Yesterday, President Biden announced the designation of two national monuments in California: Chuckwalla National Monument and Sáttítla National Monument, conserving the landscapes and expanding outdoor recreation opportunities. Learn more here…

Photos by Brendan Collier

Announced yesterday, Chuckwalla National Monument and Sáttítla National Monument in California are now designated National Monuments, protecting more than 840,000 acres of some of California’s most culturally and environmentally significant landscapes. The two designations will permanently conserve these incredible landscapes, safeguard sacred cultural sites, protect critical biodiversity and habitat, and expand outdoor recreation access for current and future generations. For bikepackers, this could mean more legal riding and camping opportunities, depending on what the management plan looks like.

Find a snippet from Outdoor Alliance’s press release and a brief report from Brendan Collier, who has been riding and scouting new bikepacking routes within Chuckwalla National Monument.

Chuckwalla
Here’s more from Outdoor Alliance’s press release:

The Chuckwalla National Monument will permanently protect 660,000 acres of public lands including open spaces for eastern Coachella Valley families and communities to enjoy such as popular trails and places of interest like Painted Canyon and Box Canyon in the Mecca Hills area, Corn Springs Campground, and the Bradshaw Trail. Chuckwalla National Monument has received widespread support from congressional members, Tribal leaders, and the outdoor recreation community.

The designation of Sáttítla National Monument preserves another 206,000 acres of public lands and waters in Northern California near Mount Shasta in the Medicine Lake Highlands. The Pit River Tribe has been leading this effort for more than three decades and today’s designation ensures the protection of cultural and historical sites, the headwaters for California’s water supply, and outdoor recreation access.

  • Chuckwalla
  • Chuckwalla
Chuckwalla

Words by Brendan Collier (bikepacker and route creator in the area)

The Chuckwalla National Monument has officially been established through grassroots advocacy and signed into law. While we’re still waiting to learn the full details of the management plan, we know it has the general support of the recreation community.

I’m especially excited because this area is part of the forthcoming Desert Collective Bike Touring Routes we’re working on, and the bulk of the forthcoming Southern Tier routes will be made up of what will now be part of the National Monument. Some of my most memorable desert camping and riding has been on this land.

With that in mind, I’m optimistic that the established roads and trails currently accessible by mountain bikers and bikepackers will remain accessible, as has been the case for designated roads within Joshua Tree National Park. It seems likely there could be changes with some areas potentially restricting ATV access. Overall, I am encouraged by this news and feel hopeful the new designation will bring positive attention to this special area.

Further Reading

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