Mi-Wok Ranger District front desk on Stanislaus National Forest closes Dec. 18

SONORA, Calif. — The front desk at the Mi-Wok Ranger District office will close indefinitely beginning Dec. 18. The office had been open on Fridays since June. Forest Supervisor Jason Kuiken made the decision to close due to limited staff and the fact that Mi-Wok receives the fewest visitors during the winter season. “The forest must scrutinize all its expenditures and closing the Mi-Wok front desk was a difficult decision, but a necessary one,” Kuiken said. “We understand that community members may miss the convenience of stopping into the Mi-Wok Ranger District front desk, but the combination of factors made it extremely difficult for the forest to operate in a ‘business as usual’ manner this year.”

Visitors needing permits or other assistance may visit the Forest Supervisor’s office, located at 19777 Greenley Road in Sonora, California, the Summit Ranger Station on Highway 108, the Calaveras Ranger District on Highway 4 and the Groveland Ranger District on Highway 120.

Kuiken said he would review the decision to see if the Mi-Wok front desk will reopen for the summer recreation season.

Frankly, I don't understand why they have that station open. If you are hiking in the Emigrant Wilderness, you pretty much have to drive to Pinecrest, where the Summit Range Station is. If you want to start at one of the lower trailheads like Bourland, you still have to drive through Sonora itself, unless you are a local.

So if the only people Mi-Wuk was serving were the hikers from Twain Harte headed to Bourland....how many could that be?

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