Reminder to practice winter recreation safety ahead of MLK weekend
With record-breaking snow accumulation throughout the state, all visitors to California’s National Forests should plan ahead and ensure your vehicles are snow ready as road conditions may impact access heading into Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.
Visitors are encouraged to follow the Recreate Responsibility mantra which encourages people to Plan Before You Go, the Leave No Trace principles, Plan and Prepare and Make it Better. See the graphic to learn more about those.
Additional safety information
• Know before you go – Check the weather for your destination and understand the road conditions, chain control, and potential road closures of your route. Don’t get lured into taking alternative routes around closures as travel apps and related online map services have likely not been updated to reflect the current situation and you may get lost or stuck. Recommended resource: QuickMap (ca.gov).
• Be prepared – check your tires’ tread and pressure; top off windshield fluid; and carry tire chains, an ice scraper, an extra blanket and provisions in your car in case you become stuck or stranded on the roadside.
• Using GPS – When a road is closed don’t rely on your phone’s GPS to route you around the closure. If a main highway is closed then the secondary road will be in worse condition.
For people choosing to stay local, the USDA Forest Service invites everyone to participate in volunteerism on Monday, Jan. 17 in recognition and celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. For more information, visit: americorps.gov/newsroom/events/mlk-day.
The Forest Service manages 18 National Forests in the Pacific Southwest Region, which encompasses over 20 million acres across California, and assists State and Private forest landowners in California, Hawaii and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands. National Forests supply 50 percent of the water in California and form the watershed of most major aqueducts and more than 2,400 reservoirs throughout the state. For more information, visit fs.usda.gov/R5.
