California State Parks announces 70 state parks will be closed
By Jeremy Branham on May 18, 2011 with Comments 14
Leland Stanford Mansion (Credit: Loren Javier)
Due to the budget crisis in California, the California Department of Parks and Recreation has announced that 70 California State Parks will close beginning in the 2011-2012 fiscal year. Budget cuts of $11 million in 2011-2012 prompted the move with another $22 million in cuts looming in 2012-2013.
Director of State Parks Ruth Coleman and Resources Secretary John Laird both regret having to close the parks but this was necessary to cut costs and decrease the budget deficit in California. The good news is that the remaining 208 parks should see no drop in attendance and be near capacity.
(See how the California legislature is trying to keep California State Parks open and why closing the parks was a stupid idea to start with!)
A number of factors were considered when deciding which parks would close. Things such as statewide significance, ability to close, existing partnerships, fiscal strength, and other factors helped make the decision. The point of the state parks system is to provide a diversity of outdoor experiences for the visitor. With the remaining parks, they feel this mission can still be accomplished.
In the Sacramento area, parks like Railtown 1897, the Governor’s Mansion, and the Leland Stanford Mansion will be some of the ones closing. In San Francisco, some of the parks include Candlestick Point, Castle Rock, and the Santa Cruz mission.
With the closure of many California State Parks, it’s unfortunate for many who enjoy outdoor activities like hiking and exploring some of California’s history. While there is still plenty to see and do in California, there just won’t be as many opportunities.
List of California State Parks closures
Read the press release and details at the California Depart of Parks and Recreation. And while there won’t be as many state parks, learn about California native John Muir and how he helped create the national parks system.
If you care about California’s State Parks, here is a way to help! Join the Save Our State Parks movement and check it out what you can do to help!
Anderson Marsh SHP
Annadel SP
Antelope Valley Indian Museum
Austin Creek SRA
Bale Grist Mill SHP
Benbow Lake SRA
Benicia Capitol SHP
Benicia SRA
Bidwell Mansion SHP
Bothe-Napa Valley SP
Brannan Island SRA
California Mining & Mineral Museum
Candlestick Point SRA
Castle Crags SP
Castle Rock SP
China Camp SP
Colusa-Sacramento River SRA
Del Norte Coast Redwoods SP
Fort Humboldt SHP
Fort Tejon SHP
Garrapata SP
George J. Hatfield SRA
Governor’s Mansion SHP
Gray Whale Cove SB
Greenwood SB
Grizzly Creek Redwoods SP
Hendy Woods SP
Henry W. Coe SP
Jack London SHP
Jug Handle SNR
Leland Stanford Mansion SHP
Limekiln SP
Los Encinos SHP
Malakoff Diggins SHP
Manchester SP
McConnell SRA
McGrath SB
Mono Lake Tufa SNR
Morro Strand SB
Moss Landing SB
Olompali SHP
Palomar Mountain SP
Petaluma Adobe SHP
Picacho SRA
Pio Pico SHP
Plumas-Eureka SP
Point Cabrillo Light Station
Portola Redwoods SP
Providence Mountains SRA
Railtown 1897 SHP
Russian Gulch SP
Saddleback Butte SP
Salton Sea SRA
Samuel P. Taylor SP
San Pasqual Battlefield SHP
Santa Cruz Mission SHP
Santa Susana Pass SHP
Shasta SHP
South Yuba River SP
Standish-Hickey SRA
Sugarloaf Ridge SP
Tomales Bay SP
Tule Elk SNR
Turlock Lake SRA
Twin Lakes SB
Weaverville Joss House SHP
Westport-Union Landing SB
William B. Ide Adobe SHP
Woodson Bridge SRA
Zmudowski SB
Leland Stanford Mansion (Credit: Flickr)
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Filed Under: California • Travel News • Travel Tips
I'm Jeremy Branham and I love to travel. Check out my travel stories, guides, sports travels, and adventures.
How sad! Does this mean people can’t enter the parks at all, or just that there is no maintenance? Seems like a lot of land falling into disuse…
Leslie (Downtown Traveler) recently posted..The value of blogger press trips- Interview with Jordan Tourism Board’s Nayef Al-Fayez
Leslie, I am not sure what will happen to these if the state will sell them off or just let them go. Some are these aren’t just land but historic homes.
Interesting report. I wonder what will be done with the land? Will people still be able to hike on these properties or will they be selling it. This sounds like a great opportunity for non-profits like the Nature Conservancy to step in and buy these lands if the state is selling them. This could be a source for an interesting follow up article.
Traveling Ted recently posted..In defense of the much maligned fanny pack
Ted, that is a good question. I may have to do the thing neither of us like to do and follow up with an interview on this!
The good news is that there is legislation which is seeking to save these 70 parks so we will see what happens with that.
It is a sad situation but this state is in dire straits! Not sure I see the light at the end of the tunnel yet
Debbie Beardsley recently posted..Rocamadour A Miraculous Village
Yes, California is bad. There is a controversial editorial about this that I am going to share tomorrow.
That sucks. Didn’t know CA had that many parks (they may rival the Feds). Glad Anza Borrego’s not on that list.!
santafetraveler recently posted..Dining al fresco on the cheap in Santa Fe
As of now, California has 278 parks (with 70 of those closing). The national parks system has somewhere around 400!
I hate this. Annoyed doesn’t even begin to describe it. And, echoing what you and others have said- so is the land just going to be left alone?!
jade recently posted..Sunsets Over the Grand Canyon
I guess what happens to the land will depend on what happens with the new legislation. However, if you read my latest post on this, I think the whole thing is incredibly stupid!
Really? Well thanks for the information. I have not been to California but i have some of my relatives living in there. I guess i will be updating them about this so as to inform them. I would want to go and visit California too.. Hope i could go there in the near future. Thanks for sharing this one. This is very helpful…
lois recently posted..My Beach Weekend
California is beautiful. Aside from all the state park closures, there is so much to see and do here. Hope you get a chance to come out and visit and thanks so much for your comments!
I don’t know about you but I am starting to get a little upset with all these proposed park closures! Seems to me that what we’re seeing with closure of all these state parks is the implementation of agenda 21, sic justifying restriction of access and privatizing access of fully paid for state parkland with the lame excuse of budget crisis and environmental protection.
If the PTB really cared about the environment why would nuclear power exist? Why would radiation be pouring out of fukishima reactor 3 right now, more than a year later and nothing being done? Why would they have human being walk thru radiation scanners in the airports, new borns to get 30 vaccines by the time they are 3! Why allow fluoride in our drinking water, radiation emitting “smart meters” on our homes and GM monster monsanto to pollute our food?
You notice with a corrupt government everything is always a crisis, blah blah blah, war on drugs, crime, terrorism, poverty, cancer! Anything getting better lately? Their real intent, using excuse of budget crisis (not real because the fed can print as much $$$ as it wants, except they only give it to their fellow corrupt illuminati banksters) is to coral humans into large urban area’s like LA and Bay Area like open air prisons.
Don’t mean to be a wet blanket but pleading with your elected representative by writing or email, calling, or petitioning is pretty much a waste of time. They don’t work for you, politics and the political system is only a replacement for direct rule of the serfs by the ELITE royalty bloodlines of the past. You just think that by voting you have a choice. As George Carlin once said “you have no choice, you have owners”!
Like you, I don’t hold a very high opinion of government or politicians. However, our options are limited as to protecting the parks. Maybe our government really isn’t much different than the old feudal system. Maybe it’s all perspective.
However, the most important thing is the parks. I don’t think we can change the structure of the government now but we can focus our efforts to try and do the best we can to save the parks. I know there are many out there, like the Cal State Parks Foundation, who are doing their best with the system we have.
Will these parks be saved? I don’t know. Private companies could step in and help and I know this is one of the proposed solutions. If people care enough, a difference can be made.
As for the government, I never have and never will place much hope in our politicians.