Posted by: thepinetree on 07/18/2019 07:57 AM
Updated by: thepinetree on 07/18/2019 08:03 AM
Expires: 01/01/2024 12:00 AM
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Daffodil Hill Closes Indefinitely Due to Crush of Visitors
Sutter Creek, CA...From Daffodil Hill..."Over the past 80 years, many thousands have visited Daffodil Hill in beautiful Amador County. While we, the Ryan family, have enjoyed sharing our serene and peaceful Daffodil Hill with the general public, it is with deep sadness that we announce our decision to close the Hill indefinitely. This decision is the most difficult that we, as a family, have ever made. The generations that came before us who purchased this property in 1887, which evolved into Daffodil Hill, could never have envisioned that their efforts would have ever grown into such a beloved attraction.
Sadly, it is this overwhelming popularity that has led us to our decision to close. After the crush of visitors that descended upon our Hill this year, we came to realize that the limitation on the size of our parking areas and the inability of the local road infrastructure to handle the volume, created liability and safety concerns for everyone involved.
Due to the thousands of visitors on our opening weekend in 2019, the local road system to our Hill became so congested that the wait just to get to our parking area sometimes took as long as two hours. As a result, many visitors chose to park their vehicles along the narrow roadways and walk through traffic to the Hill, which was a risky endeavor in itself. In addition, these vehicles were parked illegally on the roadway, which, along with the pedestrians, would have impeded any emergency vehicles that needed to access the Hill area to assist our Shake Ridge Road neighbors, or you, our visitors. Despite our best efforts, the volume of visitors was just too much for the roadways, the Hill itself, and there is simply not enough space for everyone to park.
We have carefully examined numerous potential remedies to reduce traffic and visitors to try and keep the Hill open, including shuttles and reservations for attendance. However, in the end, we reached the same conclusion that the narrows roads and the Hill property infrastructure cannot be changed.
We are also well aware of the financial benefit the Hill has been to the many fantastic businesses in Amador County. Our visitors shopped in our historic towns, eaten at our outstanding restaurants, enjoyed our fabulous wineries and filled up their vehicles before heading home. This too has contributed to making this decision very difficult. We hope our visitors, who have experienced the beauty and friendliness of Amador County, will continue to return often to support our local economy.
We would be remiss if we did not take this opportunity to thank our dear friends who have volunteered their help over these many years at the Hill, our amazing caretakers, and the California Highway Patrol for their assistance with traffic control.
Our entire family, all six generations, sends each and every one of you a heartfelt “Thank You” for all the kind words of support, your patronage, and appreciation of the Hill over these many years.
As we close this wonderful chapter in our family history, we ask that you honor our ancestors by continuing to appreciate Mother Nature in all her glory whenever and wherever you can."
God bless you all.
***Please be advised the family will not be responding to comments or making any further statements regarding our closure.***
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