The iconic Runyon Canyon has joined other Los Angeles city trails in reopening, while the closure of the popular Eaton Canyon hiking destination in Altadena was extended on Tuesday.
Runyon reopened Monday with measures in place to restrain capacity, which includes converting the trail into a one-way loop, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a news briefing Tuesday evening. The trail was the only to remain shut down when the city reopened others on May 9.
At Eaton Canyon, trail closures were extended through the end of the month after overcrowding this past weekend prompted a temporary shutdown, the L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation said.
The agency made the announcement Tuesday, the same day the trails were initially scheduled to open back up.
A reopening date is now set for Monday, June 1, according to a statement on the department’s website.
The Eaton Canyon trailhead, parking lot, nature center and all gates will remain closed off to the public until then as well.
Eaton Canyon trails were shut down on Sunday due to a high volume of hikers, many of whom were not wearing a facial covering or practicing social distancing, as required under county rules, according to the department.
That was despite a team of trail monitors, park staff and L.A. County sheriff’s personnel patrolling the area and reinforcing the public health directives designed to slow the spread of COVID-19
In addition, visitors were entering the area through access points that were temporarily closed or unauthorized for use, officials said.
“Given this behavior, the County had no choice but to close the trailhead and trail,” the statement read.
Officials noted that people were putting themselves and the staff at risk by not following the rules.
“At LA County Parks, we believe that the health and safety of our trail users, park guests, team members, and community are the top priority,” the statement said. “Therefore Eaton Canyon will be closed immediately on May 24 through May 31, 2020.”
Many trails in the county remain open, and hikers are invited to explore the Parks and Recreation website to find other options.
