LOGGING DAYS: A CELEBRATION OF OUR TIMBER ROOTS
Pollock Pines brings back the legacy of lumberjack grit and sawdust-stained pride
đź“Ť Event Details:
📅 Friday, July 18, 2025 — 5:00 to 9:00 PM
đź“Ś Camino Community Center, 2675 Sanders Dr., Pollock Pines, CA 95726
• Dinner with all the fixins
• Live music
• Vendor booths
• Arts & crafts zone
• Logging equipment displays
📅 Saturday, July 19, 2025 — Competitions Begin at 10:00 AM
đź“Ś Main Festival Grounds, Pollock Pines, CA
• Logging games: Axe Throw, Stock Saw, Double Buck Saw
• Vendor booths and live demos
• Food and drink (indoor & outdoor bar)
• Family-friendly fun with crafts and heritage exhibits
🪓 A Return to El Dorado County’s Timber Heritage
Logging Days returns to Pollock Pines this July with roaring saws, flying axes, and the spirit of California’s mountain pioneers. Born from the forests that built this county, this two-day event isn’t just a celebration—it’s a revival. From steam donkeys and railroad ties to modern wildfire resilience, El Dorado’s logging legacy runs deep, and this festival offers a hands-on tribute to the men and women who carved a living from “green gold.” Whether you’re throwing axes or raising a toast, Logging Days reconnects us to our roots—one timber-cut round at a time.
🔧 Why It Matters
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Cultural Heritage: Logging Days honors the hard-working history of El Dorado County’s timber towns, from Caldor to Camino.
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Community Revival: After decades on hiatus, its return represents a local revival of pride and shared history.
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Family Fun Meets Tradition: It’s both educational and exhilarating, with live logging contests, vintage displays, and rustic flavors.
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Boosts Local Economy: With vendor booths, regional crafts, and bars open inside and out, the event also supports small businesses.
SEE MORE https://www.facebook.com/events/698459189500681/
The Logging Legacy: Unveiling El Dorado County’s Green Gold History. An example of entrepreneurial sawmill owners were the Blair brothers
Historical Logging in El Dorado County
Logging Days connects directly to the county’s rich timber heritage:
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Gold Rush & “Green Gold”
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Early settlers built sawmills as far back as the 1840s–50s to support mining, infrastructure, and buildings
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Families like the Blairs ran steam‑powered mills, using ox teams and steam donkeys; operations shifted periodically as forests were logged
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Railroads & Logging Towns
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The California Door Company built the narrow‑gauge Diamond & Caldor Railroad (1905–1953) to move timber from Caldor to Diamond Springs
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The Michigan‑California Lumber Company and El Dorado Lumber Co. also ran extensive logging railroads and aerial tramways in the early 1900s
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Logging camps & workers
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Early camps used hand tools, evolving to steam‑powered skidding “donkeys” by 1915; workers lived in primitive camps, fed well, and some leisure time fishing
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Modern logging & wildfire management
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Today, timber harvesting continues under forest‑service oversight. Recent USDA memos aim to increase logging quotas in Eldorado National Forest by 25% to reduce wildfire risk
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However, logging can be dangerous—fatal accidents still occur, such as a 2022 incident near Leoni Meadows
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🎯 Why Logging Days Matters
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Preserving heritage: The event lets locals and visitors experience old‑school logging techniques and tools—axe‑throwing, pole‑climbing, log‑bucking—even as modern forestry emphasizes safety and sustainability.
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Community & tourism: It fosters community spirit and attracts tourism to the Pollock Pines/Placerville region.
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Education: Offers a live‑action window into the county’s logging legacy and its link to railroads, industry, and fire management.
