The Eastern Sierra Towns to Trails Plan will identify a multi-use network that will connect Eastern Sierra communities to each other and to public lands throughout the region as well as to destinations south and north such as Lake Tahoe. The project parallels the Eastern Sierra escarpment (west of Highway 395), from northern Alpine County, through Mono County, and on into southern Inyo County, a distance of approximately 200 miles. 

 

The Eastern Sierra region is characterized by dramatic landscapes, sweeping open spaces, and superb outdoor recreation opportunities made possible through the unusually high percentage of publicly owned and managed lands. The trail network will cross multiple jurisdictions and lands managed by multiple entities, including the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Inyo National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. 

 

The Trails Plan will build upon existing trail and soft-surface infrastructure in the region and will take advantage of existing priorities for trail connectivity already developed by federal land managers along with stakeholder ideas generated through the “Recreation Stakeholders” track of the Sustainable Recreation and Tourism Initiative (SRTI). The planning process features county by county collaborative planning efforts including tribes, relevant land managers, stakeholders, and local agencies.  

 

The Towns to Trails effort was initiated in December 2022 and expects to deliver the final trails plan in December 2024.