Zone X-8 is located in portions of Alpine and El Dorado counties along the eastern state border south of Lake Tahoe.

This is NOT a zone for you if you are the type of hunter who needs to see a lot of deer each day to keep your spirits up.Make certain to carry a bear tag in this area as bears are in abundance and may increase your opportunity for a harvest. In this high use area many bears target campgrounds as feeding stations at night. They are easy enough to find if you target travel corridors in the mornings. Blue Lakes area has many campground bear problems.

The terrain in this zone varies quite a bit from the low valleys to the tops of the mountains. The weather is usually quite hot and dry, but early storms are not uncommon. Snowfall will be a rare occurrence with these storms but heavy rains can make many roads very difficult, if not impossible, to travel.

The vegetation is highly varied throughout Zone X-8 ranging from low sage, sagebrush, bitterbrush, montane chaparral, aspen, hardwood-conifer, juniper-pinyon and conifer to alpine habitats. There are areas above tree line on public land.

Access to the Zone X-8 is good. The major routes include Highways 50 and 89 from the north and Highways 88 and 4 from the west. Access within the zone is fair. Getting to the higher ridges in the Hope Valley area requires walking. The USFS road to Hawkins Peak is closed. In the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness Area, found south of Highway 4, two pack stations provide services. One is located at Wolf Creek; the other at Rodriquez Flat on the Mono-Alpine County line.

There are several USFS campgrounds within Zone X-8 and these are shown on the map of the Toiyabe National Forest. Informal camping is allowed on both USFS and U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, but campfire permits are required. Permits may be obtained from any USFS, BLM or California Department of Forestry (CDF) office. During fire season, special regulations may apply and it is best to contact the local USFS, BLM or CDF office for the latest information. You will need a campfire permit to use propane stoves and BBQs outside of established campgrounds.

There are nice camp areas at Lower Blue Lake, the middle campground between the Blue Lakes and Upper Blue Lake. Many of the smaller lakes in this area have flat, open, dispersed camping along their shorelines. Expect a lot of people in the areas with water.

Zone X-8 is comprised mostly of public land. Public lands within Zone X-8 are administered by the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

Hunting is also allowed on the Hope Valley and Heenan Lake Wildlife Areas, administered by the DFW. Access to these wildlife areas is permitted by foot only.