Pan Poppy-yellow. 10-Off Fireroad Going East: Lowland Shooting Star-white, Foothill Pansy-white, Indian grinding mortar in creek. 11-Northside of Camanche Creek: White Hyacinth-white, White Brodiaea-white, Pretty Face-yellow. 12-Southside of Camanche Creek: Woodland Star-white, Lowland Shooting Star-white, Purple Sanicle-purple( also yellow). 13-Fireroad meets Narrow Gauge Trail: Eggs & Butter-yellow, Goldfields-yellow, Blue Dicks-blue, Purple Sanicle-purple(sometimes yellow). 14-Meadow West of Trail: Meadow Foam-white ( in wet areas), Calif. Saxifrage-white(along drainages), Popcorn Flower-white, Red Maids-red, Storks Bill-pink, Vetch-puple, Wild Larkspur-purple, Foothill Lupine-blue, Blue-Eyed Grass-blue, Sky Lupine-blue, Shepherds Purse-white, Lace Pod- white, Itherial’s Spear-blue. 15-Ditchline: Wild Cucumber-white, Buckbrush-white, Virgin’s Bower-white, Sticky Monkey Flower-yellow, Caterpillar Phacelia-white (on rocky outcrops in full sun),Chinese Houses-purple, Twining Brodiaea-purple, Common Buttercup-yellow, Bee Plant-red.
Camanche Creek
50 feet east of the 4^th trail gate			On the rock formation on the east side of the trail look for Bitterroot Lewisia rediviva March through July
West M.C.C.T. *(to Trail End)*	Easy	2.3 Miles	90% narrow gauge. Potable water, trough and outhouse at staging area.
China Gulch Trail – Camanche North Shore
Location	Rating		Notes 100% fire-roads
Camanche NS Staging Area (# 7 on the Mok Area map	Easy to More Difficult		This pastoral hike on Camanche Reservoir’s north shore makes a 10.2-mile round trip on a dirt road through open, rolling countryside redolent of old California. A pleasant amble through oak savannah brings us to the now-vanished mining settlements of China Gulch and Lancha Plana. The latter town was flooded by the rising waters of Camanche, and today leaves only heaped and torn piles of earth to show that thousands once lived and toiled there. Hikers can opt to take a shorter, 3-mile loop that starts from the same trailhead, the China Gulch Staging Area.
China Gulch Staging Area *(start)*
3 mile optional loop	Easy		A portion of the trail is routed on an old water canal. On the southern most portion of the trail is a view of Horse Island in Camanche Reservoir. 60% narrow gauge and 40% fire-road
China Gulch		2.7 Miles
Lancha Plana		4.5 Miles	The hummocks southwest of the trail left by hydraulic and dredge mining is where the gold rush town of Lancha Plana was. In 1848 it was a Mexican camp called Sonora Bar. Lancha Plana means flat boat. Audubon mentions the flat boat ferry in his journal, April 24, 1850. Kaiser and Winter established a ferry made of a raft of casks lashed together. In 1850 what is now the Buena Vista Store was built by John Fitzsimons. Chinese miners found gold under the foundations, a deal was struck and the building was moved 6 miles to the town of Buena Vista. The creeks were worked during the early part of the gold rush, and hydraulic mining of the terrace gravels followed. In 1858 the population grew to 1,000. Later, the Chinese mined the river and reworked the old tailings.On March 3, 1860 the Lancha Plana Dispatch was born in. In November 1860 the newspaper was moved to Jackson and later became the Amador Dispatch. From 1904-1923, the river was dredged on a large scale by the American Dredging Company. Dragline dredging was done during the 1930’s and bucket-line dredging from then until 1951
*Trail End*	More Difficult	5.1 miles	Evidence of gold mining activity in the area Views of Camanche Reservoir. 100% fire-roads.
Classification on the difficulty of the trails Easy Gently sloping or level terrain; trails are groomed or wide open; shallow or no creek crossings. More Difficult Moderate hills over consistent surface; possibly some narrow trails and short steeper slopes. Rigorous Easy to More Difficult for rider but physically challenging for horse such as on a level surface through deep sand Challenging Possible rocky, uneven surface, steep slopes, uncleared trails, faster flowing streams and other obstacles that lead to more difficult riding for rider and horse EBMUD TRAIL MAPS & PERMIT INFORMATION: http://www.ebmud.com/services/recreation/sierra/trails/default.htm MCCT INFORMATION: www.mc2ct.org Sources: Main, Lee Survey of Pardee Educational Lands, February 17, 1978 Oral interview of Cyril & June Cook on September 24, 1993 by Ranger/Naturalist II Steve Diers at the Mokelumne Area Watershed and Recreation Division Office. Cenotto, Larry, Logan’s Alley, Cenotto Publications 1988 Mace, O.Henery, Between the Rivers, Gold Country Enterprises, 1991 California Division of Mines Reports 1908, 1913-14 Gold Districts of California Gudde, Erwin G. California Gold Camps: A Geographical And Dictionary of Camps, Towns, and Localities Where Gold Was found and Mined, Wayside Stations, University of California Press Campo Seco to Poverty Bar Ditch information provided by Dean Decker, BLM Archeologist Goddard 1855 map GLO Plat 1869 Surveyed by J. G. Mather and A. B. Beauvais J. J. Agostini 1904 map War Department 1930’s map