Thousands of visitors are drawn each year to the Eldorado National Forest’s rivers, lakes, and streams alive with fish; mountains and meadows for alpine and nordic skiing; campsites and picnic areas in alpine backcountry and dense forests. Four hundred miles of hiking trails pass through all kinds of terrain, from gentle oak foothills on the west to the 10,000-foot crest of the Sierra Nevada. Two major highways - Highway 50 and Highway 88 - run through the Forest, making it an easy drive from Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area.