Hiking Trail Cautions

• • If you’re planning a long hike, dress in layers and bring water and sun protection with you.
  • Bring a cell phone FOR EMERGENCY USE ONLY. (Please keep our echoing hillsides free of phone conversations; and remember that no photography or video capture is allowed anywhere on or of Harbin property.)
  • Watch out for poison oak and wildlife.
  • Stay on marked trails: no bushwhacking or wandering the hills.
  • Do not go past any sign that indicates an area is closed or under construction. If you encounter any workers along your path or even near it, please turn around and find a different marked trail to enjoy.
  • Please maintain awareness of the time, so that you can return to your car before your guest pass expires.

Hiking at Harbin is currently limited to a reduced portion of our roads and former trails. This is because we are still working to
– remove dead trees and other debris from the 2015 fire
– to protect many fire-bared hillsides from unchecked erosion
– safeguard the watershed
– reclaim precious wildlife habitat
– complete a multi-year project of managed reforestation.

Many of the new trails you see that look like interesting hiking, are actually service roads and access paths for our worker crews. Some of these are quite steep, and all of them are fragile and prone to dangerous erosion. Unless a trail is clearly marked, it is NOT for our guests to use.

Please stay completely away from all posted and un-posted construction and reforestation areas, projects, equipment, and workers. We understand that you might be curious; but we ask that you please contain your curiosity, and give wide berth to disturbed and recovering land, potentially dangerous equipment, and everyone who has a job to do: working hard to fully restore Harbin as quickly as possible. We ask your complete cooperation with this very important request, and thank you for your understanding.