Jalama Beach outside Lompoc is back open for camping following this month’s storms.
The owner of Jalama Beach Store, Don Eittreim, says it’s great to be back in business after being closed for about a week-and-a-half.
“I miss the campers. I miss the surfers. I miss them all," Eittreim said.
County Public Works says a slipout of Jalama Road at the 3.4 mile marker prompted the closure. The road was reopened late last week.
Gigi Berklite from Carlsbad was excited to be spending Monday at Jalama.
“We've been coming here for, gosh, almost like 25 plus years. We've never really
experienced the road being closed, so I think we've been really lucky in that capacity. So our reservation actually got, like, moved out, but they were really good with accommodating us and changing our reservation and letting us know,” Berklite said.
Campers will have to leave temporarily Tuesday morning if SpaceX’s launch goes as planned due to the site’s proximity to Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Other park closures from the storm include Miguelito Park and the Guadalupe Dunes, but many trails throughout Santa Barbara County are also closed.
County officials say the storms left the trails in poor condition and prompted the U.S. Forest Service to close the Los Padres National Forest to visitors through March.
Most trails that connect to the forest or are near it are currently closed along with others, including Bodger Trail and the Nojoqui Falls Trail.
While it may still be tempting to enjoy a hike, county parks officials ask people to follow the posted rules as conditions on the trail could be dangerous.
