State Park Campgrounds Beginning To Open Up

It’s still unclear how the gradual reopening of states around the country – including California – will work amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but we’re going to find out. State park campgrounds are now opening up for visitors to pitch tents. Here’s more from the San Jose Mercury News on the reopening of close to 30 sites so far:

Most are in Southern California, along beaches from Santa Barbara to San Diego County, although several are around the Lake Tahoe Area and two are in the Greater Bay Area — Little Basin, a former Hewlett-Packard retreat center near Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Santa Cruz County and Half Moon Bay State Beach on the San Mateo County Coast.

“We’re pleased that state parks will begin to provide additional recreational opportunities to the public,” said Gloria Sandoval, deputy director of the California Department of Parks and Recreation. “This is just the beginning.”

California has 280 state parks — a spectacular collection of landscapes from Sierra Nevada mountains to redwood forests to broad sandy beaches. Within those, there are roughly 13,000 campsites at 105 parks with camping for tents, RVs and in cabins. The parks opening for camping on Friday have 1,667 campsites.