With careful planning and visitor cooperation, SVC will continue to offer Self-Guided visits at Deer Creek Hills Preserve on Saturdays through the end of May 2020.
All Docent Guided Outings, Stewardship and Service days and Events have been canceled effective immediately and until further notice.
The following protocols have been put in place for the safety of the public, volunteers and staff while visiting Deer Creek Hills Preserve during the COVID-19 Epidemic. The opportunity to visit these special open spaces will only remain viable if we have full support and compliance with the limitations which have been put in place to keep everyone safe.
Before you visit
- Review the most recent Sacramento County Public Health Order, the most up to date CDC recommendations and adhere to any other mandated directives for your place of residence.
- Visitors must pre-register, pre-pay the non-refundable $10 per person, and complete a liability waiver before arriving.
- All attendees MUST pre-register.
- Payment must be made in advance through the online registration page.
- Groups recreating at DCH are to be groups of 5 or less who are cohabitating and self-isolating together. NO EXCEPTIONS.
- Seniors over the age of 65 and people with chronic health conditions are being asked to isolate themselves at home.
- In an effort to reduce the sharing of pens and handling of paper, liability forms must be printed and completely filled out prior to arrival.
- Registration closes 5:00pm the evening prior. No day of registration and no walk-ins.
- Anyone attempting to visit Deer Creek Hills without pre-registration, liability forms, and pre-payment will be turned away at the gate and recommended that they register for a future trip.
- The 50-spot availability is in place based on public health recommendations.
On the preserve
- To stagger the number of people at check-in, staff will have a table set-up at the corral gate to field registrants as they arrive. Please be patient if there is a line of cars.
- The picnic table area will remain closed. We suggest that if visitors choose to take rests or picnics, they choose to do so just off of the trail on the most durable surfaces. Learn about durable surfaces and how to minimize impact through LNT.org.
- All site visitors should adhere to the minimum 6-foot distance directive issued by the Sacramento County Department of Public Health.
- Use portlets with caution. Units are serviced every Friday, however these can be a high use areas. Please come prepared with your own hand sanitizer.
- The only docents approved to interact with the public are Equestrian docents who choose to be “working” trail patrol, for the safety of our visitors. Due to the inherent nature of equestrian docents having a 6-foot social buffer, we feel this is the safest and only approved docent interaction with the public that is approved during this hike season. Hike docents are not approved to guide group outings at this time. NO exceptions.
- BYO water. Staff will have emergency supplies ONLY.
The Deer Creek Hills Preserve will remain open if we have full support and compliance with the limitations which have been put in place to keep everyone safe. Thank you for your cooperation. If you have questions about visiting the preserve, please email us at outreach@sacramentovalleyconservancy.org.
