choochoorocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
Rock hounding
Member since April 2020
Posts: 143
|
Post by choochoorocks on Sept 23, 2020 11:11:37 GMT -5
Hi,
To reward myself after completing a tough work project, I have decided to take a day off and do some rock hunting, with permission from the wife. I am fairly new to this hobby and have mostly been hunting lakes and beaches for jasper and agate near the SF Bay Area. So I am thinking of visiting Clear Creek, but have never been there. Any advice? Will our family minivan be ok or will I need a truck or four wheel drive? How far in will I need to drive? Are there other spots on the way there from the South Bay that could be cool to check out? Thanks in advance!
|
|
choochoorocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
Rock hounding
Member since April 2020
Posts: 143
|
Post by choochoorocks on Sept 23, 2020 16:48:28 GMT -5
Would that be the Clear Creek vehicle permit ($5), or is there another permit required?
|
|
|
Post by rockpickerforever on Sept 23, 2020 18:58:33 GMT -5
Hi, To reward myself after completing a tough work project, I have decided to take a day off and do some rock hunting, with permission from the wife. I am fairly new to this hobby and have mostly been hunting lakes and beaches for jasper and agate near the SF Bay Area. So I am thinking of visiting Clear Creek, but have never been there. Any advice? Will our family minivan be ok or will I need a truck or four wheel drive? How far in will I need to drive? Are there other spots on the way there from the South Bay that could be cool to check out? Thanks in advance!
The Google search function on the RTH home page is an invaluable function to find year's worth of threads on RTH. You don't need to know the exact name of the thread you are searching for, just the subject matter.
Clear Creek Clear Creek site re-opening
Creek location Plasma Agate
Newbie in Cali with some questions
Exploratory thread - Clear Creek - west/central California
From what I saw Googling about the vehicle permit, it is $5
Clear Creek Management Area Clear Creek Vehicle Permit: Vehicles entering the Clear Creek Management Area, including the Condon Peak campground and trailhead, are required to have a Clear Creek Vehicle Permit. The permit is $5 per vehicle and allows the vehicle to enter the Clear Creek Management Area for seven days from the date of entry. Each vehicle must display the permit on its dash while in the Clear Creek Management Area.
Contact: Bureau of Land Management Central Coast Field Office 940 2nd Avenue Marina, CA 93933 Phone: 831-582-2200
You should check with them about Fire Closures and Restrictions
Due to high fire danger, fire restrictions were increased on all BLM-managed lands to prohibit use of ALL open flames, including campfires, BBQ’s and stoves, in addition to the statewide fire prevention order and local district fire and target shooting restrictions listed below. E-mail: BLM_CA_Web_CC@blm.gov
|
|
Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,594
|
Post by Tommy on Sept 24, 2020 13:03:17 GMT -5
Hi, To reward myself after completing a tough work project, I have decided to take a day off and do some rock hunting, with permission from the wife. I am fairly new to this hobby and have mostly been hunting lakes and beaches for jasper and agate near the SF Bay Area. So I am thinking of visiting Clear Creek, but have never been there. Any advice? Will our family minivan be ok or will I need a truck or four wheel drive? How far in will I need to drive? Are there other spots on the way there from the South Bay that could be cool to check out? Thanks in advance! Lots of good advice given already but just in summary - unless something has changed you need TWO permits - an access permit per person and a vehicle permit. Last time we went the cost was roughly $70. Rangers are on scene and they do check, we've been checked twice. There is a locked gate and the permits give you a combination code to open a padlock. I haven't been there in several years so I don't know if the roads have improved or worsened but I would advise against taking a mini-van unless you have really good tires on it. Last time up my son took his 2x2 Ford ranger with mediocre street tires out to camp with us and he popped two tires and I had to tow his ass out to the entrance where a tow truck took him home to San Jose (thank God for Dads and AAA haha). Most of the road in is OK with a couple of creek crossings - but if you plan to turn and go up the steep hill towards the mine the road gets a bit rough with sharp rocks for a while.
|
|
choochoorocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
Rock hounding
Member since April 2020
Posts: 143
|
Post by choochoorocks on Sept 24, 2020 15:26:54 GMT -5
Thanks all for your advice and information! I guess I will skip Clear Creek for now due to lack of the appropriate vehicle. Bummer...
|
|
Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,594
|
Post by Tommy on Sept 25, 2020 9:54:25 GMT -5
Thanks all for your advice and information! I guess I will skip Clear Creek for now due to lack of the appropriate vehicle. Bummer... I didn't mean to make you skip it - its a fun place to visit. I should have been more clear in saying that ground clearance is never really an issue so in my opinion a minivan with decent tires can easily traverse the first five miles of the road along the creek from the campground. It's fairly heavily visited but if I hike a ways I have always managed to find some decent material there. The creek plasma agate is different from the stuff from the mine - more fibrous patterns - and I actually like it better but thats just me. Where my son got in tire trouble is where the road turns left away from the creek there is about a mile of moderately steep climb with small sharp rocks embedded in the road. Once you get past that section its fairly well graded gravel roads over the ridge and to the mine.
|
|