Los Padres National Forest officials announced Monday that most of the forest has reopened to the public after being closed for two months due to significant damage and public safety concerns after the January storms.
The special closure order was in place since Jan. 13, closing four of the Los Padres National Forest’s five ranger districts including the Santa Barbara district.
Under the new forest order, effective through May 9, “severely compromised roads, trails, campgrounds, and day-use areas” will remain closed until repairs can be made as funding becomes available.
Currently, seven of the nine Santa Barbara front country trails are open — with the San Ysidro Trail and Romero Trail remaining closed — however forest officials are urging people to use caution and check weather conditions before going out on the trails.
“The main message that’s good to share with people is that the conditions they’re going to encounter out there are going to be different than the last time they were out there,” said Andrew Madsen, Los Padres National Forest spokesperson.
“There’s always a certain amount of risk that people take when they go into these wild areas, so we want people to be aware if they’re uncomfortable to turn around and go back so they don’t find themselves in a sticky situation.”
Madsen added that they are directing people to use the front country rails rather than the backcountry trails accessible along Paradise Road, as the river crossings are closed and Snyder Trail is “in pretty bad shape.”
While some areas being repaired may remain closed long-term, some areas may be able to open sooner.
For example, Madsen said that cleanup of the White Rock Day Use area along Paradise Road — where there is a lot of debris and mud from the river overspilling — is close to completion and it’s estimated that the area could reopen in the next couple weeks.
Additionally, campgrounds along Paradise Road that are closed due to tree hazards are estimated to be cleaned up in about 30 days, Madsen said.
“This has been an extraordinary challenge for Forest Service employees and partner groups as well as for the public,” said Los Padres National Forest Supervisor Chris Stubbs. “I ask for your patience and understanding as we continue what in all likelihood will be a long-term effort to restore and reopen as many of these areas as we responsibly can.”
Forest officials also said that, with storms forecast over the next two weeks, there could be further damage and additional closures, but the Forest Service will be frequently revising the closure order to reflect this and as roads are restored.
“The trails and roads across the forest were hammered by the January storms and then hammered again a few weeks back by the snow,” the Los Padres Forest Association said in its messaging about the reopening.
The association advised people to be prepared to travel slower than normal and to turn back if they encounter something they can’t navigate around or are uncomfortable with trail conditions.
“Please take photos of any sketchy sections of trails, slides, needed reroutes or any downed trees. … We can’t fix the trails if we don’t know what’s needing to be fixed. Your help with trail reports is so important!”
More information on the new forest order can be found here, as well as on the Forest Service’s website, and a full list of closures — including closed roads, trails, campgrounds, and day use areas — can be found here and below.