Rules for camping on federal land on San Jacinto

[backpackpack]

Hello my friends,

If I want to hike up for an overnight trip on devils slide area, if I camp on federal land, do I just need to get a back country permit from the ranger station or something? Is there a place with the rules for doing this? I have heard that I should stay a certain distance from the trail, but I don't know the rules. I would like to go and I would like to follow the rules too.

Thank you for any info

[Hikin_Jim]

The FSVA (Forest Service Volunteer Association) maintains a good site that walks you through the process and has permit applications on it. Check out: San Jacinto
Wilderness Permits.

Be aware that there are a lot of closures in place because of the Mountain Fire of 2013. You have to camp outside the closure area.

HJ

[backpackpack]

The FSVA (Forest Service Volunteer Association) maintains a good site that walks you through the process and has permit applications on it. Check out: San Jacinto
Wilderness Permits.

Be aware that there are a lot of closures in place because of the Mountain Fire of 2013. You have to camp outside the closure area.

HJ

Thank you, I will read up and see where I want to go.

[guest]

Hikin Jim,

Does one still need an Adventure (read parking) Pass in our local SoCal areas to park?
I know there's were changes being made.
The website you provided still mentions them.
BTW, the PCT from Snow Creek is great right now, still lots of flowers, (& plenty of buzztails too!).
First 3 miles of trail, (after road walk), have been re-worked by Americorps group & PCTA, and now another group, with pack horses, has gone up higher the continue de-brushing & rebuilding more.
It's gonna be a busy year for thru-hikers, as snow is scare, but, the water sources will be fewer, (i.e. more H20 to carry, more dehydration etc.).
I've already meet a few coming through, would left 9 or 10 days ago from Campo.
ss

[cynthia23]

Hi SS! I happened to be up on the lower portion of the PCT on Thursday and you're right, it's absolutely stunning right now. Even the asphalt road section is gorgeous-- the creosotes are blooming en masse.

[Hikin_Jim]

Does one still need an Adventure (read parking) Pass in our local SoCal areas to park?
I know there's were changes being made.
The website you provided still mentions them.

There was a ruling in 2012 by the 9th Circuit Court that basically the USFS could not charge if one were simply walking through or otherwise "using" a natural area without amenities. The Forest Service has stated that the court's ruling only applies to the one area (Mt. Lemmon near Tuscon, AZ), and that it may continue to charge elsewhere for all access including just hiking or personal photography. There's currently a case pending where some people in Southern California have sued the FS to have the Mt. Lemmon ruling applied to the local four national forests (Cleveland, San Bernardino, Angeles, and Los Padres). In the mean time, the Forest Service continues to post signs at trailheads and such stating that the Adventure Pass is required. The Forest Service also states that the pass is required on their website.

Since you can get fined $100 per violation, I personally would probably just get the pass until the court rules. See also this San Gabriel Valley Tribune article.

BTW, the PCT from Snow Creek is great right now, still lots of flowers, (& plenty of buzztails too!).
First 3 miles of trail, (after road walk), have been re-worked by Americorps group & PCTA, and now another group, with pack horses, has gone up higher the continue de-brushing & rebuilding more.
It's gonna be a busy year for thru-hikers, as snow is scare, but, the water sources will be fewer, (i.e. more H20 to carry, more dehydration etc.).
I've already meet a few coming through, would left 9 or 10 days ago from Campo.

Yeah, it's going to be really interesting, the water situation out there. The smart ones are on the trail already. I think waiting until the PCT Kickoff the last weekend in April would be a mistake this year. I don't know if you saw my recent Fishermans Camp report, but it's a joke to call that camp "Fishermans" any more. Not only are there no fish, there isn't even any water.

It will also be interesting to see how this plays out in the San Jacintos. In my February (2015) trip from Hwy 74 to Idyllwild, there was hardly any snow, Tahquitz Creek was dry at the PCT, and Four Way Spring in Tahquitz Valley was dry.

HJ

[backpackpack]

Does anyone have a link to a map showing where I can hike/camp along Devils Slide? I have not been there since I was a boy, where we almost froze to death.

[Hikin_Jim]

I don't think you're supposed to camp between the trailhead and Saddle Junction. Neither are you supposed to camp right at the junction. Most people disperse eastward, but now with the closures you can't go east of the Four Way Junction or Tahquitz Creek. The area in and around Little Tahquitz Valley is a good bet. I like the area between Tahquitz Meadow and Little Tahquitz. Lots of good camping there. The trick is water. There wasn't any water to be found anywhere I looked when I was there on President's Day. Of course it's only a couple of miles from the trailhead to Tahquitz Valley.

Alternatively, one could go north on the PCT and camp up near the junction of the PCT and the Wellmans Divide Trail. There is water right now at Wellmans Cienega, but you have to hunt around for it.

HJ