Located five miles north of Springville, SRT's Sopac McCarthy Mulholland Blue Oak Ranch Preserve is a magnificent 908-acre nature preserve nestled among substantial public lands, including Giant Sequoia National Monument, Sequoia National Park and the Sequoia National Forest.
Open to the public only on the first Saturday of each month, the preserve includes rolling blue oak woodland, chaparral, and the headwaters of Sycamore Creek. Located within the Tule River area, this magnificent nature preserve protects an important corridor of habitat between the foothills and higher elevation riparian areas for rare mammals like the Pacific fisher and for songbirds like the Swainson's thrush and black swift as they migrate between their summer and winter ranges.
Conservation Stewardship Plan
Sequoia Riverlands Trust purchased the land for the Springville area nature preserve in 2005. It is located just across the road from the venerable Clemmie Gill School of Science and Conservation (SCICON). In 2019, Blue Oak Ranch Preserve was named in honor of former SRT Executive Director Soapy Mulholland, who retired in December of that year and was instrumental in the establishment of the preserve during her tenure.
By working with neighbors and the local community, SRT has developed a long-term conservation plan whose vision includes sustainable grazing as a land management tool.
What to do if you'd like to visit SRT's Blue Oak Ranch Preserve
Blue Oak Ranch Preserve is open to the public on the first Saturday of the month. Check our online calendar to sign up to visit this amazing preserve!
Blue Oak Ranch, northeast of Springville, is located near Scicon. The site is open only on special days, with plans in the works for the site to be open permanently. Trails are under construction, and catch-and-release fishing for members is also allowed on some open days. The Springville Archery Club has a set-up for practicing and often does demonstrations on open days. Stay tuned as work we to make Blue Oak a regular site for recreation for the east side of Tulare County.
