Sonora,CA…Cottonwood Road, which crosses the Stanislaus National Forest’s Mi-Wok and Groveland Ranger districts, is currently impassable about a quarter mile east of the Clavey River Bridge due to a large land slide. The road, known as FR 1N04, will not be cleared for some time.

“With another series of storms approaching the Forest, we believe it is not advisable to schedule work crews to clear this and the other debris on Cottonwood Road,” said Forest Engineer Tim Hughes. “Cottonwood Road is not maintained for winter driving and we do not advise traveling any of this route between River Ranch Campground and Cherry Lake. Snow, ice, rocks and landslides pose hazards to anyone passing the warning signs posted at each end of Cottonwood Road. We ask the public to respect these warning signs and avoid travelling on posted roads like Cottonwood Road during the winter.”

When traveling on Stanislaus National Forest during weather events, please travel at a speed safe for the conditions – you never know what’s around a blind curve; there might be rocks, debris or a tree in the middle of the road.