Alert reader Gus sent this link to a Sacramento Bee story of proposed state parks to be closed. These are the ones in the Bay Area. Places I’ve been to are bold-faced. Here’s the list of the sites that will remain open. Mainly places where revenue covers the costs, and, more disturbingly, almost exclusively devoted to motorized recreation. As long as you’re willing to pony up for the privilege of trashing a state park, you’re in the clear.
| Diablo Vista District
Annadel SP Bale Grist Mill SHP Benicia Capitol SHP Benicia SRA Bothe-Napa Valley SP Candlestick Point SRA East Shore SP State Shoreline Jack London SHP John Marsh Home SHP Mount Diablo SP Petaluma Adobe SHP Robert Louis Stevenson SP Sonoma SHP Sugarloaf Ridge SP |
Marin District Angel Island SP China Camp SP Mount Tamalpais SP Olompali SHP Samuel P. Taylor SP Tomales Bay SP Monterey District Carmel River SB Fort Ord Dunes SP Fremont Peak SP Garrapata SP Hatton Canyon Henry W. Coe SP John Little SNR Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP Marina SB Monterey SB Monterey SHP Moss Landing SB Pfeiffer Big Sur SP Point Lobos Ranch Point Lobos SNR Point Sur SHP Salinas River SB San Juan Bautista SHP Zmudowski SB |
Santa Cruz District
Año Nuevo SNR Año Nuevo SP Bean Hollow SB Big Basin Redwoods SP Burleigh H. Murray Ranch Butano SP Castle Rock SP Castro Adobe (Rancho San Andres) Gray Whale Cove SB Half Moon Bay SB Henry Cowell Redwoods SP Lighthouse Field SB Manresa SB Montara SB Natural Bridges SB New Brighton SB Pescadero SB Point Montara Light Station Pomponio SB Portola Redwoods SP San Gregorio SB Santa Cruz Mission SHP Seacliff SB Sunset SB The Forest of Nisene Marks SP Thornton SB Twin Lakes SB Wilder Ranch SP |
More on the parks closures in the San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times.
For now they’re saying the parks will stay open through Labor Day to maximize revenue.
Keep in mind there’s so little to be saved by closing parks — because so little is being spent to begin with — that this is mainly an exercise in political theater to make a point.
Stop in on the California Parks Foundation page and help ’em raise a little hell.
This is really strange that they would do this. Here in Michigan, where we’ve been hit hard by the suffering economy, they’re thinking of taking away the fee to enter our state parks so more people can enjoy them.
I’ve been to about 30 of the state parks on the list. Robert L. Stevenson SP has no ranger/bathrooms/visitor center. it’s just 2 FREE pullout lots and lots of hiking..no need to close it! Are they going to ticket our cars and wait for us to come down?
I’ve clicked on the Calif. Pk Foundation Pg & maybe it’ll help.