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Within its boundaries are three National Historic Trails: the Mormon-Carson Emigrant Trail, the Pony Express Trail, and the Johnson Cutoff Trail, which are an important part of California's Gold Rush history.

The Forest's designated Scenic Byway is Highway 88 between Peddler Hill and Hope Valley, 58 spectacular miles that border El Dorado County. Not to be missed, either, is Highway 50 between Placerville and Lake Tahoe.

Lakes and reservoirs: Union Valley, Slab Creek, Hell Hole, Ice House, Salt Springs, Caples Lake, Bear River Reservoir, Silver Lake, Stumpy Meadows, and Loon Lake. Rivers and streams: Middle Fork American River, South Fork American River, North Fork Mokelumne River, Rubicon River, and Cosumnes River.

Animal species: Estimated 340 total species, including 202 birds, 79 mammals, 24 reptiles, 20 fish, and 15 amphibians.

Fish: trout (brook, brown, golden, lake, rainbow), kokanee salmon, and smallmouth bass. See Fishing

Mammals: black bears, California mule deer (numbering 10,000 to 16,000), mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, weasels, raccoons, jack rabbits, cottontail rabbits, porcupines, California ground squirrels, marmots, Sierra pocket gophers, grey squirrels.

Remember... Only YOU can prevent wildfires!

Birds: mountain quail, grouse, mourning doves, band-tailed pigeons, wild turkeys, golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, sharp-shinned hawks, great horned owls, and turkey vultures.

Song birds: 100 species, including mountain chickadees, Stellar's jays, Clark's nutcrackers, pygmy nuthatches, robins, red shafted flickers, myrtle warblers, fox sparrows, rufous-sided towhees, Oregon juncos, white-crowned sparrows, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, white-headed woodpeckers, and acorn woodpeckers.

Endangered species: bald eagles (found in winter months), Peregrine falcons (sighted during the summer nesting period).

Sensitive listed species: Sierra Nevada red foxes, pine martens, fishers, spotted owls, great gray owls, goshawks, and willow flycatchers.

Livestock: 12,000 head of cattle per month graze on 300,000 acres in the Eldorado National Forest.