Hollister Field Office

Frequently Asked Questions

Where Can I go? 

Clear Creek Management Area - Four miles south of Idria via J1 County Road and the New Idria Road or via the Clear Creek Road from the Coalinga - Los Gatos Creek Road. Although this 50,000-acre area is popular with off-highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts, hunters, and rockhounds, there is a potential health hazard here resulting from asbestos in the soil, dust, and water. BLM DOES NOT encourage use of the hazardous asbestos portions of this management area. BLM advises those who choose to visit the area to take special precautions to minimize their exposure to asbestos. Click here to learn more about safety concerns regarding asbestos and how to minimize your exposure. Call the 24-hour Clear Creek hotline for current weather and condition updates at (831) 630- 5060.

Joaquin Rocks - Rugged and remote, the primary access to this roughly 22,000- acre area is through the Clear Creek Management Area to the west. A motor vehicle restriction is in effect, so visitors must leave their vehicles parked at the gate at Wright Mountain. Pedestrians, mountain bikers and equestrians may then travel approximately 4 miles along the ridge road to the Joaquin Rocks trail. This short trail (less than a mile) will bring you to the base of the Joaquin Rocks, 300 foot-high sandstone monoliths which jut from the Joaquin Ridge and which are visible from Highway I-5.

Fort Ord - Highway 1 to the Fort Ord Main Gate entrance, just south of the city of Marina. 7,200 acres of the former Fort Ord Army base were acquired by the Bureau of Land Management in October, 1996. Trails through oak woodlands, vernal pools and rolling grasslands provide a variety of vistas and recreational opportunities. The area is open for non-motorized recreation including equestrian, hiking and mountain bike use, but is managed primarily for habitat protection. Home to many rare plant and animal species, the public land here offers some of the last undisturbed maritime chaparral habitat in California. There is an active volunteer patrol in place, made up primarily of mountain bikers and equestrian enthusiasts. The area is day- use only, and is closed to hunting, fires and off-highway vehicle use. Contact the project office at (831) 394-8314 for information on upcoming events and volunteer opportunities.

Panoche Hills - Near Mercy Hot Springs, off County Road J1, 10 miles west of Interstate 5. This 35,000-acre area is popular with hunters, bird-watchers, astronomers, and sightseers. Once part of a vast inland sea, the marine sandstone of the Panoche Hills holds many treasures, including significant fossil resources. The Panoche access road is open to vehicles from the start of quail and chukar hunting season until fire season. Inside the Panoche Hills is a State-owned ecological preserve, which is closed to target shooting. Non-motorized access is welcome year- round. No facilities.

Laguna Mountain - Access is from Coalinga Road in southern San Benito County. About 4,100 acres of brushland in this area provides good hunting opportunities for deer and pigs. Public access is by foot only, and a somewhat rugged hike will bring you up and over a ridgeline and then drop you into Miller Creek canyon, which is pretty easy going. If you follow the creek, you eventually will find a series of waterfalls up in the "gorge". Pack out what you pack in and be responsible with fire. No facilities.

Williams Hill - About nine miles west of San Ardo on the Lockwood-San Ardo Road. Access is off of highway 101. Eighty-five hundred acres of public land are accessible, mostly along ridge tops. The area has fair hunting opportunities for deer and pigs. No facilities.

Tumey Hills - Two access points west of Interstate 5 on Panoche Road. The Tumey Hills access roads (4-wheel drive recommended) provide access to about 23,000 acres of public land and are open to vehicles from the start of quail and chukar hunting season until fire season. Hunter walk-throughs were installed in 1997 near the vicinity of the western access point. This area is closed to night hunting (see California Department of Fish and Game regulations) and to off-highway vehicles. No facilities or trash collection.

Griswold Hills - Three miles south of Panoche Road on New Idria Road. Nearly 10,000 acres of public land are accessible in this steep, rugged area from the parking areas off New Idria Road. A 0.5-mile hiking trail near the developed parking area leads to the top of the first ridge. The area provides good hunting opportunities for quail, chukar, and other small game. A few deer also inhabit the area. In Griswold Canyon, BLM land straddles both side of the road, and there are fine opportunities for primitive camping next to Griswold Creek.There are no facilities or trash collection. Pack out what you pack in, and be careful with fire.

Curry Mountain - Six miles west of Coalinga on Highway 198. Foot access to nearly 1800 acres of BLM land in this area is provided through lands owned by the California Department of Fish and Game along Highway 198. Curry Mountain is very steep and rugged; however, hunting opportunities are fair to good for quail, chukar, and other small game as well as deer.

Coalinga Mineral Springs - 18 miles west of Coalinga on Highway 198, then take the Coalinga Mineral Springs Road. Coalinga Mineral Springs County Park is operated by Fresno County with facilities for camping and picnicking. Over 10,000 acres of public land adjoin the park and offer excellent hunting opportunities. Deer, quail, and wild pig inhabit the varied terrain. Panoramic views of the southern Diablo Mountains can be enjoyed from Kreyenhagen Peak. The 2.5 mile hiking and horseback trail, which provides easy access to this mountaintop, has been designated a National Recreation Trail due to its outstanding scenic quality. While there is running water for flush toilets at the park, the water is non-potable. The overnight camping fee is $3.00.

 

Can I Buy Land?

The days of homesteading lands and obtaining government land for $1.25/acre are gone. All of the old land settlement laws used by our ancestors to settle the West have been repealed by Congress.

Under the authority of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the BLM can sell public lands. We would like to point out that any lands that might be offered must be sold at fair market value, that is, at a price comparable to similar private lands.  At the present time, the Department of the Interior policy for disposal of public lands is through the Federal land exchange program rather than competitive land sales. Our land exchange program involves identifying private lands with resource values which will enhance the value and the management of the adjacent public lands. In return, we convey public lands to private parties by exchange either directly or by transferring the public lands to a third party. The third party then sells the lands to private individuals who have been notified of the proposed sale of lands from the exchange by either BLM or the third party.

Our office does not maintain any type of mailing list that your name can be added to regarding land sales.Below are answers to some questions we frequently hear:

1. Why can't you buy land directly from the government?

In theory, you can, since the BLM has the authority to sell land. But, as in many other field offices, we follow the Department of the Interior policy, and acquire and dispose of land through the land exchange process. Through our public land-use planning process, we have identified some of our land assets for exchange for other properties. In these "public benefit exchanges", we trade scattered, hard-to-manage lands with little or no resource value for private lands which adjoin existing public land, enhancing manageability and public access. This process minimizes the administrative costs per acre, and maximizes the return to the public at large.

2. Can I initiate my own land exchange with the BLM?

Because the BLM has a backlog of exchange proposals, we have found that the most efficient procedure in this Resource Area has been to work instead through a third-party. This party goes into the real estate market to secure private lands which can be exchanged with the BLM. These lands are identified in conjunction with the BLM's planning process, to maximize access, consolidate public holdings and enhance management of sensitive resources. In this way the BLM can realize economies of scale, as one particular exchange proposal could involve lands in several counties in California.

3. Who can I talk to about the program?

Contact our Realty Specialist, at (831) 630-5021, or send e-mail if you have questions about the current exchange or general questions about the program.

 

How do I establish a Mining Claim?

A mining claim is a particular piece of land, valuable for specific mineral deposits to which a person asserts a possession for the purpose of developing and extracting a valuable mineral deposit. The lands remains, however, under the ownership of the United States. Citizens of the United States, or those who have delcared their intention to become such, may make mining locations. Also parents of minors may locate claims on behalf of their children. There is no limit to the number of claims or sites a person or corporation may hold or acquire, but for any claim to be legal, valid, and stand up to challenge by other claimants, there must be a discovery of a valuable mineral deposit.

The process for establishing discovery and a claim is significantly complex enough that you should call or email our geologist or purchase the handbook entitled: "Location and Patenting of Mining Claims and Mills Sites in California", which is available for sale at our Office. There are first time and additional yearly maintenance costs that usually need to be paid on maining claims. In addition, you may need to perform yearly work on your claim. Depending on the location of the claim and any disturbance you may need to file a Notice of Intent or Plan of Operation.