The Many Environments of El Dorado County

zones in el dorado county Our local Eldorado National ForestIt's El Dorado
for the county name, but
Eldorado (one word)
for the forest name. recognizes more than 1200 species of plants. And because El Dorado County offers over 10,000 feet in elevation change, we get a really long season: March through September. We have several interesting soil types, from serpentine outcrops like Traverse Creek, gabbro soils of Pine Hill, and a splendid mix of volcanic and granitic soils of the Crystal RangeClick for a Wiki description..., the Desolation WildernessClick for a Wiki description..., and of course the Sierra Nevada. We have riparian areas, chaparral, the Eldorado National Forest and Grass Lake, the largest sphagnum bog in California. We have several excellent mountain passes nearby (Echo Summit is in the county, but Carson, Monitor, Ebbetts, and Sonora Passes are not, but they're close!) which each offer their own particular environments. In short, we have a wealth of habitats we can explore on most any weekend we choose. And there are almost certainly some local plants which have not yet been identified! That's intriguing.

Curious about the names of the National Forests? Check this page...

How to Figure Out What You're Finding...

You might want to have a little support while you start learning local botany, and a good guide book or two will help. You can find helpful books, but you should know these things: floral guides typically treat wildflowers separate from shrubs and trees (plants with woody stems); some guides are far too inclusive, showing examples from all over the state. While shrubs and trees are more widespread, wildflowers are quite specific to a small region (typically) and you'll want a book that handles local species; beginners like to buy books with color images! That will be confusing at first because illustrations can include only the details you want to look for, and color includes too much, plus color is not always a great identifier.

So where to start? For flowers, consider Field Guide to Pacific States Wildflowers, Plants of the Tahoe Basin, and Sierra Nevada Tree Identifier. As an addition, you might really appreciate Plant Identification Terminology which will define the strange new terms used in plant descriptions. You can read better descriptions of these, and other books, on the Book page...

Excellent Local Places to Go in Spring and Summer:

Early season before? The best local places to consider for a little exercise and a chance to see evergreens, ferns, lichens, and mushrooms would be Pine Hill and Traverse Creek. But if you want to read and dream of later destinations, here is a short list of good plant spots:

Bassi Falls, Wrights Lake, Iron Mountain Road, Shealor Lakes, and Carson Pass. Also check the Site Map for more distant locations. While there are no special pages about them, Pt. Reyes and the coastal parks north and south of San Francisco are excellent options.

Check the Field Trips list for nearby day-trips for the wildflowers.

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