CONSERVE FROG LAKE, RED MOUNTAIN AND CARPENTER RIDGE
Truckee Donner Land Trust and its partners are thrilled to announce the successful protection of Frog Lake, Red Mountain & Carpenter Ridge as of June 2020! With the acquisition complete, we now turn our attention to building trail to Frog Lake, over Red Mountain, down into Lower Carpenter Valley, over Carpenter Ridge and down to Independence Lake. We’ve also begun operations of the Frog Lake Backcountry Huts for visitors summer and winter.
Totaling 2,914 acres, the properties are north of Interstate 80 and east of the Sierra Crest, falling between Castle Peak to the west and Euer Valley to the east. Frog Lake, previously owned by the Smith family since the 1930s, has been closed to the public for nearly a century, preserving a beautiful landscape including the lake itself at 7,600 feet, Frog Lake Cliff, late seral forests and key habitat for numerous species.
The other acreage, previously owned by Sierra Pacific Industries, includes Red Mountain on the ridge between Euer Valley and Carpenter Valley. These parcels link Frog Lake to other Land Trust acquisitions, including Lower Carpenter Valley, Independence Lake, Perazzo Meadows, Webber Falls, Webber Lake and Lacey Meadows.
That connection is critical, creating contiguous land management, providing threatened and endangered species with connected habitat and protecting the upper watersheds of the middle stretch of the Truckee River. It protects upland water sources for the rare and delicate fens of Carpenter Valley, and is home to species like black bear, marten, mountain lion and northern goshawk.
Trails are planned to not only give visitors access to Frog Lake and the Carpenter Valley ridges, but also to connect other preserved properties, opening up huge swaths of the Northern Sierra previously unavailable to the public. Access will be for non-motorized use only, and backcountry skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing will be excellent in the winter months.
A historic stone lodge, built for the Smith family, may become a winter backcountry hut, part of larger plans in the works for a hut system in the region.
The Frog Lake property was acquired by the late Felix Smith from the Southern Pacific Railroad in the 1930s, and it has been a summer retreat for the family since. The family has been a great steward of this extraordinary property, and with this commitment to Truckee Donner Land Trust, they have now achieved their goal to ensure it goes to conservation.
See how these incredible lands fit into the larger landscape, connecting past successes here.
