• Tule elk silhouetted against sunlight reflecting off of Drakes Bay.

    Point Reyes

    National Seashore California

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Update on Bear Valley Trail Closure: Extended to November 3rd

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Date: October 26, 2006
Contact: John Dell'Osso, 415-464-5135

Blown-out culvert on Bear Valley Trail, 12/31/05

A small section of the Bear Valley Trail will be closed to visitors from Monday, October 23 – Friday, November 3, 2006, including this coming weekend, for the replacement of a culvert. This closure is a result of 2006 storm damage that the Seashore received funding for. Hikers and equestrians can still access the first section of Bear Valley Trail from the Trailhead parking area to Mount Wittenberg Trail junction. After ascending the Mount Wittenberg Trail, visitors can go onto the Sky Trail then onto Meadow Trail to return to Bear Valley Trail. Visitors are encouraged to pick up a free trail map from the BearValleyVisitorCenter. Bear Valley Creek contains the federally-threatened steelhead trout and this project will remove a significant fish passage obstruction.

The culvert replacement projects would restore or enhance natural hydrologic process by replacing the existing culvert with a 14’ x 10’ multi-plate arched culvert. The park has been evaluating all possible rehabilitation options for this trail crossing and determined that the undersized culvert needs to be replaced with a multi-plate arch culvert. As a result of site surveys and additional damage to the trail as a result of the winter 2006 storms, the Seashore has had to resolve the flooding concerns at this site to accommodate a 100-year flood event.

-NPS-

Did You Know?

Tule Elk

In the mid-1800s, the tule elk was hunted to the brink of extinction. The last surviving tule elk were discovered and protected in the southern San Joaquin Valley in 1874. In 1978, ten tule elk were reintroduced to Point Reyes, which now has one of California's largest populations, numbering ~500. More...