BLM restores motorized vehicle access to the Clear Creek Management Area
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(Updated Oct. 2)
MARINA, Calif. — The Bureau of Land Management has completed repairs to Clear Creek Road in the Serpentine Area of Critical Environmental Concern allowing visitors to receive permits online and enter the area in San Benito County. The full order rescinding the closure can be found on the website.
“We are excited to welcome the public back to the area for the first time in 2023 and remind visitors to recreate responsibly by staying on designated routes and by practicing leave no trace ethics on public lands,” said Central Coast Field Manager Zachary Ormsby.
Crews completed repairs to culverts and stream crossings on Clear Creek Road and maintenance work along the entire public touring route network in the Serpentine Area of Critical Environmental Concern; they also repaired the many stream crossings and culverts that were washed away during the winter storms. The completed work included a complete regrading of the total length of Clear Creek Road, which had experienced significant erosion from Clear Creek overflowing and washing out the road surface. Crews also surveyed the entire public route network and completed repairs and regrading, where needed.
Visitors can go online to recreation.gov to access permits for entering the Clear Creek Management Area and the Serpentine Area of Critical Environmental Concern. All visitors are required to have their own permit, regardless of age, and the permit must be always in the holder’s name and on them. Please note some visitors will need multiple permits to access areas within the Clear Creek Management Area. An individual is allowed a total of five permits per calendar year.
The Serpentine Area of Critical Environmental Concern permit is available for advanced reservations and allows the visitor access to the Serpentine Area of Critical Environmental Concern within the Clear Creek Management Area for the duration of one day.
Recreate Responsibly and Pack It In – Pack It Out: Practice Leave No Trace ethics, while recreating on public lands by packing out all your trash. Illegal dumping of waste is a public safety hazard and dangerous to wildlife.
Clear Creek Management Area encompasses approximately 75,000 acres, of which 63,000 acres are public lands managed by the Central Coast Field Office. Topography is rugged with elevations ranging from 2,600 feet at Oak Flat Campground to 5,241 feet on San Benito Mountain. Recreational opportunities include hunting, camping, hobby gem/mineral collecting, mountain biking, horseback riding, hiking/backpacking, and sightseeing. There are two developed campgrounds in the Clear Creek Management Area, Oak Flat and Jade Mill, both with picnic tables, shade structures, fire rings, and vault toilets.
For more information, please visit the Clear Creek webpage. For specific questions, contact the Central Coast Field Office at 831-582-2200 or BLM_CA_Web_CC@blm.gov.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.