Responsible Hirschdale Recreation Access

Recreation impacts along the Truckee River in Hirschdale have reached an all-time high, including litter, camping, human waste, and trespassing on private property. Supervisor Bullock and County staff have gathered feedback from interested parties and formed a working group to find a resolution.

A note from Supervisor Hardy Bullock, District 5 Supervisor, on September 15, 2023:

I'm excited to announce a step forward to a solution for a problem that's existed since the 1970s. The public/private interface near the river in the Hirschdale area has been the source of ongoing work for my office, county staff, and local, state, and national stakeholder groups such as the Truckee River Alliance, Trout Unlimited, Backcountry Hunters, and more, as well as private property owners. To date, we have completed the following:

  • Hosted multiple community meetings online, in person - one-on-one, and in group settings.
  • Stakeholder Town Hall meetings.
  • Convening of a solutions assessment working group.
  • Published the Hirschdale Recreational Planning Stakeholder Group Final Report.
  • USFS partnership on survey and boundaries delineation.
  • Nevada County survey verification and recordation of the map.
  • Delegate meetings with Senator Alvarado-Gil, Senator Dahle, Assembly Member Dahle, and Congressman Kevin Kiley.
  • Partner sign and wayfinding plans.
  • Bridge construction easements and public access infrastructure funding.
  • On-going litigation and mediation services for roads and land adjacent to the river.
  • Direct operations with the Nevada County Sheriff's Office to align goals, response, education, surveillance, and land owner/user support.

I’m very proud of the work we have all done to retain appropriate public access to our open space, river, and surrounding lands.

Get Involved

Contacts

AgencyContact Person
Nevada County (General Questions)Mandy Stewart, Administrative Analyst: mandy.stewart@nevadacountyca.gov or 530-550-3005
Fish and Wildlife Department (controls the recreational parcels on the south side of the river and their access)Caitlin Roddy: Caitlin.Roddy@Wildlife.ca.gov
Assemblywoman Megan Dahle's Office (working on delineating the high water mark)Yolanda Cookson: yolanda.cookson@asm.ca.gov

Hirschdale Area Updates

 Month and YearUpdate Information
September 2023Hirschdale Community Meeting 
  • Design Workshop presented progress on the Recreation and Resiliency Master Plan.
  • The Tahoe Pyramid Trail is open to the public with access to pedestrians and cyclists. The non-standard signs, sirens, and gates located in the County road right-of-way on Hirschdale Road will be removed, except those located directly adjacent to the Hirschdale River bridge.
  • Construction of two new bridges is planned, with more details here: Hirschdale Road Bridges | Dokken Bridges
  • Additional meetings with the State Fish and Wildlife Department and Assemblymember Dahle’s office will take place to determine the correct agency that will delineate the high water mark. Those officials can be contacted above. 
  • Public access and parking will be investigated on the south side of the river to the existing Fish and Wildlife public parcels.
  • Record of Survey Map now available. Additional background information is available upon request, please reach out to Public Works, public.works@nevadacountyca.org, or call (530)265-1141. 

Hirschdale Community Meeting - Design Workshop and staff presenting

August 2023
  • Outdoor Visitor Safety Funds directed to Hirschdale for planned improvements to public access, including signage, parking, and road surface improvements.  COUNTY OF NEVADA - File #: SR 23-4069 (legistar.com)
  • Improvements presented and approved in this item by the Board of Supervisors COUNTY OF NEVADA - File #: SR 23-4211 (legistar.com)
  • Hirschdale Road Improvements Include:
    • Community Access Map is 
    • Additional parking spaces on Hirschdale Road to the west of Thornton Avenue with turnaround will be provided at the Hirschdale Road and Hinton Road intersection. See the Community Access Map (above) presented and approved by the Board of Supervisors - See August 2023.  Anticipated or expected implementation in October 2023.
    • Road-surface improvements and general maintenance within the public right-of-way
    • Improvements to signage to minimize confusion and help guide the recreational area users to the Trail Access Point.
    • Improvements to the road edges and signage to better accommodate parking on both sides of Hirschdale Road west of Hinton Road while clearly prohibiting parking at the Hirschdale Road/Hinton Road intersection (turn-around area)
    • Remove obstructions on the sides of the road, including an abandoned County gate, and non-standard signs.
    • Install removable bollards in the vicinity of the County’s solid waste facility to prevent auto access by the area visitors and only permit bicycle and pedestrian access to the Trail
June 2023

Hirschdale Record of Survey Review - Met with community members and reviewed the record of the survey in the Hirschdale Area with the County Surveyor, Kevin Nelson.

May 2023

A Record of Survey map for the U.S. Forest Service delineating and showing monuments at the eastern end of Hirschdale Road and between lands of the Tahoe National Forest, Nevada County, and private property has been recorded.

To determine the exact position of property boundaries of the closed Nevada County landfill off Hirschdale Road and the existing roadway (or a portion thereof), Nevada County will identify the boundaries at the physical site and prepare and record a map within the next month or so. An update will be posted on this webpage once the map is recorded.  As property descriptions are based on Public Land Survey System Sections, the ownership of the portion of the previously abandoned Hirschdale Road north of the section line fronting Nevada County’s closed landfill property and north of the private property reverted to Nevada County.  Once this is clearly identified at the site, the area in which public access to the adjacent lands of the Tahoe National Forest can be clearly delineated.    

September 2022

Hirschdale Road presentation from the Community Development Agency
April 2022

Help ensure access to the Hirschdale area by using designated parking and access points to the Tahoe Pyramid Trail and Truckee River (effective 4/8/2022). When visiting the Hirschdale area, please respect homeowners, and private property, and leave no trace to protect this important community resource.

Review the below map for public parking and access points effective 4/8/2022.

Hirschdale April 2022

March 2022

The Hirschdale Recreational Planning Stakeholder Group Final Report has been issued along with anticipated timeframes for recommendations from the report.
September 2021

Download the agenda packet distributed at the September 23, 2021, "Hirschdale Listening Session" held at the Tahoe Forest Church.

View a recording of the September 23, 2021, "Hirschdale Listening Session."