CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES
Fire-scathed SoCal tourist spots poised for a comeback
Attractions including SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park are operating normally. Only three Southland state parks remain closed.
Southern California's top tourist attractions were mostly unscathed by wildfires that began tearing through the region two weeks ago.
By Friday, most blazes were under control. But some recreational lands and resort areas were damaged and were limiting access. And the National Weather Service warned that warm, dry winds forecast for this weekend could pose fire risks.
The situation was in flux. Some general conditions as of the Travel section's deadline Friday:
FORESTS AND PARKS
Several county, state and national parks and forests were to remain closed this weekend because of fire damage or because of dry conditions.
Cleveland, Los Padres, San Bernardino and Angeles national forests remained closed because of extreme drought and the Santa Ana wind forecast. Combined, the four parks represent nearly 3 million acres of wilderness stretching from Monterey County to the Mexican border.
The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, however, remained open.
Meanwhile, state parks officials reopened eight of 11 parks that were closed last week because of fire danger. Only three state parks in Southern California remained closed. Palomar Mountain State Park and San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park in San Diego County were closed because of severe fire damage. Fire did not damage Mt. San Jacinto State Park in Riverside County, but park officials closed it because it is adjacent to the San Bernardino National Forest.
Anyone caught hiking or camping in a closed national or state park faces a fine. All camping reservations that have been canceled because of the closures will be refunded. To make new reservations at an open state park, call (800) 444-7275 or go to www.reserveamerica.com.
For fire updates, visit www.inciweb.org.
SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS
Resort areas were recovering after fires burned hundreds of homes.
California Highways 330 and 18 reopened for through traffic, but many communities were still under voluntary evacuation orders. Among them were Arrowbear, Green Valley Lake, Lake Arrowhead and Running Springs.
Big Bear was not under evacuation. The Snow Summit Scenic Sky Chair was closed, but most Big Bear attractions were open.
In Lake Arrowhead, the Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa reopened Tuesday for regular guests, and the weekend Oktoberfest, canceled earlier, was rescheduled for this weekend.
Business districts were also spared in Running Springs and Arrowbear, said Cheryl Nagy, president of the Running Springs Area Chamber of Commerce. Green Valley Lake lost at least a couple of businesses but hoped to be ready for tourists this week, she said.
"We need people to come up and spend money," Nagy added, because local towns depend on tourism. She noted that many areas were undamaged, and fall color was good.
To obtain additional information, visit www.sbcounty.gov for emergency updates, and www.bigbear.com, www.lakearrowhead.net and www.runningspringschamber.com for tourism news.
SAN DIEGO COUNTY
By the end of last week, nearly all hotels, casinos and the county's big tourist attractions, including SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park, were operating normally. "Initially, there were a lot of cancellations reflected in online travel agencies," said David Peckinpaugh, chief executive of the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau. "It's now back to normal."
He said that major roads were open and that visitors would be hard-pressed to spot fire damage. "It's not unlike the aftermath of a tornado, in that the damage was confined to certain pockets," he said.
Julian and Fallbrook, where surrounding areas were hit hard by fire, were undamaged and ready to welcome visitors. "We dodged the bullet, big time," said Nancy Greenwood of the Julian Chamber of Commerce. Businesses and bed and breakfasts were open again by Thursday.
Dirty air may reach unhealthful levels in some fire spots, but the main tourist attractions were south and west of those areas. At the end of the week, air quality was moderate or better in most of the county. But the Air Pollution Control District urged people with respiratory problems to avoid smoky areas.
Single page |
1
2
>>
My weightless Van Nuys Valentine? A zero-gravity flight on Saturday
Attention, last-minute Valentine’s Day gift-seekers. For a chance to sweep that special som...
Read more »
Taking restless Southern California on vacation
Los Angeles Times e-mail newsletter, delivered every Thursday
wherever it appears.