Plumas National Forest, National forest in northeastern California, United States
Plumas National Forest spreads across mountains, meadows, and lakes throughout the Sierra Nevada range, featuring multiple forest types and natural habitats. The landscape includes alpine lakes, clear streams, and dense conifer forests that roll across gentle and steep slopes.
The United States government created the Plumas Forest Reserve in 1905 and transferred it to the Forest Service two years later. This shift marked part of a broader effort to protect forests across the country.
The forest land held deep meaning for the Maidu and Washoe peoples, who hunted, gathered, and carried out their traditional ways of life across these grounds. These connections remain visible today in place names and in how people move through and use the forest.
The area offers a large network of trails with different difficulty levels, from short walks to multi-day backpacking routes. Visitor centers provide maps and information to help plan your visit, and the best time to go is from June to September when higher elevation paths are free of snow.
Foresters have found that this region holds older mixed-conifer forests with Douglas-fir and Sierra White Fir trees that have stood for many generations. These older forests create a different feel than younger stands and influence how water, wildlife, and fungi interact across the landscape.
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