Crystal Cove Park Reopens, With a Warning

Crystal Cove State Park is scheduled to reopen this morning to hikers, bicyclists and equestrians after a six-month recovery from last fall’s destructive wildfires.

“We’re ready,” said park ranger David Ruger. “People have been waiting a long time for this.”

The park, north of Laguna Beach, will reinstate its regular hours, 6 a.m. to sunset every day, with one new rule: that visitors stay off the new plants struggling to gain a foothold in the charred soil.

“The only place you can walk is on the trails,” said Ruger. “Everywhere else is completely off-limits. It can be a very expensive ticket if we catch people off the trail.”

Ruger said he hopes the crowd that shows up today isn’t too large because the park environment is still fragile. “I sure wish we were opening on a weekday instead of a Sunday,” he said.