ALPINE COUNTY, Calif. – A major outdoor recreation project years in the making is moving forward in Alpine County following the award of nearly $500,000 from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC).
The SNC Board recently approved a $498,572 Proposition 68 grant for the Markleeville Disc Golf/Charity Valley Trailhead Project, part of nearly $1.5 million awarded to sustainable recreation and tourism projects in Alpine, Butte, and Inyo counties.
The project will improve the Charity Valley Trailhead, located approximately three miles west of Markleeville along Hot Springs Road, while supporting construction of the new 27-hole Terrapin Pines Disc Golf Course adjacent to the trailhead.
The project represents an important step in restoring a recreation opportunity lost during the 2021 Tamarack Fire, which destroyed Alpine County’s popular former disc golf course. According to SNC, the previous course was an important tourism draw for the county, and the new project will help restore that recreational and economic benefit while improving outdoor access.
“The Terrapin Pines project is about more than building a new disc golf course. It’s about restoring a recreation asset lost in the Tamarack Fire, improving public access, and creating another reason for people to visit Markleeville and support our local businesses,” said JT Chevallier, Alpine County Economic Development Director. “In a small rural county like Alpine, investments in outdoor recreation have an impact that extends well beyond the trailhead. This project is a great example of what we can accomplish when our community, local volunteers, the County, and our state and federal partners work together toward a common goal.”
“Alpine Outdoor Recreation Association is happy to announce that it has received a Sierra Nevada Conservancy Sustainable Recreation, Tourism, and Equitable Access Directed Grant,” said Andy Lovell, director of the Alpine Outdoor Recreation Association (AORA). “This grant will primarily be used to improve parking and amenities at the Charity Valley Trailhead. A portion of the grant funding is also designated for equipment to build the new 27-hole Terrapin Pines Disc Golf Course, which will be located adjacent to the trailhead parking area.”
The project is the result of a broad partnership between AORA, Alpine County, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, the U.S. Forest Service Carson Ranger District, California State Parks, local volunteers, businesses, and community members.
“AORA wishes to thank the entire SNC Governing Board and Matt Driscoll, SNC area representative, who brought this project to the evaluation team and the SNC Board,” Lovell said. “We also wish to thank the Alpine County Board of Supervisors, Alpine County Community Development Director and County CEO Sam Booth, and Alpine County Economic Development Director JT Chevallier for supporting AORA throughout the grant application process and with the ongoing management of the grant.”
Lovell also recognized AORA Secretary Bill Young for his work developing the grant application.
“I personally want to thank AORA Secretary Bill Young for his attention to detail while crafting the bulk of the grant application,” Lovell said. “It’s volunteers like Bill that make Alpine County such a tight-knit community and a wonderful place to live.”
The Terrapin Pines project grew out of the community’s effort to rebuild outdoor recreation opportunities following the Tamarack Fire. Rather than simply replacing what was lost, the partnership is working to create a new recreation destination while improving an existing public trailhead and access point.
“Multiple agencies and volunteers came together to form an extraordinary partnership and make this dream a reality,” Lovell said. “None of it would have been possible without the support of Alpine County, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, the U.S. Forest Service’s Carson Ranger District, California State Parks, and the entire Alpine Outdoor Recreation Association Board of Directors.”
SNC Executive Officer Angela Avery said the newly approved investments are intended to expand recreation opportunities and outdoor access while supporting sustainable tourism throughout the Sierra-Cascade region.
For AORA, however, the project ultimately comes back to the Alpine County community and the people who have supported the effort.
“Most importantly, we want to thank the individuals and businesses of Alpine County and the broader region who have demonstrated their enthusiasm for and support of this project,” Lovell said. “Everyone involved is excited to bring this recreational opportunity and improved access to Alpine County residents and visitors.”
Once completed, the Terrapin Pines Disc Golf Course and improved Charity Valley Trailhead will provide a new recreation asset just outside Markleeville, restore an important component of Alpine County’s outdoor recreation economy, and demonstrate what can be accomplished through collaboration between local government, state and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and volunteers.