In anticipation of another potentially large poppy bloom that could attract throngs of people, officials in Lake Elsinore announced they will be closing Walker Canyon to the public as a preemptive safety measure.
The closures, which will last until the poppies are gone, include trails on both public and private land, including access to Walker Canyon at Lake Street. Parking in and around the canyon will also be banned.
“While typically the City of Lake Elsinore welcomes visitors to enjoy our vibrant community and boost our economy, the overwhelming number and unfortunate behavior of our visitors to Walker Canyon in 2019 came at a cost that was way too steep for our residents and our wildlife,” Johnson said.Sign up for NBC LA newsletters.
Johnson noted that tens of thousands of people – as many as 100,000 in a weekend – made their way to the canyon that year. Not only did those people damage the wildlife they were there to see, she said, but they also jammed the 15 Freeway and pulled over to the side of the highway to see the poppies, posing a risk to themselves and others.
“Unfortunately, the area around Walker Canyon is not suitable for heavy traffic,” Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said. “The roadways are small, they are heavily traversed, and there is no room for parking.” The 2019 bloom also saw people showing up unprepared for challenging hikes, which led to injuries and multiple rescues, according to Johnson. Meanwhile, the traffic congestion meant medical personnel were having trouble responding to emergencies within the communities, she said.
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