Responsible Hirschdale Recreation Access

The private property owners are working to place the appropriate signage along the areas at or near the agreed-upon ordinary high-water mark. If people are on the riverside of the sign, they will not be harassed or disturbed if engaged in lawful incidents of navigation, and they would be free from the threat of prosecution under trespass laws. If, however, you are above the sign and on private property, both the Sheriff's Department and the District Attorney may pursue criminal charges against individuals in this area.

Additionally, for access on the south side of the river, I recommend that the community reach out to State Senator Alvarado Gill to explore the possibility of accessing State Fish and Wildlife parcels. Contact information for Senator Gil is in the Contacts section on this page.

Also, work on the Hirschdale Bridges is scheduled to begin this spring. This project will replace/repair both bridges in this area and is expected to be completed by 2027. While the current bridge crossings will be impacted, folks will still be able to cross both the railroad tracks and the Truckee River. Please note that crews will be in the area and expect delays of up to 20 minutes due to the presence of construction equipment and a temporary one-lane trestle bridge over the Truckee River. Parking will also be limited.

A meeting of Nevada County representatives and the California State Lands Commission (CASLC) was held on September 30, 2024, in Hirschdale. The purpose of this meeting was to establish a non-binding, relative delineation of the ordinary high-water mark on the Truckee River. Local landowners were present and agreed to cooperate and allow selected parties to cross their private property to conduct this estimation of the ordinary high-water mark. The Nevada County Surveyor was also present, and he set delineation flags for the width of the public right of way adjacent to the County-owned bridge. Areas within this boundary are legal public access to the river. CASLC determined that the ordinary high-water mark is very close to the current extent of the river. In parts of the river, the area below the ordinary high-water mark was determined to be approximately the size of a walking path directly next to the water and lies generally below the line of willows. If the water rises, the public may have access to the actual water line. Absent an official, lengthy scientific and legal course of action, this determination is a compromise by the landowners who claim that the easement for navigation extends only to the water itself.  Nevada County has no jurisdictional authority over this determination. I, as the 5th District Supervisor have worked to reduce conflict in this area, as a service to the community I serve. I have acted as a convening authority and lead agency in solving trail access and river use access.

Following this delineation, the private property owners have agreed to place signs depicting the areas at or near the agreed-upon ordinary high-water mark. If people are on the river side of the sign you will not be harassed or disturbed if engaged in lawful incidents of navigation, and you would be free from threat of prosecution under trespass laws. If, however, you are above the sign, on private property, both the Sheriff Department and the District Attorney may pursue criminal charges against people in this area.

Representatives from the Nevada County Sheriff Department, District Attorney, and the State Assembly and Senate offices of Megan and Brian Dahle were present for this meeting.

This meeting is an attempt to provide clear guidance for areas where public access will be allowed near the Truckee River and areas of private property where trespass laws will be enforced. We hope this effort provides some clarity on recreation use and access. After the signs are installed and verified, another community-focused meeting may be held. I represent the community as a whole, and my goal is to provide and protect legal access to the river while honoring the laws that protect private property of the surrounding owners. 

The river and rail bridges are being removed and replaced in 2025-2027. Access will be controlled and limited. I have requested access to the river be provided when at all safely possible over the course of the construction project.

I am reaching out to you to provide an update on the community’s river access to the Truckee River in Hirschdale. For the past four years, I, along with County staff, have been working to protect public access, prevent trespassing, and settle litigation associated with public and private lands surrounding the river community of Hirschdale. To date, we have successfully secured public access to the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail and defended County-owned and controlled lands along that path. 

Within the Hirschdale area, there are other lands NOT controlled, owned, or associated with Nevada County, some of which are private, State, Federal or railroad lands.  These include California State owned sportsman access parcels located along Iceland Road. We have worked to gain access and have lobbied your State representatives with CA Department of Fish & Wildlife and both Assembly Member Dahle, Senator Dahle, and Senator Alvarado-Gil to protect public access to these taxpayer-owned parcels that are now behind a locked private gate.

Most recently, the concept of using a high-water mark to delineate public and private access has been discussed. I have secured the California Lands Commission to help delineate the ordinary high-water mark. Please read this resource guide so you know how this works via California State Lands Commission. 

A meeting with local landowners, surveyors, engineers, hydrologists, and County officials is taking place in late September. I have asked, following this meeting, that local landowners place fences and signs on that delineated mark to deconflict access and allow people to use the river from the County owned bridge without harassment. The Nevada County Sheriff and District Attorney are tasked with enforcing and prosecuting crimes related to trespassing. I have asked the Sheriff and District Attorney to attend this meeting. This is an agreement and a process to amicably delineate public access areas. This is not legally binding, and the line is designed to deconflict and reduce the friction between users and landowners.

This effort is occurring so that our community may accomplish two goals. One – provide clear public access to a public resource, the Truckee River. Two – protect the private property rights of the landowners adjacent to the river. We all want to preserve and protect the river.

• 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. 

• 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

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.

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.    

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.

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."