For Immediate Release: 8/19/2020

State Parks Issues Full, Partial Closures of Park Units Due to Ongoing Wildfires

California’s Oldest State Park, Big Basin Redwoods, Extensively Damaged 

Contact: Newsroom

California State Parks issued full or partial closures today for more than two dozen parks due to the ongoing wildfires burning across much of the state. Camping reservation holders impacted by the wildfires are being contacted with cancellation information. Some parks remain partially open but with limited services.

One of the closures includes California’s oldest state park, Big Basin Redwoods State Park (SP), which on Tuesday sustained extensive damage from the CZU August Lightning Complex Fires in Santa Cruz County and is closed until further notice. The fire damaged the park’s headquarters, historic core and campgrounds. All campers, day-use visitors and State Parks staff at Little Basin and Big Basin were evacuated.

The public is advised to avoid the following parks and any other areas that are closed during this time:

CZU August Lightning Complex Fires

Fully Closed:

  • Año Nuevo SP
  • Big Basin Redwoods SP (including Rancho Del Oso)
  • Butano SP
  • Castle Rock SP
  • Henry Cowell Redwoods SP
  • Portola Redwoods SP

Beach Fire

Partially Closed:

  • Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve (SNR) – portions of south side closed including South Tufa and Navy Beach (U.S. Forest Service).

Deer Zone Fire

Fully Closed

  • Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area
  • Mount Diablo SP

Dolan Fire

Fully Closed

  • Andrew Molera SP
  • Garrapata SP
  •  Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP
  • John Little SNR
  • Limekiln SP
  • Pfeiffer Big Sur SP
  • Point Lobos SNR
  • Point Sur SHP

Jones Fire

Fully Closed

  • Empire Mine State Historic Park (SHP)
  • Malakoff Diggins SHP
  • South Yuba River SP

LNU Lightning Complex Fires

Fully Closed

  • Armstrong Redwoods SNR
  • Austin Creek State Recreation Area
  • Fort Ross SHP

SCU Lightning Complex Fires

  • Fully Closed
  • Henry W. Coe SP

Woodward Fire

Fully Closed

  • Tomales Bay SP

Partially Closed

  • Mount Tamalpais SP– upper mountain and campgrounds closed, day-use is strongly discouraged.

Due to the active nature of the wildfires, the public is advised to always check ahead, as conditions may evolve rapidly. State Parks peace officers are patrolling the evacuated parks and assisting in mutual aid.

California State Parks is supporting the communities impacted by the wildfires and assisting CAL FIRE and local law enforcement agencies.

For the latest information on state park units affected, please visit www.parks.ca.gov/Incidents. For the latest information on the wildfires, please visit https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/.  



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