Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest
Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest is in southern Lake County, seven miles northwest of Middletown and eight miles south of Clear Lake. CAL FIRE acquired this forest from a private landowner in 1949. At that time, most of the merchantable timber on the Forest had already been harvested. It lies approximately 50 miles inland from the Pacific shoreline and 75 air miles north of San Francisco. The Forest consists of gently rolling terrain bordered by two mountain peaks, one at the north end and one at the south end. Geologically, Boggs Mountain is complex, with various types of volcanic rock exposed over much of its nearly 3,500 acres.
In September of 2015, the Valley Fire burned through 99% of the property killing roughly 80% of the mature trees and 95% of the understory regeneration. Reforestation efforts have consisted of forest-wide salvage logging operations to recover the value of the damaged timber. Though most of the trees were killed in the fire, the structural integrity of the wood remained, and the trees were cut and hauled to local sawmills to produce wood products. As part of the reforestation plan, 702,695 tree seedlings were planted across approximately 3,100 acres of the property. The planted species included Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir, Sugar Pine, Incense Cedar, and Giant Sequoia.
Vegetation at the lower elevations consists of chaparral with manzanita being most predominant. Upper elevations host a mixed conifer forest of mostly coast range Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, and sugar pine. Hardwood species include canyon live oak, black oak, dogwood, and madrone.
Hunting is permitted under applicable State game laws and regulations. Pets are welcome but must be leashed and controlled.
Forest Stats:
Established: 1949
Area: 3,493 acres
Elevation: 2,400 - 3,750ft
Precipitation: 71in per year
Temperature: Max: 100 F - Min: 13 F
