Martis Valley

Hopkins Ranch

This 219-acre property was donated to the Land Trust in 2013, by DMB/Highlands Group. The property contains a portion of the major deer migration corridor in Martis Valley and serves as habitat for numerous species of plants, birds, and mammals. It is also an important part of the Martis Valley view shed for travelers on State Route 267.

Elizabethtown Meadows

Elizabethtown Meadows is 155 acres of beautiful forests and wet meadows, protected in two acquisitions occurring in 2011 and 2012. Named for a mining town that existed there for just two years in the 1860s, this property offers great, short hikes, and is popular for seasonal bird watching and wildflower viewing. In the near future, it will be the site of an important trail linking Waddle Ranch Preserve with State Route 267.

Waddle Ranch Preserve

This 1,462-acre, $23.5 million acquisition, completed in 2007 was one of the Sierra Nevada’s largest and most complicated conservation efforts in recent history. The property is a mix of sage brush and yellow pine forest, and is an excellent spot to view raptors. Lake Ella is a shallow lake at the northern end of the property and is very popular with ducks, American coots, and geese. The Land Trust has developed trails and picnic sites for hikers, bikers, and wildlife watchers. It is a popular recreation area early and late in the season, as it remains free of snow longer than many of Truckee’s other trail networks.

Northstar

There are approximately 60 acres of land in conservation easement at the Northstar Ski area donated by the Northstar Property Owners Association and Trimont Corporation. The easements provide access for the public to recreational land and are important for water quality protection, as they contain diverse riparian waterways.