Malibu Creek State Park and Leo Carrillo State Park campgrounds officially reopened to the public starting Memorial Day Weekend—kind of.
While MCSP is ready for visitors, California State Parks said Leo Carrillo would temporarily close for two weeks after the holiday weekend for “much needed paving and road striping work.”
In an email to The Malibu Times, State Parks Information Officer Jorge Moreno said Leo Carrillo campgrounds had been booked to full capacity. At MCSP, “more than half its campsites” were booked over the holiday weekend.
The Leo Carrillo campground had been closed for months following the devastation caused by the Woolsey Fire and ensuing rain events. The MCSP campground had been shut down even before the fire—nearly a year ago, it was closed after 35-year-old Tristan Beaudette was shot and killed in his tent.
As part of a safety upgrade following the shooting, Moreno confirmed State Parks was installing 24-hour security surveillance “in the developed areas” of MCSP as well as Leo Carrillo and Point Mugu state parks. The installation is set to finish over the next few months.
“The number of State Park Peace Officers on site varies throughout the day … Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputies and National Park Service Rangers are also actively patrolling the park,” Moreno shared when asked about the number of rangers on duty at any given time.
In terms of revenue loss, Leo Carrillo lost about $1 million when the park was closed and MCSP lost $580,000 when the campground was closed, according to Moreno.
Leo Carrillo was originally slated to open sometime in March, as predicted before the unusual rainy winter here in Southern California.
California State Parks warned visitors the Willow Creek and Nicholas Flat trails “may be overgrown with vegetation with barriers caused by storm damage.” Additionally, the popular “M*A*S*H” trail at MCSP is open, but visitors are advised to watch out for obstacles due to storm damage.
Areas already open to the public, as confirmed by the state agency earlier this month, are the beaches and staircase at Leo Carrillo, and the day-use areas and backcountry at MCSP.
Reservations for the campgrounds can be made online at reservecalifornia.com or by calling 800.444.4445. The next available reservation at Leo Carrillo is not until November 2019, according to the website. MCSP still has availability through the next few months.
For more information, visit parks.ca.gov.
