Weaverville Basin Trail System Guide

2013 Printable Trail Map in PDF (1.1Mb)
or GIF (0.6Mb) formats

In the fall of 1996, the RCD was requested by the Weaverville Basin Trail Committee Chairman, Scott Morris, to be the lead agency to help the Trail Committee fulfill its goal of a basin wide trail system. The RCD has agreed to adopt this community development project and to facilitate funding and trail maintenance needs. The Trail Committee now functions as a sub-committee of the RCD Board of Directors. This volunteer Committee has been working for more than ten years to designate approximately 40 miles of trail, complete and Environmental Assessment with the Forest Service and include the preliminary trail system map in the Trinity County General Plan. The Weaverville Community Plan has been amended to accurately reflect the trail system and to protect it as development progresses in the basin.

The RCD is in support of the effort to complete a trail system that could be enjoyed not only by the local community, but also by tourists interested in hiking, biking, horseback riding and sightseeing. This trail system will provide tourists with a sense of wilderness adventure with a hot shower, a good meal and comfortable accommodations at the end of the day. This in turn, will provide much needed revenue to the community which has been hard hit by changes in the timber-based economy. The Weaverville Basin Trail is unique because of the many opportunities that exist for historical and natural feature interpretation and incorporates the overall historic theme of the community.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Forest Service, the primary landowner of the trail system, and the RCD has been signed by the Shasta-Trinity Forest Supervisor, Sharon Heywood, and the RCD Chairman of the Board of Directors, Gregory Lowden. The purpose of the MOU is to provide a framework for cooperation between the parties in support of the trail system. Providing the construction and maintenance of the trail will enhance the recreation experience of area hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, and to a limited extent, Off-Road Vehicles (ORVs). It is expected that the Weaverville community as well as businesses will benefit from an increase in recreational opportunities in the adjacent National Forest lands.

A Community Economic Revitalization Team (CERT) proposal was submitted for funds to develop a Master Plan for the System and for trail maintenance and development requirements. This proposal was prepared by the Resource Conservation & Development Coordinator, Scott Eberly, with assistance from members of the Trail Committee.

One of the efforts made by the Trail Committee is to educate the local ORV users about the sections of trail that are off-limits to motorized vehicles. In a letter to the editor of the Trinity Journal, the Committee pointed out that in order to obtain access on private lands within the system, permission was granted in many cases only if motorized use was not to occur. There still exist many locations in the Basin for ORV use, but in order to keep rights to the trail for the majority of users near town, it is critical that the trail designations be followed.

This project has become a cooperative effort with many interested people playing an important role in moving this project forward. Caltrans has donated several pickup truck loads of treated wood posts for use as trail sign posts in the Weaverville Basin Trail project. Volunteer labor has been provided by AmeriCorps and Trinity River Conservation Camp. Other ideas about getting community members even more involved include: having a logo contest for the Trail System at art classes in local schools, developing an Adopt-A-Trail system, and organizing a "Volksmarch" as a fundraiser. The Trail Committee meets every first Wednesday of the month at 7pm at #3 Horseshoe Lane in Weaverville and everyone interested in the Weaverville Trail System is welcome.

Weaver Basin Trail System Master Plan (9MB pdf)

The mission of the Weaverville Basin Trail System is to develop a comprehensive trail system for hikers, mountain bikers, horse riders for Weaverville residents and tourists. This system will foster an appreciation for the natural surroundings, plants and wildlife of the area as well as enhancing the economy of the community through increased tourism. Through maintenance of a trail network around Weaverville the many historical features of the area will be preserved and interpreted along with ensuring public access in a developing town. The Weaverville Basin Trail System will serve the community with cultural, educational and recreational opportunities.

The Weaverville Basin Trail Project began in 1986 with the completion of the Weaverville Community Plan, a document adopted by the County of Trinity to guide the future development of Weaverville, a historic gold rush town nestled in the mountains of north-west California.

Trail Work Volunteers

The Weaverville Basin Trail Committee was formed in 1988 to develop a plan to preserve Weaverville's trails. This committee is made up of representatives from various trail user groups, the U.S. Forest Service, BLM, Trinity County Historical Society, County of Trinity, Weaverville/Douglas City Parks and Recreation District, groups such as the Mountain Bike Club, the Running Club and Trinity Riders, as well as interested citizens at large.

Since its inception the project has grown in scope and size. The system will eventually circumnavigate Weaverville with over 50 miles of trail through biologically diverse terrain, offering many opportunities to interpret historic mining sites, riparian zones, wetlands, old growth forests and timber harvest sites.

The project has formed alliances between private property owners, county, state and federal agencies through trust, understanding and the hard work of a motivated and sensitive ad hoc trail committee. The Weaverville Basin Trail System is a terrific example of what can be accomplished when government, private landowners and interested citizens join together to make something positive happen in their community.

"The Weaverville Basin Trail System:  A Trail Through Time..." historical brochure and trail map is available for the modest purchase price of $3.00 at many local stores and the Chamber of Commerce in Weaverville.  Please support our local merchants.  They have been supportive of the development of this wonderful trail system.

For more information contact:

Scott A. Morris
Chairman of the Weaverville Basin Trail Committee
P. O. Box 2245
Weaverville, CA 96093

or

Noreen Doyas
Trinity County R.C.D.
P. O. Box 1450
Weaverville, CA 96093
(530) 623-6004