Sierra foothills trails

How to purchase trail use permits

Permits can be purchased for $3/one day, $10/one year, $20/three years, and $30/five years. Upon request, a free trail map is included with your purchase. Trail permit holders can take members of their immediate family and 3 guests. Permits are not transferable.

• Online: Purchase and print trail use permits online.
• By mail: Download the application below and mail it with your payment to EBMUD.
• Application: email Watershed & Recreation or call 209-772-8204. 

Trails

Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail

You'll find 29 miles of continuous Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail (MCCT) open to trail users.

• John Bull Loop Trail: 
  

  Explore the new John Bull Trail

  Explore a new 2.4 mile segment branching off of the Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail. The new loop starts 1.5 miles east of the Campo Seco Staging Area and takes visitors northwest from Lawry Flat and through the rolling hills overlooking Pardee Reservoir. Enjoy the sights of nature from the Pardee View Vista Point (open now) and John Bull Peak at over 1,000 feet in elevation (John Bull Peak spur will open this summer). Signage for the John Bull Loop Trail is posted. From the Campo Seco Staging Area, the round trip is over 7 miles. Please bring water, sunscreen, proper footwear and other essentials to make your trip rewarding and comfortable.
• Cooks Mesa Trail access point: To make day trips easier between Camanche South Shore Staging Area and the Campo Seco Staging Area, the 12.4 mile distance is divided by the Cooks Mesa Trail access point. The new trail access is 3 miles from the Camanche South Shore Staging Area, 10 miles from the Campo Seco Staging Area, and 100 yards south of the Mokelumne Watershed Headquarters on Camanche Parkway South. Cooks Mesa has drinking water, handicap-accessible chemical toilets and limited parking. Trailers are prohibited due to the small parking area.
• Patti's Point: A popular section of trail, the Patti's Point to James Bar trail is a short but steep segment of the MCCT which descends east from Patti's Point down to James Bar (off Gwin Mine Road).
• Rich Gulch Trail: For a moderate hike (4.2 miles round trip), head east from Rich Gulch to the Middle Bar Access Point. You'll follow the river canyon to the Middle Bar Bridge and pass through an area rich in history.
• Middle Bar through Independence Flat: In October 2012, EBMUD opened this last section of Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail on District land. Since the trail alignment east of Highway 49 isn't established yet, trail users enter and exit at the Middle Bar Trail Access Point. The trail offers a loop aspect for pedestrians, following the narrow gauge along the river canyon (livestock are excluded from the canyon section for safety reasons).

When you purchase a trail permit, you may request the "Trails of the Pardee & Camanche Watersheds" map, which features the Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail. An excerpt of the map is available below; it includes trail locations, a vicinity map and a trail guide.

Trail info on the go

Plan your trip to the Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail using the trail map below, or download our kmz file (Google satellite) to your mobile GPS device. You may also download Google Earth to view the file. This data represents the most current digital depiction of the trail and trail features.  

Events

Learn about volunteer workdays, tours and other events that EBMUD is offering directly or with other organizations. Please check back for updates.

Contact

email: recreation@ebmud.com

phone: 209-772-8204