The Clear Creek Management Unit is an area of public land ecompassing about 50,000 acres of mountainous terrrain dividing the Salinas Valley and the San Joaquin Valley. The management unit spans across protions of San Benito County and Fresno County.

Hunting pressure is light outside of the A-Zone Deer Season.  There are moderate populations of valley quail scattered throughout this area where water and grass occur on the fringe of serpintine soils.  Best population concentrations are found at Condon Peak and San Carlos Bolso.  There are limited populations of mountain quail, most of which are found in the area between Santa Rita and Condon Peak.

There is an extensive vehcile trail network in this area, with some 250 miles or more of open vehicle routes within it.  Few of these routes, however, are suitable for travel with ordinary passenger cars.  Many, if not most, become virtually impassable in wet weather.  A vehicle with true low-range four-wheel drive capability is strongly advised for traveling within this Management Unit.  The trails are narrow, too, and not ideally suited for travel with full-size SUV's.  Something like a Jeep Wrangler, FJ Cruiser, or other short wheelbase four-wheel drive is preferred.

There is only one campsite in the area and it does not have running water.  As with many other BLM areas, you can pretty much set up a campsite anywhere you wish.  You will need a campfire permit to operate stoves on this management unit.  These are available from BLM offices, Forest Service Ranger Stations, or California Department of Forestry offices.

To get to the Clear Creek Management Area from San Jose, travel south on Highway 101 to Gilroy. Just past Gilroy, take the Highway 25 exit towards Hollister. Continue through town (Hwy. 25 runs through the town of Hollister) and head south for about 35 miles. You will pass by the Pinnacles National Monument. Turn left onto the Coalinga-Los Gatos Creek County road. Continue approximately 14 miles. At the BLM sign indicating the entrance to the Clear Creek Management Area, turn left. You will then be on the main road, Clear Creek Road, which is an unpaved road bisecting the Management Area. From Coalinga, take the Coalinga-Los Gatos Creek County Road to the turn-off to the Management Area, which will be a right-hand turn. From I-5, take the Panoche Road exit, and head west approximately 25 miles (the road turns to dirt within 2 miles of the highway, and turns back to pavement again after 14 miles). Continue on Panoche Road to the Idria Road, and left. This road will lead you to the north entrance of the Clear Creek Management Area.

This is a relatively isolated area, so you are advised to make sure that your vehicle is in good condition and that you have everything that you'll need for your hunt prior to leaving -including plenty of water and fuel.

For more information on this Management Unit, contact the BLM Hollister Field Office at (408) 637-8183 

-James Yamaguchi