All California national forests closed due to fire risk

1/23

Brooks Hubbard with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers takes photos from the historic North Broadway Bridge over the Los Angeles River Tuesday morning as smoke and ash from the Bobcat fire cloak the area. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)

2/23

Elijah Simpson practices shooting hoops against a backdrop of smokey skies from the Bobcat Fire at Angel’s Gate Park in the San Pedro on September 16, 2020. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

3/23

A helicopter fights the Bobcat fire burning dangerously close to Mt. Wilson Observatory. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

4/23

An aerial view of Dodger Stadium and the downtown Los Angeles skyline at sunset is obscured by smoke, ash and smog on Sept. 14. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

5/23

Visitors check their photos at Griffith Observatory with a smoky view of the Hollywood sign behind them. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

6/23

Two people get ready to surf as a hazy red sun sets off Hermosa Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)

7/23

Smoke from the Bobcat fire burning in the Angeles National Forest blankets the Southland. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)

8/23

An airplane flies through smoky skies in downtown Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

9/23

A smoky haze envelopes Santa Monica Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)

10/23

Beachgoers walk along the shoreline in Laguna Beach beneath a hazy sky. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

11/23

A crow on a cypress tree in Garden Grove is silhouetted by a sun obscured by ash from Southland wildfires. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

12/23

The sky is gray over the Santa Monica Pier as a family plays in the breakwater. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

13/23

A man walks his dog past the historic lifeguard tower in Laguna Beach as the sun is obscured by smoke from wildfires. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

14/23

An upbeat message on the South Coast Cinemas marquee in Laguna Beach is dimmed by the smoky air. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

15/23

Surfers near the Manhattan Beach Pier under a smoky sunset. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)

16/23

Gray skies over the Santa Monica Pier. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

17/23

A hazy sun is seen behind the Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

18/23

Despite the unhealthful air quality, Fabian Ortez of Riverside enjoys an afternoon of fishing off the pier in Seal Beach. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

19/23

The Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

20/23

A bicyclist travels along the 1st Street Bridge as smoke hovers east of downtown Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

21/23

Haze from the Bobcat fire looms over Azusa as it burns in Angeles National Forest. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

22/23

The Los Angeles skyline is shrouded in smoke from the Bobcat fire as seen from the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

23/23

Haze from the Bobcat fire looms over Kare Park in Irwindale. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

By Mary Forgione

and Christopher Reynolds

Sept. 16, 2020 10:46 AM PT

California’s 18 national forests will remain closed through at least Monday, according to a U.S. Forest Service statement. This move has shuttered access to more than 20 million acres because of “unprecedented and historic fire conditions.” Campgrounds, trails, picnic areas and roads are shut to visitors until further notice.

The biggest fire in Southern California, the Bobcat fire in Angeles National Forest, had grown to 44,393 acres with 3% containment as of Wednesday morning. The Angeles Crest Highway (Highway 2) is closed in the fire area from east of Angeles Forest Highway to Big Pines. Other road closures are in effect, according to Caltrans District 7 Twitter feed.

The El Dorado fire burning near Angelus Oaks north of Yucaipa has grown to 18,092 acres and is 60% contained. Highway 38 to the mountain resort has been closed just east of Redlands. Last Thursday, officials asked visitors to stay away from Big Bear Lake, Big Bear City, Moonridge, Sugarloaf, Lake Williams, Baldwin Lake, Fawnskin and other communities in the area because of the fire.

Also, L.A. County officials on Friday closed eight parks, including Eaton Canyon Natural Area, Devil’s Punchbowl Natural Area, Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park, Lario Staging Area, Marshall Canyon Regional Park and Nursery, Peck Road Water Conservation Park, San Dimas Canyon Natural Area and Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area.

They remained closed Wednesday. Spokeswoman Katie Martel said parks officials will decide those parks’ status day by day, depending mostly on air quality. “As things change, we’ll continue to assess,” Martel said, suggesting that residents check park statuses at the county parks twitter site, @lacountyparks.

L.A. County will also decide day by day whether to open Splash Pads at 16 county parks. The Splash Pads are small fountains that typically provide a play opportunity and heat relief for children in hot weather. Poor air quality spurred the closure of the fountains.

Some 20 California state parks remained closed Wednesday, none of them in Southern California, officials said in a release. Mt. San Jacinto State Park in Riverside County is partially closed, its wilderness areas off-limits to day hiking and overnight hiking. In recent days, Monterey County’s Molera State Park, Garrapata State Park and Point Lobos State Natural Reserve have reopened.

Travelers planning a getaway to any affected areas should check fire status as well as the status of any place they plan to visit — local, state and national parks and forests — before they leave home. Checking highway statuses with Caltrans is recommended, as well.

The Dolan fire in Monterey County has forced closure of Highway 1 from Gorda to 0.6 of a mile south of Lucia, shutting about 12 miles of the coastal route that Southern Californians take to Big Sur, Carmel and Monterey. (In previous days, as much as 30 miles of the route have been closed.)

The massive Creek fire in the Sierra National Forest, which has grown to more than 175,893 acres, has prompted warnings and evacuations across a wide part of Central California, including popular spots such as Shaver Lake and Huntington Lake.

Forest closures shut Mammoth Mountain’s bike park, gondola rides, guided climbing and other summer activities. However, the Sierra Star Golf Course and lodgings remain open at the Mammoth Lakes resort.

Hikers with permits heading to Mt. Whitney, the John Muir Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail (where it runs on national forest land) also had to curtail their plans.

At 6 a.m. Tuesday, officials closed Sequoia National Park, citing the risk from the Castle fire, which has now become part of the larger SQF Complex fire. Sister park Kings Canyons planned to close 5 p.m. Thursday because of smoky and hazardous air.

Meanwhile, Yosemite National Park, less than 50 miles north of the still-uncontrolled Creek fire, closed at 5 p.m. Thursday because of smoky, hazardous air quality. The park was planning to stay closed through the weekend. Rangers earlier closed the park’s Mariposa Grove on Sunday night as a fire precaution.

Writer and environmentalist Bill McKibben, tweeting a sepia-toned view of Yosemite’s Half Dome, wrote, “California faces the greatest siege of fire in recorded history.”

Among the 20 locations on the California State Park closure list released Tuesday afternoon:

• In Humboldt County, threatened by the Elkhorn fire: Benbow State Recreation Area, Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park, Humboldt Redwoods State Park; John B. Dewitt Redwoods State Natural Reserve; Richardson Grove State Park; and Smithe Redwoods State Natural Reserve.

• In Mendocino County: Admiral William Standley State Recreation Area; Reynolds Wayside Campground; and Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area.

• In Monterey County, threatened by the Dolan fire: Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park; John Little State Natural Reserve; Limekiln State Park; Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park; and Point Sur State Historic Park.

• In San Mateo County, threatened by the CZU August Lightning Complex fire: Butano State Park.

• In Santa Cruz County, also threatened by the CZU August Lightning Complex fire: Big Basin Redwoods State Park (including Rancho del Oso and Little Basin).

• In Santa Clara County, threatened by the SCU Lightning Complex fire: Henry W. Coe State Park.

• In Sonoma County, also threatened by the LNU Lightning Complex fire: Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve; and Austin Creek State Recreation Area.

• In Butte County, threatened by the Northern Complex West Zone fire: Lake Oroville State Recreation Area.

Besides Mt. San Jacinto, the other four partially closed state parks are: Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve in Mono County; South Yuba River State Park in Nevada County; Millerton Lake State Recreation Area in Fresno County; and Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in Santa Cruz County.

Also, in Point Reyes National Seashore, many roads, trails, beaches and campgrounds are closed because of the Woodward fire.