Plans to reopen Malibu’s expansive Charmlee Park, a 532-acre preserve located in western Malibu that has been closed since parts of it burned in 2018’s Woolsey Fire, have been postponed, according to city officials.
Malibu’s Community Services Department Director Jesse Bobbett told The Malibu Times on Tuesday that he now expected Charmlee Wilderness Park to open sometime in October, barring any major setbacks.
Events such as Trail Tok, a hiking activity aimed at teens that was originally scheduled to open for registration on Thursday, Sept. 17, were also postponed. The department hoped to offer the program in November, but did not know at the time of publication whether or not that would be possible.
According to the city of Malibu’s website, “repair work to [Charmlee’s] trail system and erosion control” has been under way since its closure began in 2018. In 2019, control of the park was handed back to the City of Malibu from the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), after the ill-fated “park swap” was reversed. The MRCA, under Joe Edmiston, then regained control of the undeveloped portions of Malibu Bluffs Park.
When the park does reopen, it will be with LA County Department of Public Health guidelines in place.