Hallelujah Junction Wildlife Area

Recreational Opportunities

Activities: hiking, wildlife viewing, birdwatching, nature photography, and hunting

Area is closed to public entry from sunset to sunrise and from February 1 through June 30.

Hunting: Deer, rabbit, quail, and dove may be present.

Type C: Hallelujah Junction Wildlife Area does not require the purchase of a hunting pass for entry. Entry permits and/or passes or special drawing may be required for hunting on some Type C wildlife areas.

Facilities: None

Area History

Humans have occupied Long Valley for thousands of years. At the time of contact with Euro-American people, Hokan-speaking Washoe were the primary occupants. They were fortunate to have several large bodies of water rich in fish resources. Trappers such as James Beckwourth visited the area. In the 1850s, Beckwourth developed a trail that improved access to Marysville and is followed fairly closely by today’s routes. Miners likely also visited the area early on, though activity in the valley appears to have been fairly limited.

Farming and ranching began as early as 1866. Compared with much of its arid surroundings, the valley was a rich environment with Long Valley Creek providing a year-round source of water. In 1880, construction began on a narrow gauge railroad. It changed hands and was reorganized several times, extending incrementally. In 1925, it was purchased by Southern Pacific and then converted to standard gauge.

Initially acquired in 1989, and expanded in six subsequent acquisitions though 2005, the Hallelujah Junction Wildlife Area consists mainly of parcels that formerly made up the Evans Ranch and Green Gulch Ranch along with parcels acquired from the Bureau of Land Management through a land exchange program. The property was designated as a wildlife area by the Fish and Game Commission in 1991.