THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- As of Jan. 15, officials with California State Parks and the National Park Service will lift the nighttime closures imposed after last year's Springs Fire. The restriction to official roads and trails remains in place.
Officials with both agencies chose not to renew the emergency closure that expired at the end of last year for Point Mugu State Park and Rancho Sierra Vista. After daylight saving time, it became increasingly difficult for visitors to participate in recreational activities after work and before the sunset closure.
Because the ecosystem is particularly sensitive long after a fire, the restriction from going off-trail remains in effect until further notice. Foot and bike traffic tramples sensitive soil and harms wildlife burrows and nests. Park staff continue to see evidence of off-trail travel and ask for the public's cooperation in order to help nature recover.
The Springs Fire burned more than 24,000 acres in the western end of the Santa Monica Mountains, including approximately 14,000 acres of public park land. See.
For more information, visitors can contact 805-370-2301.
California State Parks is composed of 279 units on nearly 1.5 million acres of land. State Parks is responsible for nearly one-third of the coastline of California, with more than 3,000 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails. State Parks receives more than 65 million visitors yearly, making it the single largest visitor destination in the state and second only to the National Park system for the nation. For more information, visit www.parks.ca.gov.
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. It comprises a seamless network of local, state and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/samo.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
