“Friends of Greenhorn Park” is a group of local citizens dedicated to the care and improvement of this special place. Friends of Greenhorn work together with the City of Yreka to design park improvements, organize clean-up days, manage trail systems and seek grant opportunities. The goal is to keep Greenhorn Park safe and enjoyable for everyone.
Description of the Park
Greenhorn Park is Yreka’s largest and most popular park, consisting of 500 acres surrounding Greenhorn Reservoir. Over a mile of paved, fully-accessible trails surround the reservoir and over six miles of trails wind through beautiful riparian areas and oak woodland forests. Dogs on leashes are welcome.
Greenhorn Reservoir provides excellent fishing and non-motorized boating. The surrounding park offers hiking, jogging, mountain biking, bird-watching, three fenced playgrounds, soccer field, native plant demonstration garden, and many places for large and small picnics. A small reconstructed mining town displays examples of historic gold mining equipment.
History
According to local legend, the park is named for an Englishman other miners called “Greenhorn” for his apparent lack of mining skills. He traveled up the valley where Greenhorn Park is now located and came back some months later with enough sacks of gold to make him a rich man. Today, the area’s natural beauty and recreational opportunities are our treasure to enjoy.
Past Accomplishments
Through coordinated efforts between the City of Yreka and private citizens, Greenhorn Park has achieved many recent goals including:
- New restrooms and kiosk
- Paved trail around Reservoir
- Covered bridge over the spillway
- Native plant demonstration garden
- Irrigation system improvements in upper and lower park
- Greenhorn Creek improvements
- Policies and support for dogs and dog owners
- Beaver conservation project with local youth
- Greenhorn Park trail mapping
Current Goals
- Restoration of historic mining town
- Develop and install master trail sign
- Develop and install trail markers
- Western pond turtle viewing area
- Fish viewing area with ladder
- Beaver habitat improvement
- Bird watching guide
- Reduce noxious weed and promote native plant populations
Join Us!
Friends of Greenhorn Park needs committed citizens with a wide range of skills to help protect and improve our park. There’s a lot to do! If you are interested in helping please contact the Friends of Greenhorn Park via email at friendsofgreenhorn[at]gmail.com