SACRAMENTO, Calif — In an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus, California officials shut down access to 98 state parks, closing the gates to their parking lots after too many people sought an escape from stay at home orders.
State park officials said they're trying to reduce the surge in visitations they saw last weekend after hundreds of people ignored social distancing and congregating in large crowds on state lands.
Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the closure of select state parking lots in a press conference earlier this week. Officially,state campgrounds are completely closed as well as high public-use indoor facilities like museums.
Folsom Lake State Recreation area is one of the 98 parking lots closed, but Park Ranger Barry Smith says that doesn't mean the actual park is closed to visitors.
"The governor's initiative still allows Californians to go out and recreate in our parks," Smith said, adding that walking or biking inside state parks is still allowed.
State Parks put out the following guidelines while in the park:
- 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.
Other agencies have closed parks.
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This week the National Forrest and the Army Corp. of Engineers completely closed all California recreation areas.
If they can help it, state parks officials say they don't want to go to that extreme.
"If some of these social distancing guidelines are not met then yes, I think there could be further closures in our parks," Smith said. "Maybe getting into a car and traveling to a state park is not the greatest idea, but maybe staying at home in your neighborhood getting that exercise is a good balance.”
A list of closures can be found on the state parks website.
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