The Barrett four-wheel drive trail, a rugged 6 mile off-highway route from Wright’s Lake to Barrett Lake, just west of Desolation Wilderness, is open.

Three segments of the trail were reconstructed to protect sensitive meadows.

The Barrett 4WD Trail has been used by recreationists since the 1960s and offers one of the most challenging off-highway vehicle experiences in the Sierra Nevada. The trail has a high rating for difficulty and is only recommended for very experienced OHV users prepared for remote travel over large rocks.

The Barrett 4WD Trail was identified as one of 18 routes in the Eldorado National Forest travel system which needed corrections to comply with the environmental protection guidelines in the Sierra Nevada Plan.

The work was funded by the Forest Service with assistance from a California Department of Parks and Recreation, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division Ground Operations grant and a Secure Rural Schools Title II grant through the El Dorado County Resource Advisory Committee. The project was implemented by the Forest Service together with two contractors, a Student Conservation Association Leader Crew and volunteers from the Hi-Landers 4WD Club.