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Joshua Tree National Park quietly reopened over the weekend, allowing visitors to hike and book some campsites again after being closed for almost two months.
According to the National Parks website, park entrances, roads, parking lots, trails, most restrooms and individual campsites are now open to the public. However, visitor centers and group campsites remain closed. In addition, any campsite reservation made through recreation.gov have been canceled as well as all permits for special use activities through May 31.
Even in the reopened parts of the park, there are some important changes: Loop trails, such as Barker Dam and Hidden Valley, will be one-way only; Entrance stations are staffed, but workers aren't collecting entrance fees; And backcountry camping is open, but only small groups from the same household should use them. Right now, all open campsites are first-come, first-served until September 4, and campers must pay as normal at each campground.
If you're planning to visit the park, or any of the national parks currently open, remember to maintain 6 feet of distance between you and anyone outside of your household, avoid crowded areas, and bring hand sanitizer, a mask and other cleaning supplies. NPS warns that there are no hand sanitizing stations in the park and most restrooms have no running water. And drive slowly! Wildlife are more active due to the lack of human activity recently.
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