California State Parks announced on Friday, December 4, 2020, that state campsites in regions impacted by California’s Regional Stay at Home Order triggered by Intensive Care Unit (ICU) capacity will temporarily close. Day use outdoor areas of park units currently open to the public will remain accessible, including trails and beaches.
Members of the same household are encouraged to maintain physical and mental health by going to a park to hike, walk, bike, ride, off-highway riding or boating, provided they recreate responsibly by abiding by COVID-19 guidelines.
“Yesterday, California took an important step to address the alarming pace of COVID-19 case rates that are threatening to overwhelm the health care delivery system,” said California State Parks Director Armando Quintero.
“While the new Regional Stay at Home Order is asking Californians to stay home as much as possible and for campground sites in impacted regions to close, the state also recognizes that that outdoor activity is critical for mental health and physical health. We welcome you to recreate in the outdoors provided that you stay local, plan ahead to find out what is open, wear a face covering, practice physical distancing and avoid gatherings with people outside the immediate household.”
The Regional Stay at Home Order will be implemented regionally once there is less than 15 percent ICU capacity in one or more of the following designated areas: Northern California, Bay Area, Greater Sacramento, San Joaquin Valley and Southern California. State campground sites within these regions will be temporarily closed in accordance with the new order.
DUE TO THE CRITICAL NEED to stop the COVID-19 surge and prevent overwhelming regional ICU capacity, the public is advised that the closure of campground sites may be made with little advance notice. Affected reservation holders will be contacted by the state’s reservation system—ReserveCalifornia—via email and provided with a refund. Reservation cancellations and refunds will be automatic. As such, visitors do not need to take any action. Reservation holders can call ReserveCalifornia’s Customer Service line at (800) 444-7275. Hours of operation: seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. PDT.
For the most up-to-date information on how State Parks is helping stop the COVID-19 surge, including campground closure updates, please visit parks.ca.gov/FlattenTheCurve.
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