AUBURN, Calif. — It is no secret that the Auburn State Recreation Area has some of the most beautiful and popular trails in Northern California. Now that certain parking areas have reopened here, a lot more visitors are expected as the stay-at-home orders for Placer County start to relax during Phase Two of the state's reopening plan.
Auburn Mayor Daniel Berlant made the announcement on his Facebook page earlier this week, to the delight of many locals. While he understands the excitement people have to get back out here, he wants to remind everyone to be safe and take the extra precautions, even while restrictions start to ease up.
"We do ask for people to wait a little longer. You don't need to come just yet. I know we're all itching to get out," Mayor Berlant stated. "If you are going to come, you have to maintain social distancing. You have to wear face coverings. You have to do all the other precautions that you would normally take to prevent the spread of COVID-19."
Mike Howard, Superintendent of Auburn Sector State Parks, encourages all visitors to be prepared with certain essentials to stay clean and germ free as people start using the trails again.
"I would encourage people to bring their own hand sanitizer and soap," Howard explained. "We don't have that available. We don't have running water at our facilities in Auburn. People need to keep there distance from each other, so if it's too crowded, find somewhere else."
Now keep in mind that only seven parking areas are open in the Auburn State Recreation Area. This does not include popular places like the area by Confluence Trail and Lower and Upper Lake Clementine.
Howard says it is important for drivers to pay attention to signs of where you can and cannot park to avoid getting a parking citation. He says he has had to issue a lot of them of over the last few days.
"Everybody needs to be safe. Taking precautions. We do not want to go backwards on the good work that we've done. We can not afford for our economy to close back down," stated Mayor Berlant.
Mayor Berlant went on to say that Auburn relies heavily on tourism and although he welcomes visitors from other counties, he wants everyone to be "extra safe" as more places start to ease restrictions.
RELATED STORIES:
- Californians can hike, shop, golf as virus restrictions ease | California coronavirus updates
- American River Raft Rentals reopens with new social distancing guidelines
- Placerville restaurants enjoy busy Friday night, as county has moves into Stage 2 of reopening
- Here's a list of California counties cleared to begin reopening sooner
______________________________________________
FOR NEWS IN YOUR COMMUNITY, DOWNLOAD OUR APP:
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for the Daily Blend Newsletter