Stanislaus National Forest

News Release

USDA Forest Service
Stanislaus National Forest

Visitors Urged to Use Cottonwood Road for Cherry Lake Access

Sonora, CA (July 1,  2008) ... The Forest Service today announced that Forest fire officials are urging recreation visitors to temporarily use Cottonwood Road, also known as Forest Road 1N04, when traveling to Cherry Lake for camping, boating, and fishing. Cottonwood Road is easily accessed from Buchannan Road, just east of Tuolumne City. Regular access to Cherry Lake by way of Cherry Oil Road is limited, with delays and travel by emergency vehicles.

The Cherry Oil Road, also known as Cherry Lake Road (Forest Road 1N07), accessed off State Highway 120, is currently being used by firefighters for transporting crews, equipment, and supplies to the to the remote 2,750 acre North Mountain Fire located about 6 miles west of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, and to the Fire’s Incident Command Post and Helicopter Base at Drew Meadow. The Cherry Oil Road is open to public travel, but delays may occur as crews and equipment change work shifts, or are deployed to various parts of the fire’s perimeter.

Once the fire is contained and controlled, recreation traffic on the Cherry Oil Road will return to normal and flow freely without delays.