After more than a month of canceled reservations, El Capitan State Beach will be reopened to campers and day-use visitors on June 26, according to the State Parks Department.
The park and beach in southern Santa Barbara County has been closed to the public since the May 19 crude oil spill a few miles up the Gaviota Coast. Refugio State Beach, right next to the source of the spill, will remain closed until at least July 9.
The long closure means the popular park will remain closed for the July 4 weekend in addition to the typically-busy Memorial Day weekend.
The parks department is asking that people with camping reservations don’t show up to El Capitan State Beach until noon on June 26, according to the oil spill response Joint Information Center.
Campground and beach areas are crowded with oil spill response equipment right now, but the park will be open for full, regular use next week.
Officials expected Refugio State Beach to stay closed longer and State Parks officials will keep evaluating the cleanup efforts and decide if the closure will be extended yet again.
Campers with reservations during the closures are provided a full refund through Reserve America and can contact the organization at 800.444.7275 for alternative camping options, according to the State Parks Department.
Lane closures on southbound Highway 101 near Refugio State Beach are ongoing with the cleanup work to remove oiled soil on the coastal bluffs and now replace the soil and plant new vegetation, according to response officials. The closures, which are impacting daily commute times, could be in effect for several more weeks.
— Noozhawk news editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.