Vehicular Access Closed At All State Parks

As of today, California State Parks have announced it’s temporarily closing vehicle access at all 280 state parks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Unfortunately because our citizens have not heeded the guidance to stay home and practice social distancing, our parks have been forced to close to vehicles.

California Department of Parks and Recreation released the following press release.

California State Parks today announced it is temporarily closing vehicle access at all 280 state parks to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

On Saturday, many state parks once again experienced visitation surges that made it impossible for the public to implement appropriate social/ physical distancing practices. During this pandemic disease, every person has a role to play in slowing down the spread of COVID-19. Protecting individuals, families and communities comes down to common sense.

As such, the public is reminded to adhere to the following guidance:

• Stay home if you are sick.
• Stay close to home when you get outdoors. This is not the time for a road trip to a destination park or beach.
• Venture out only with people in your immediate household.
• Walk around the neighborhood and enjoy neighborhood parks.
• Always maintain a physical distance of 6 feet or more when recreating in the outdoors. If you cannot maintain physical distancing, leave the park.
• Do not congregate in parks.

To date, the department has implemented various safety measures such as temporarily closing all campgrounds, museums and visitor centers in the State Parks System; cancelling all events; and closing vehicular traffic at certain parks and beaches, and fully closing others.       

California continues to issue guidance on preparing and protecting Californians from COVID-19. State Parks is monitoring the situation closely and is following guidance provided by the Governor’s Office via the California Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Protecting visitors and all who take care of state parks from the exposure to the pandemic disease is a top priority for the State of California.

State Parks will continue to monitor visitation and physical distancing at all state park units, and if the safety measures implemented thus far are not sufficient to protect public health, additional measures may be taken to fully close parks, including trails, bathrooms and other amenities.

State Parks has developed a one-stop resource center––www.parks.ca.gov/FlattenTheCurve––to find park safety and closure information, and messaging and graphics from the “Flatten the COVID-19 Curve at Parks” social media awareness campaign. Please check this webpage regularly, as it will be updated with new information as it becomes available. 

State Parks Safety Measures

To date, State Parks has proactively taken the following steps in response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic:

• Closures
  • ALL 280 State Parks Temporarily Closed to Vehicular Traffic
  • Parks Temporarily Closed to the Public
  • High public-use indoor facilities––including museums, visitor centers and cafés––have been closed until further notice.
• All campgrounds across the state have been closed until further notice. All current reservation holders affected by the temporary closures have received a notification from ReserveCalifornia of their cancellation and refunds will be provided.

What Is Open in Our Parks

With the exception of closed parks, non-campground outdoor areas of parks, including trails and beaches, remain open. Day-use restrooms also remain open, and visitors are advise to bring soap for handwashing and to use alcohol-based sanitizers when water is not available.