Public lands throughout the country are experiencing above-normal visitation due to stay at home orders that exempt outdoor recreation. While getting out into nature is important for physical, mental, and emotional health during this crisis, some outdoor spaces are simply being overcrowded, and managing agencies are struggling to maintain these areas safely.
Please read our guidelines for protecting yourself and others as you visit open public lands during the COVID-19 crisis. Following these steps can help reduce the chance that your local outdoor recreation areas will be closed to the public.
Before you set out for the trail, please take a look at the current closures in place for national forests, parks, monuments, and other public lands in the region.
Los Padres National Forest
Closed:
- Developed recreation sites (car campgrounds and day use sites)
- Visitor centers
- Ranger stations
- Roads and trails in the Monterey Ranger District (until June 1)
Open:
- Trailheads
- Trails in all ranger districts except the Monterey Ranger District
- Primitive campsites (i.e. those that you have to hike to)
- Roads (except those already under seasonal closures) in all ranger districts except the Monterey Ranger District
Additional information can be found here.
Carrizo Plain National Monument
Closed:
- Developed recreation sites
- Developed campgrounds (Selby and KCL Camps)
- Visitor center
Open:
- Trailheads
- Trails
- Roads
Additional information can be found here.
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Closed:
- All trails, parking lots, and trailheads in LA County
- Visitor centers
Open (only between 6 AM Monday and 2 PM Friday):
- Rancho Sierra Vista, including the Wendy Trailhead.
- All trails within Circle X, including Sandstone Peak, Mishe Mokwa, the Grotto trail, the Backbone Trail and all connecting trails and overlooks along Yerba Buena Road.
- Cheeseboro Canyon trailhead.
- Deer Creek, including all lands, pullouts and overlooks.
Additional information can be found here.
Channel Islands National Park
Closed:
- Mainland visitor center
- All concessionaire boat trips (Island Packers), including landings and non-landings
Open:
- Island access via private boat landings
Additional information can be found here.
City of Santa Barbara Parks
Closed:
- All recreation centers
- All public counters
- All playgrounds
- All picnic areas
- All outdoor exercise equipment
- All tennis courts and beach volleyball courts
- Skater’s Point skatepark
- Franceschi Park, Hilda McIntyre Ray Park, and Skofield Park
- Group activities (more than two people) in all parks
Open:
- Parks not listed above from sunrise to sunset
- Leadbetter Beach, West Beach, and East Beach
- City community gardens at Rancheria and Yanonali are open for food harvesting and plot maintenance only.
- Food Distributions
Additional information can be found here.
County of Santa Barbara Parks
Closed:
- Overnight camping at Jalama Beach and Cachuma Lake (in effect through May 16, 2020)
- Group reservations at day-use parks (in effect through May 17, 2020)
- All playgrounds at county parks
Open:
- Day use at Jalama Beach and Cachuma Lake
- All county parks from sunrise to sunset (except anything noted above)
Additional information can be found here.
City of Ventura Parks
Closed:
- Arroyo Verde Park
- Mission Park
- Plaza Park
- Ventura Pier and Beach
- Ventura Promenade
- Wastewater Treatment Plant Wildlife Ponds
Additional information can be found here.
County of Ventura Parks
Closed:
- Rincon Parkway
- Hobson Beach Park
- Faria Beach Park
- Camp Comfort (Ojai)
- Dennison Park (Ojai)
- Foster Park (Ventura)
- Happy Camp Regional Park (Moorpark)
- Kenney Grove Park (Fillmore)
- Oak Park (Simi Valley)
- Santa Rosa Valley Park (Camarillo)
- Saticoy Park (Saticoy)
- Soule Park and Soule Dog Park (Ojai)
- Steckel Park (Santa Paula)
- Tapo Canyon (Simi Valley)
- Toland Park (Santa Paula)
- Warring Park (Piru)
Additional information can be found here.
City of San Luis Obispo Parks
Closed:
- All city park playground structures
- Youth and adult sport programs, group play, drop-in play and permitted programs at city park facilities, including the Damon-Garcia Sports Complex, all diamond sport fields, and other turf fields and facilities
- SLO Senior Citizens Center
- SLO Swim Center
- Ludwick Community Center
- Jack House
- Laguna Lake Golf Course
Open:
- Anholm Park
- Buena Vista Park
- Cheng Park
- De Vaul Park
- Ellsford Park
- Emerson Park
- Eto Park
- French Park
- Islay Hill Park
- Johnson Park
- Laguna Hills Park
- Laguna Lake Park
- Las Praderas Park
- Meadow Park
- Mitchell Park
- Priolo-Martin Park
- Santa Rosa Park
- Sinsheimer Park
- Stoneridge Park
- Throop Park
- Triangle Park
- Vista Lago Park
Additional information can be found here.
County of San Luis Obispo Parks
Closed:
- All county campgrounds
- Parking lots at all coastal county parks (includes Cayucos, Hardie, and Shamel Parks)
- Parking lots at all Morro Bay beaches (including Morro Rock, Coleman Beach, Pit and Sand Beaches)
- Cayucos Pier
- Pismo Beach Pier
- El Chorro Regional Park
Open:
- County parks and open spaces not listed above
Additional information can be found here.
Other Closures
- All state parks and respective parking areas (though trails and some amenities may be opened, such as those at state parks in San Luis Obispo County)
- Wind Wolves Preserve (Kern County)
- Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency trails (Ventura County)
- Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) parks and trails (full list of parks here)
- Lake Piru Recreation Area
- Port Hueneme Pier
