In the interest of public safety and wildfire prevention, six hazardous hiking areas throughout Riverside County will temporarily close on June 15.
Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Chief Bill Weiser recently received approval from the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to close the following areas until further notice:
- Eagle Canyon/Tin Mine (east of Corona)
- Steel Peak (north of Lake Elsinore)
- Bautista Canyon (southeast of Hemet)
- North Mountain (south of Banning, north of San Jacinto)
- Whitewater Canyon (east of Cabazon)
- Ramona Bowl (south of Hemet) *Open daily from sunrise until noon.
“In the interest of public safety and wildfire prevention, access to these hiking areas is temporarily restricted to protect nearby communities and reduce the likelihood of catastrophic fire events,” Fire Chief Weiser said.
Riverside County Ordinance 787.9 restricts public access to these identified hazardous fire areas unless private party access is required. Public roadway travel is permitted, provided travel is confined to those surfaces within the hazardous fire area.
Future closures may be implemented based on weather conditions, fuel moisture, and increased fire threats. For additional information on the areas closed to the public, contact the Public Affairs and Community Education Bureau at 951-940-6985.
