Accessibility

 

Inclusive Access for All Visitors at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area

We strive to ensure that everyone, regardless of ability, can fully enjoy the beauty and experiences Whiskeytown has to offer. Our park is dedicated to making your visit as accessible as possible, with a range of features designed to accommodate visitors with various needs.

A Place for All

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area takes pride in offering accessible experiences for individuals with physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities. Whether you’re exploring the natural beauty of Crystal Creek Falls or engaging in one of our many recreational opportunities, we are committed to providing an inclusive environment.

Accessibility Features

Physical/Mobility Access

For visitors with mobility challenges, Whiskeytown offers several wheelchair-accessible trails and scenic viewpoints, like the path to Crystal Creek Falls, one of the park’s most popular spots. Accessible restrooms and parking spaces are also available throughout the park.

Blind/Low Vision Access

We provide features such as audio-described wayside exhibits that help bring the sights and stories of Whiskeytown to life for visitors who are blind or have low vision. These exhibits offer a narrated experience, allowing for a rich understanding of the park’s history and natural beauty.

Deaf/Hearing Loss Access

Visitors who are deaf or have hearing loss can take advantage of assistive listening devices at ranger programs and visitor centers. We also offer transcripts for films and videos featured at our Visitor Center.

Plan Your Accessible Visit

To learn more about accessible features, visit these dedicated pages:

• Physical/Mobility Accessibility
• Blind/Low Vision Accessibility

Contact Us
If you need additional assistance or have specific questions about your visit, we are here to help! Please feel free to reach out to us at [e-mail] for personalized support.

 

Photo of Access Pass.

Access Pass

U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are permanently disabled or blind are eligible for the Interagency Access Pass. This free, lifetime admission pass is valid at National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Reclamation sites. It provides the pass owner and accompanying passengers in a private vehicle free admission to Yosemite National Park. The Access Pass can be obtained at the Whiskeytown Visitor Center. Identification such as a Drivers License and proof of disability required.

 

A Yosemite National Park employee conducting American sign language.

Requesting a Sign Language Interpretation

Whiskeytown contracts with outside ASL interpreters to provide sign language interpretation for visitors to the park. If you plan on attending a ranger-led program during your visit and would like an ASL interpreter, advance notice (at least two weeks) is required. We will make every effort to provide an ASL interpreter, however, last minute requests may be difficult to accommodate due to distance and availability.

 

Duration:

6 minutes, 29 seconds

We'd like to share this American Sign Language video about Whiskeytown's invasive plants. Learn more about invasive plant management with Karen, a Deaf biological science technician, who talks about some of the species that the Invasive Plant Crew treats and her experience working as a member of our crew.

 

YouTube logo.

YouTube Videos with Captioning

Park interpretive staff have spent dozens of hours creating informational videos about the national recreation area and adding captions to these videos so that visitors with hearing impairment can read them. Check out our videos on Whiskeytown's YouTube channel.

 

Facebook and Instagram logos.

Image Descriptions on Social Media

Whiskeytown's interpretive park rangers provide a short written description of each image posted on Facebook and Instagram in order to enable visitors that are blind to use their screen reader software to then understand what the image depicts. We also provide alternative text for photos on this website so that screen readers can be used successfully.

 

• Where's the Whiskey, Where's the Town Wayside Audio

  
  

  An audio version of the Where's the Whiskey wayside.

  Date created:

  12/21/2021

  Audio Transcript

  Where’s the Whiskey? Where’s the Town? California Gold Rush towns sometimes had colorful names. Such was the case with Whiskeytown, a small community born in the 1850s that succumbed to progress with the creation of Whiskeytown Lake over 100 years later. Standing from your current vantage point between the 1850s and 1950s, you would have seen this community about two miles distant. While no one really knows the origin of the Whiskeytown name, local folklore tells of an 1850s miner by the name of Billie Peterson who had a mishap. Hauling supplies to a mine, a pack on his mule’s back broke loose and Peterson’s supply of whiskey tumbled down a hill into the creek. From this christening came the name Whiskey Creek and Whiskey Town. Whiskeytown was a boomtown in the 1850s, but after most of the gold had been mined, the town grew quieter. Those that remained ranched, farmed, or served the few travelers passing through. Some continued to try their luck at mining. Before the lake was created in the early 1960s, the federal government purchased the town’s properties. Residents were given fair market value, but they were forced to relocate. The town’s historic cemetery was moved to its present location below the Clair A. Hill Whiskeytown Dam, while a couple other buildings were moved elsewhere. Today, although the town of Whiskeytown is no more, the colorful name remains.