U.S. Forest Service - Mendocino National Forest

U.S. Forest Service - Mendocino National Forest Welcome to Mendocino National Forest! This U.S.

Offering nearly 1 million acres of rugged, unique landscape from the Sacramento Valley foothills to the North Coast mountains. Forest Service - Mendocino National Forest page is a combined effort of the National Forest Foundation and the USDA Forest Service. The Mendocino National Forest straddles the eastern spur of the Coastal Mountain Range in northwestern California, just a three hour

drive north of San Francisco and Sacramento. Some 65 miles long and 35 miles across, the Forest's 913,306 federally-owned acres of mountains and canyons offer a variety of recreational opportunities - camping, hiking, backpacking, boating, fishing, hunting, nature study, photography, and off-highway vehicle travel. The Mendocino is divided into three ranger districts: Covelo, Grindstone, Upper Lake, and also manages two units that are located outside the Forest boundaries: the Genetic Resource and Conservation Center and the Red Bluff Recreation Area. The Mendocino partly or wholly manages four wilderness areas: the 37,679-acre Snow Mountain Wilderness, the 147,070-acre Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness, the 53,887 acre Yuki Wilderness, and the 10, 571 acre Sanhedrin Wilderness. The National Forest Foundation, chartered by Congress, engages Americans in community-based and national programs that promote the health and public enjoyment of the 193-million-acre National Forest System and administers private gifts of funds and land for the benefit of the National Forests. http://www.nationalforests.org/

The Forest Service manages a system of 155 national forests, 20 national grasslands, and 222 research and experimental forests, as well as other special areas, covering more than 192 million acres of public land. The Forest Service has evolved into a 30,000 employee agency that manages the national forests for a number of multiple uses, including recreation, timber, wilderness, minerals, water, grazing, fish, and wildlife. Comment Policy: https://www.usda.gov/usda-comment-guidance

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The Mendocino National Forest is hiring wildland firefighters. Applications are open now through Sept. 22 on USAJOBS.gov...
08/24/2026

The Mendocino National Forest is hiring wildland firefighters. Applications are open now through Sept. 22 on USAJOBS.gov.

Applications will be used to fill current vacancies and any positions that may become open.

Career opportunities include:
• Fire management officer
• Dispatcher
• Fuels specialist
• Engine operator
• Handcrew
• Interagency hotshot crew
• Fire prevention
• Fire dozer operator
• Apprentice to senior wildand firefighter

Duty stations include Upper Lake, Covelo, Willows, Paskenta, Stonyford and Chico.

Resumes must be 2 pages max. Any U.S. citizen or national at least 18 years of age can apply. To learn more about careers with Mendocino National Forest, visit our website https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/mendocino/working-with-us/careers.

Recognize that engine and those vehicles?? Mendocino National Forest shares resources to help other agencies respond to ...
08/21/2026

Recognize that engine and those vehicles?? Mendocino National Forest shares resources to help other agencies respond to wildfires as part of a national fire coordination system. Here you can see MNF's Division 4, Battalion 31 and Engine 344 working on the Grasshopper Fire in Oregon earlier this month. Thank you to all our firefighters assigned to incidents as well as those supporting our home unit and covering the forest.

Fire crews work to establish Highway 35 as a perimeter on the Grasshopper fire, a 54,000-acre fire in Oregon on the Mt. Hood National Forest. Using existing infrastructure such as roads help firefighters create strategic anchors to engage fires. Roads can also be used as a natural containment line to help stop fires from spreading to other areas.

Hunting on national forest land is an awesome way to connect with friends and family, challenge your skills, and explore...
08/20/2026

Hunting on national forest land is an awesome way to connect with friends and family, challenge your skills, and explore the backcountry. Starting in late summer through fall, hunters hike and camp in rugged terrain in search of that trophy buck. Along the way, they enjoy cooler fall temperatures, changing colors, and time with grandparents, parents or kids.

We're sharing a few reminders to stay safe this hunting season:
✓ Be familiar with the area you plan to visit. Almost all public lands within the forest boundary are open to hunting, except the State Game Refuge.
✓ White sections on the Forest Visitor Map are within forest boundaries but represent private land holdings at the time of publication. These owners often post against hunting, fishing or trespass. Use up-to-date maps to ensure where you're hunting is legal.
✓ Before hunting on the forest, have a proper state license. Check with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for season regulations.
✓ Forest visitors may use fi****ms if carried and used in a safe manner and in compliance with state and county laws. Do not use trees, signs, cans or glass objects for targets. Pack out any and all trash and debris. Leave no trace.
✓ Fi****ms must not be discharged within 150 yards of a campground or inhabited area. Remember, visitors, loggers, private landowners, or others in the forest could be nearby, even if they aren't visible.

📸: Special thanks to the forest's facilities engineer Chris Swihart for sharing these great photos!

🚧M10 ROAD CLOSURE MONDAY-FRIDAY🚧Beginning Monday, Aug. 17 the M10 Road will be closed for travel each week Monday-Friday...
08/14/2026

🚧M10 ROAD CLOSURE MONDAY-FRIDAY🚧
Beginning Monday, Aug. 17 the M10 Road will be closed for travel each week Monday-Fridays due to construction. The road will be open on weekends from Friday 4pm until Monday 6am.

More info in the forest alert: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/mendocino/alerts

On Aug. 10 at 4 p.m. Mendocino National Forest firefighters responded to a vegetation fire southwest of the Soda Creek S...
08/13/2026

On Aug. 10 at 4 p.m. Mendocino National Forest firefighters responded to a vegetation fire southwest of the Soda Creek Station and Lake Pillsbury on the M1 Road in Lake County. With help from aircraft and local cooperators, firefighters successfully slowed the rate of spread on the Logan Fire later that same evening. The size of the fire is 3.8 acres, and the cause is under investigation.

After a late night, firefighters were again on scene early the following morning and reported that the fire stayed within the footprint, with most of the activity concentrated in the middle of the fire and away from containment lines.

As of Aug. 13, containment on the Logan Fire is at 95% with minimal smoke impacts. The fire remains in patrol status.

We would like to thank the partner agencies who assisted this quick response: Lake Pillsbury Fire
Redwood Valley-Calpella Fire Department Volunteers
CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit
CAL FIRE Mendocino Unit

Hot weather and dry conditions can increase risk of fire starts. So far this year Forest Service firefighters have responded to 4 wildfire incidents on the forest and assisted local cooperators with 28 mutual aid incidents.

Visitors can help prevent wildfires by following the forest's fire restrictions: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/mendocino/alerts/fire-restrictions-effect

Restoring roads in a post-fire and post-storm landscape is no easy feat, and while there are many other road projects wa...
08/13/2026

Restoring roads in a post-fire and post-storm landscape is no easy feat, and while there are many other road projects waiting in the wings, it’s important celebrate the wins. The M6 slide repair project fixed a damaged section of roadway, restoring access to adventure in one of the most rugged, wild landscapes in the west. Read about the project in a new featured story: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/mendocino/newsroom/stories/restoring-access-adventure-m6-road-repair

⚠️OHV Trail 38 Closure In Effect:⚠️A temporary closure of Trail 38 from the junction with Trail 40 and Road 17N39A is in...
08/12/2026

⚠️OHV Trail 38 Closure In Effect:⚠️
A temporary closure of Trail 38 from the junction with Trail 40 and Road 17N39A is in effect on the Upper Lake Ranger District until Dec. 1.

The trail surface was recently repaired and needs to settle and be compacted by precipitation for the repair to last long-term. The repairs included rebuilding water bars, opening drainage ditches and reestablishing inside ditches to channel water away from the trail surface. Temporarily closing the trail will reduce damage and improve trail longevity.

For more info, see Forest Alerts: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/mendocino/alerts/ohv-trail-38-closure-effect

Sugarfoot Glade Campground on the Grindstone Ranger District is closed for the next 2 weeks due to hazard tree mitigatio...
08/08/2026

Sugarfoot Glade Campground on the Grindstone Ranger District is closed for the next 2 weeks due to hazard tree mitigation work. The campground is expected to reopen late Friday, August 21.

We appreciate Forest visitors staying out of the area while this critical safety work is being done.

📍See the map for closure location.

🔥FIRE RESTRICTIONSFire restrictions are currently in place for the Mendocino National Forest due to increased risk of fi...
07/27/2026

🔥FIRE RESTRICTIONS
Fire restrictions are currently in place for the Mendocino National Forest due to increased risk of fire starts. No open campfires or stove fires if you are dispersed camping.

With a valid California Campfire Permit, visitors may use portable stoves or lanterns using gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel. Additionally, visitors with a valid California Campfire Permit may enjoy a campfire or stove fire in the Designated Fire Safe Recreation Sites (see Exhibit A), as well as in federally designated Wilderness Areas (see Exhibit B).

See the fire restrictions here ➡️ https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/mendocino/alerts/fire-restrictions-effect

⚠️BOIL WATER ADVISORY at MILL VALEY CAMPGROUNDMill Valley Campground is under a boil water advisory, until further notic...
07/21/2026

⚠️BOIL WATER ADVISORY at MILL VALEY CAMPGROUND

Mill Valley Campground is under a boil water advisory, until further notice. Use bottled water or bring tap water to a full rolling boil for one minute before use.

For more information on boil water advisories, visit https://www.cdc.gov/water-emergency/about/index.html

Address

825 N Humboldt Avenue
Willows, CA
95988

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+15309343316

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