BLM Closes Two King Range Campgrounds Due to Safety Hazards

King Range coast shot with ocean waves breaking against steep cliffs

The King Range National Conservation area. [Photo from BLM]

Press release from the Bureau of Land Management:

The Bureau of Land Management has closed the Wailaki and Nadelos campgrounds in the King Range National Conservation Area due to hazards from dead or dying trees that could fall. A reopening date has not been determined. The closure affects 13 campsites at Wailaki and eight sites at Nadelos.

The nearby Tolkan Campground, offering nine campsites, remains open. It provides convenient access to the Paradise Royale Mountain Bike Trail and Terrain Park. At the north end of the King Range, the Mattole Campground offers 14 tent/trailer campsite near the beach.

“We are investigating options for reopening the two campgrounds as quickly as possible, but visitor safety remains our top concern,” said Collin Ewing manager of the BLM Arcata Field Office, which oversees the King Range.

Trails and trailheads remain open, and the King Range continues to offer myriad recreation opportunities.

Multi-day backpacking trips on the Lost Coast Trail along the Pacific Ocean are popular. Wilderness permits are required and available at www.recreation.gov. There are more than 80 miles of hiking trails offering experiences for varying abilities. There are also driving options through the King Range on roads ranging from paved routes to those requiring four-wheel drive.

Information on these opportunities is available at https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-
lands/california/king-range-national-conservation-area. This website contains information about trip planning,

roads and trails, safety, wildlife, and responsible recreation. It also offers maps and guides. Staff at a visitor center, 768 Shelter Cove Rd., in Whitethorn, can also provide information and help with trip planning. The facility is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The telephone number is 707-986-5400.

The BLM manages approximately 245 million acres of public land in the Nation, primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The agency’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Chemise Mt Trail

Chemise Mt Trail [Photo used with the kind permission of Gyppo Ale in Shelter Cove]

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Just Sayin
Guest
Just Sayin
10 months ago

Do some tree work and open them back up. Doesn’t seem like that difficult of a task. But I guess most things being operated by lefties, the right call is to close things down in fear of getting ones hands dirty doing some work……… Gotta have a meeting and wast a couple hundred thousand to talk about the feelings of the trees, and set a date for another conversation to waste some more money.

farfromputin
Member
farfromputin
10 months ago
Reply to  Just Sayin

Folks who do the King Range don’t post stupid comments.

Tallcool1
Guest
Tallcool1
10 months ago
Reply to  Just Sayin

That would require the use of tax money, which right wing morons don’t want to pay. They especially don’t like taxing their billionaire overlords.

Al L Ivesmatr
Guest
Al L Ivesmatr
10 months ago
Reply to  Tallcool1

Beahahaha. It always amazes me how many of our lefty friends are living in the 1970s era assuming Republicans are Country Clubbers. It’s especially funny when they refer to Republicans as deplorable oakies and hicks. I’ve never met a rich hick overlord. Hmmm . Goes to show you, in reality, the Democrats are the party of the country club rich now along with promoting intolerance, racism, and hate. They essentially suck azz. As far as the King Range, I would venture to say more Conservative leaning individuals have hiked the Kings Range, me being one multiple times, versus all the outta shape, fat liberals walking around Humboldt. Reason being, hiking the Lost Coast takes individuality and fortitude, not collective help to get you through it. Hence, the collective ain’t gonna haul an outta shape, fat liberals butt out of it, Instead, the liberal will scream for government assistance and will just call the Coast Guard to rescue their sorry azzes. Just sayin….

Doug
Guest
Doug
10 months ago
Reply to  Al L Ivesmatr

SMH.When @Tallcool is talking about the reluctance of the rightwing to tax overlords, the meaning is You conservative members of the working class are afraid to tax Your overlords.
And, of course, You “have never met a rich overlord.” While I think Clarence Thomas might say the same thing, it appears that in objective reality, he has been actively receiving bribes from one for several decades now. Yet, it is reasonable to believe they probably arent scrambling around in your neck of the woods.
They are far too busy scheming to get another dollar out of your pocket, while redirecting your wrath onto the people who are most likely to help you when you need it, to come hang out on the porch with you.

Just me
Guest
Just me
10 months ago
Reply to  Just Sayin

This is a completely hateful and irresponsible comment. Said from the cowardly safety of anonymity. Try passing on some compassion for a change. We are a community of respectful humans doing what we can to help one another.

Hick
Guest
Hick
10 months ago

They should have their left hand’s tied behind their back’s, and be beat with rulers. Like in catholic school…….wonder if “just sayin” wears a habit ?

NoBody
Guest
NoBody
10 months ago
Reply to  Hick

Just going out on a limb here, but I’m guessing he’s wears nun … or at least doesn’t make a habit of it.

The Real Guest
Guest
The Real Guest
10 months ago
Reply to  NoBody

🤔🧐Why so cross?😁😂

NoBody
Guest
NoBody
10 months ago
Reply to  The Real Guest

I think the Devil made me do it.

Eyeball Kid
Member
10 months ago
Reply to  NoBody

What’s black and white and black and white and black and white? A nun rolling down a hill.

Zipline
Guest
Zipline
10 months ago

They do it because some entitled moron will sue the BLM because a tree fell on them. Safest option is to ban humans entirely.

DanD
Member
Dan
10 months ago
Reply to  Zipline

On the peninsula, BLM is not a benevolent neighbor. They close their areas so that we can not see the damage to habitat that their inane plant nativism has rendered to our native plants, animals, and biology at EVERY level.
BLM has created a desertified sand sheet that is about to enter the slough at which point they will have succeeded in fragmenting the peninsula, destroying rare coastal forested wetlands in the process. Devastating wildlife habitat, increasing windspeeds, and depleting resilience.
You can take Google Earth directly west from the NEC, HSU, and the local Coastal Commission to witness this nightmare. If anyone can explain the positive to these projects, I’d love to hear it.

Farce
Guest
Farce
10 months ago
Reply to  Dan

You’re on here a bunch saying this stuff. I don’t doubt you. But I would suggest that maybe you could put together your complaints with a couple maps or pictyres of what you’re talking about and then provide a link when you comment? I know- it’s some desk jockey type work but I think you’d be more effective at rallying people to your point of view. You surely seem passionate about this transgression done under the color of “restoration” and I am interested in your argument but not enough/too busy to track down all the stuff you refer to…I’ve seen BLM use some questionable tactics myself in other places. But right now it’s just you against them making some comments on here every now and then.

PenguinnD
Member
10 months ago
Reply to  Farce
DanD
Member
Dan
10 months ago
Reply to  Penguinn

Those eroded cliffs have a problem that is not what we face. Coastal Science tells us that our coastal sand dunes will accrete faster than sea level is rising IF kept vegetated. A vegetated dune will function as a wetland, creating wildlife habitat, resilience and a stopover for our Pacific Flyway.

On the Rudd Property in Manila beachgrass was planted to protect HBMWDs coastal pipes and in 50 years it collected sands creating a 30′ Primary Dune.
Idiots removed the grass, the Primary Dune collapsed inboard burying our deflation plane wetland, destroying the protected constructed wetlands,
habitat and resilience placing HBMWDs pipe in a FEMA Velocity Zone. Their engineers haven’t a clue.

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/insight/understanding-living-shorelines

DanD
Member
Dan
10 months ago
Reply to  Farce

Thanks, I thought I did.
You can take Google Earth directly west from the NEC, HSU, and the local Coastal Commission to witness this nightmare. If anyone can explain the positive to these projects, I’d love to hear it.”

Do you have access to Google Earth? See BLMs sand sheet just NW of the old Manila Sierra Pacific mill.
These results are duplicated from Gold Bluffs Beach south to the South Spit,
wherever grass was removed, never a gain, on any level of biology.
Farce, another approach is to inquire where it is we can see a “successful” restoration. I’ve asked proponents, but not one has a reply.

Farce
Guest
Farce
10 months ago
Reply to  Dan

Ha Ha- that’s a good approach- to give them a question they can answer (or not). I’ve been out to Lanphere w/ a Plant Ecology class (John Sawyer- a good man!) and we were taught that the sand dunes progressing into and burying the trees was a natural process. I’ve seen similar dune movement (similar to my eye) when hiking out past the Gun Club past the power lines.And then I’ve taken the trail from that parking lot south to the fancy new building. I don’t expect you to maintain a website of information but I’m interested in your stance…where exactly was the plant removal done? And was the removal a direct cause of dune collapse/sand migration etc? I know that sometimes we want all the non-natives removed but sometimes the landscape has adjusted/ normalized to the non-natives to such an extent that we have a …dilemma with that only-native restoration ideal…And if they screwed up they should own it and not leave you out here as the lone voice of caution

Zipline
Guest
Zipline
10 months ago
Reply to  Farce

Native plants are a myth. Since all of this beautiful land we call home was ocean bottom once upon a time it’s all invasive…..so if you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.

DanD
Member
Dan
10 months ago
Reply to  Zipline

Yes! When you hear nonnative think Monsanto.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT4Zczx_bik&ab_channel=fearlessfund

Steve Koch
Guest
Steve Koch
10 months ago
Reply to  Zipline

Right on!💯

Zipline
Guest
Zipline
10 months ago
Reply to  Dan

Once again and as ever, people are the problem. Happily since this “civilization” we are in has entered it’s period of rapid decline most people aren’t going to be around much longer…..

Malachi vendetta
Guest
Malachi vendetta
9 months ago
Reply to  Zipline

This is what happened actually…. Some one was in one of the campground during a winter storm and a tree fell on them and now they had to close them because there are many more trees in danger of falling.

The Real Guest
Guest
The Real Guest
10 months ago

“The nearby Tolkan Campground, offering nine campsites, remains open.”

I guess “nearby” is a relative term…

Nadelos Campground, and Wailaki Campground, are, respectively, 6.1 miles, and 6.4 miles away from Tolkan Campground. (20 minutes and 21 minutes, respectively.)

If you might be wondering what the commotion is all about, or the reasoning behind it, this might have something to do with it…

https://kymkemp.com/2022/12/27/man-trapped-in-vehicle-by-treefall-near-white/

https://kymkemp.com/2022/12/28/rescue-of-man-trapped-overnight-by-tree-that-fell-on-his-vehicle-required-the-coordinated-effort-of-dozens-of-people-and-multiple-agencies/

Last edited 10 months ago
trout fisher
Guest
trout fisher
10 months ago

Tolkan campground is a lovely alternative. Numerous great hiking trails near the campground. Very quiet, not much road traffic.

Mike Morgan
Member
10 months ago

I confess when I first read “BLM” in the headline, I wasn’t thinking Feds…

Jeffersonian
Guest
Jeffersonian
9 months ago

The BLM stands for the Bureau of Land Mismanagement