Quick Facts:
- 160 acres on Big Hill in the Bear River watershed
- Protected since April 2007 with funds from the California Wildlife Foundation and Emigrant Trails Greenway Trust
Conservation Connectivity
Placer Land Trust works with willing landowners and conservation partners to protect land that connects wildlife habitat, public recreation opportunities, and scenic open space. The area between the Bear River and Raccoon Creek contains some of the last road less areas in western Placer County.
Oak Woodlands
The area between Raccoon Creek and the Bear River represents the largest contiguous area of oak woodlands remaining in Placer County. Approximately 331 species of wildlife inhabit Placer County’s oak woodlands including mountain lions, bobcats, several species of hawk, rodents, snakes, owls, and songbirds.
Wildlife Corridors
Large areas of intact wilderness provide critical habitat for larger animal species. The oak woodlands between Bear River and Raccoon Creek form an important north-south corridor complimenting the east-west corridors formed by the rivers and the adjoining riparian habitat. Kotomyan Big Hill Preserve lies adjacent to Liberty Ranch Big Hill Preserve and Placer Land Trust’s Taylor Ranch Preserve, resulting in 802 acres of contiguous protected wilderness.
Recreational Trails
This property boasts a 4-mile loop trail beginning by Raccoon Creek on Taylor Ranch Preserve, winding up through the oak woodlands, and leading to a vista point on Kotomyan affording incredible views of the Sacramento Valley and the Sierra Nevada.
Placer Land Trust is working with Placer County and area landowners to construct a public recreational trail connecting Hidden Falls Regional Park along Raccoon Creek and up to the Bear River through this property. Want to get dirty? Volunteer for our trails team!
Cultural Heritage
The Nisenan people are Native Americans whose ancestors made their homes and livelihood in the oak woodlands and riparian areas in western Placer County. This property was named after the historical nearby Nisenan village of “Ko-tom-yan”.
Kotomyan Big Hill Preserve is currently not open to the public. For a list of our properties that have public trails visit our Trails page. If you would like to help us open more trails to the public visit our Trails & Recreation Campaign.
You can also check out our calendar for upcoming public access opportunities on Kotomyan Big Hill Preserve.
