9 Bay Area State Parks Slated for Closure

Have you heard about this yet? I just received an email with the info and I found the following article at SF Gate.

Nine state parks in the Bay Area, including one that is the largest in Northern California, would be closed under the budget proposed today by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The parks, which would not close until the governor and Legislature agree on a spending plan sometime later this year, would be off-limits until the state's financial situation improves, officials said.

Money will be spent for patrols to keep people out of the closed parks, officials said.

Statewide, the governor has proposed closing 48 sites. For a map of all the parks picked for closure, go to links.sfgate.com/ZCAR.

The Bay Area parks slated for closure include:

• Henry W. Coe State Park. This site covers more than 87,000 acres and includes 250 miles of hiking paths, making it the largest state park in Northern California. Located 13 miles east of Morgan Hill, it includes a 23,000-acre wilderness area and hosts several species, including mountain lions. Its high ridges and deep canyons make it a varied and rugged park. It was once home to the Ohlone Indians.
  
• Candlestick Point State Recreation Area. This San Francisco park was a landfill during and after World War II, but public pressure prompted the Legislature to protect is as a bayfront park in 1977. The park was the first urban recreation area in the California and is still a popular spot for outdoor activities, including fishing, hiking, bicycling and picnicking. Birdwatchers also frequent the point, and a fitness course lines the popular shoreline. There is also a community garden in the park, and many cultural programs are hosted there. According to the state, the point was named for the abandoned ships that would often burn nearby during the 19th century, resembling candles.


• Austin Creek State Recreation Area. Camping is available at this park located just north of Guerneville. Dotted by rolling hills and open grasslands, Austin Creek SRA has more than 20 miles of trails for backpacking and horseback riding.


• Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve. Located next to Austin Creek SRA, this site on average gets 55 inches of rain a year. The site boasts coastal redwoods, as well as a visitor center, outdoor amphitheater, nature trails and picnic facilities. It is a dark, foggy, primeval forest.


• Tomales Bay State Park in Inverness. Located 40 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge and next to the Point Reyes National Seashore, Tomales State Park includes four beaches as well as forests, hills, meadows and marshes. A plethora of wildlife lives in the park, which was established in 1952 after a period of beachfront development led to fears that the wild coast would disappear.


• Petaluma-Adobe State Historic Park. In the 1800s, this park was the main residence of Rancho Petaluma, run by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo. The park, located on the eastern side of Petaluma, still hosts the giant adobe building where Vallejo ran his much of his ranching business and has shaded picnic areas.


• Portola-Redwood State Park. Located off Highway 35 west of Cupertino, the park is forested with coastal redwoods, oak trees and Douglas fir. It is also home to one of the tallest redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains, according to the state parks department.


• Benicia Capitol State Historic Park. This Solano County city was the state's third capitol from 1853-54. The park protects the capitol building, the only pre-Sacramento capitol still standing. The inside of the old capitol has been restored with furniture from the period and a Ponderosa pine floor.


• Benicia State Recreation Area. This park, which covers the waterfront and hillsides along the Carquinez Straight, is popular with horseback riders, walkers, bicyclists and anglers. People with campers are permitted to stay overnight in the park, which includes 2 1/2 miles of paths.