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Places We Protect

Sierra Valley Preserve

California

Freshwater wetlands with mountains in the background.
Sierra Valley The valley supports the greatest concentration and variety of birds in the Sierra. © Simon Williams/TNC

Sierra Valley contains the largest freshwater wetland in the Sierra Nevada. With 95% of California’s wetlands lost to farming and development, preserving and restoring this landscape will mean everything for species that depend on wetland habitat. 

Overview

Description

Located along the Pacific Flyway at the headwaters of the Middle Fork of the Feather River, the Sierra Valley Preserve provides migratory and breeding habitat for more than 17 rare or threatened species of birds. It is also a critical migratory stop for 230 species including greater sandhill cranes, black tern, white-faced ibis and raptors. The Sierra Valley earns its nickname: “A Birder’s Paradise.”  

The valley sits at the confluence of three ecoregions: The Northern Sierra Nevada, the Southern Cascade, and the Great Basin. Until recently, the Sierra Valley was one of the most difficult natural areas to access in California because nearly all of its wildlife-rich wetlands were on private lands.

Over the course of two decades, we worked with our partners at The Feather River Land Trust and The Northern Sierra Partnership to conserve this spectacular 2,586-acre preserve. 

The Sierra Valley Preserve now offers year-round public access.

Access

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Hours

Open year-round during daylight hours.

Highlights

The Sierra Valley Preserve offers year-round public access with a range of recreational opportunities including birding, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, wildflower viewing and nature photography.

Size

2,586 acres

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Sierra Valley Preserve By the Numbers

  • 2,586

    2,586

    Acres protected

  • 230 Species of migratory birds call the Sierra Valley home

    230

    Species of migratory birds call the Sierra Valley home

  • 1,100 Acres of seasonal and permanent wetlands

    1,100

    Acres of seasonal and permanent wetlands

  • 365 Days per year that the Preserve is now open to the public

    365

    Days per year that the Preserve is now open to the public

A team of people in hard hats laying rocks along an arid trail.
Sierra Valley Preserve Laying family-friendly interpretive trails through the sagebrush meadows at Sierra Valley Preserve. © Feather River Land Trust
Two birdwatchers with binoculars look out over grassy wetlands.
Sierra Valley Preserve The Sierra Valley Preserve offers year-round public access with a range of recreational opportunities including birding. © Feather River Land Trust
Sierra Valley Preserve Laying family-friendly interpretive trails through the sagebrush meadows at Sierra Valley Preserve. © Feather River Land Trust
Sierra Valley Preserve The Sierra Valley Preserve offers year-round public access with a range of recreational opportunities including birding. © Feather River Land Trust

Visit

The Sierra Valley Preserve offers year-round public access with a range of recreational opportunities including birding, hiking, wildflower viewing and nature photography. 

Family-friendly interpretive trails meander through the sagebrush meadows along the water’s edge to a birding platform and scenic picnic spots. 

Flocks of birds touch down on their annual migration along the Pacific Flyway, and mountain lions, elk, mule deer, river otter, weasels, racoons, skunks and grey foxes find refuge in the valley. 

Visitors can access the preserve from two different entrance points. The West Entrance is located approximately 2.7 miles south from the intersection of Highway 70 and County Road A23, and features ADA access, a botanical trail, expansive views from the bluff trail and the historic Bulson House. The West Entrance to the preserve is open Tuesday-Saturday, sunrise to sunset. The East Entrance (near the Maddalena corrals) is located on County Road A24, approximately 1.7 miles south of the intersection of Highway 70 and County Road A24. The East Entrance is open from sunrise to sunset year-round.

Learn more about visiting the Preserve from the Feather River Land Trust. 

Scrubby vegetation on a plain with moutains in the distance.
Sierra Valley Preserve Over two decades, we worked with our partners at The Feather River Land Trust and The Northern Sierra Partnership to conserve this spectacular 2,586-acre preserve. © The Feather River Land Trust

Background

The Sierra Valley encompases parts of the ancestral homelands of the Maidu and Washoe People. Both of these Tribal Nations maintain community in the region. We encourage you to learn about them, from the way they have stewarded this land for millenia to their contemporary life in the region. 

For more than a decade, the Feather River Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy and the Northern Sierra Partnership have worked together to purchase four contiguous properties in the heart of the wetland convergence at the headwaters of the Middle Fork of the Feather River. Our goal is to enhance public access to the natural wonders of Sierra Valley.

What's Next?

TNC is working with landowners, the Northern Sierra Partnership, and the Feather River Land Trust to conserve and restore the Sierra Valley's unique ecosystem. These efforts focus on water flow and habitat connectivity across public and private land, as well as the surrounding protected areas. Our vision for the preserve is to protect and restore ecological values, to increase opportunities for public access and education, and to benefit the local community by increasing visitation and supporting sustainable ranching consistent with ecological values.

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