California State Parks invites Californians and visitors from around the world to kick off Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer, safely and responsibly. 

With California’s diverse landscape, State Parks offers a wide variety of activities for adventurers of any skill level, from swimming, hiking, camping, boating to off-highway vehicle recreation. 

The Golden State’s 280 parks have something for everyone wanting to escape the hustle and bustle for some fun and relaxation in nature. 

Two of those parks — Clear Lake State Park and Anderson Marsh State Historic Park — are located entirely within Lake County.

State Parks is honoring the service of veterans, and active and reserve military members, by offering free admission to 142 participating state park units on Memorial Day – May 26. Clear Lake State Park and Anderson Marsh State Historic Park are both participating in that event.

The list of participating park units can be found here.

As you head out to your favorite destination, following simple safety precautions such as wearing a properly fitted life jacket or proper riding gear, avoiding alcohol, and knowing one’s limits while engaged in aquatic activities, can help save lives and ensure a memorable outing.

To help ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend for all, State Parks reminds visitors of the following tips.

Plan ahead

Know before you go: Check parks.ca.gov for conditions, hours and local guidelines. 

Check the weather: Dress appropriately, stay hydrated and use sun protection. 

Prepare an Itinerary: No matter what type of recreational activity you are planning, leave an itinerary of your trip with a family member or friend with information such as the names and ages of all participants, your travel destination, and your expected return date. This will provide law enforcement personnel with essential information if an emergency response may be needed. 

Learn the rules of recreating in boats and OHVs: There are laws specific to operating OHVs on public lands and boats on California’s waterways. For boating laws, please visit BoatCalifornia.com. OHV regulations are also available to review online. 

Be Water-Wise 

Wear a life jacket: Water-related accidents can happen suddenly and rapidly. If you are going in or near the water, make sure you and everyone with you, especially children, wear properly fitting, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets. Wearing a life jacket is the best way to increase your chances of survival during an incident. View locations where public agencies and private organizations offer to loan life jackets to the public. 

Supervise children: Appoint a designated “water watcher,” taking turns with other adults. Never assume someone is watching your children. 

Know your limits: Swimming in a lake, ocean or river is different from swimming in a pool. Waves, tides, strong rip currents and other water hazards can appear quickly and provide little time to act. 

In an emergency: Seek help from a lifeguard or call 911. 

Ocean rip currents: If you get caught in a rip current, stay calm and do not fight the current. Swim or float parallel to the shore until you are out of the current and then swim toward the shore. 

Avoid alcohol 

Operating a recreational vehicle, including a boat or an off-highway vehicle (OHV), with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or more is against the law. Impaired boaters can be arrested even with a lower BAC if the conditions are not safe and your boat can be impounded.  

Some parks do have alcohol bans. Check each specific park website to determine if there are local ordinances concerning alcohol. 

Practice fire safety 

Build an open campfire. Select a clear area away from fuels such as logs, brush or decaying leaves and needles. 

Never leave a fire unattended and fully extinguish it before leaving. Keep water and a shovel nearby. 

Do not build the fire larger than necessary. 

Respect the land and leave no trace 

Pack it in, pack it out. Leave no trace behind by bringing a trash bag. Put food waste, napkins, single-use food wrappers, and other waste in the bags until it can be properly disposed of. For human waste, the use of waste alleviation gel bags or other portable toilet options is recommended. 

Please haul back large broken items, such as pop-up canopies, beach chairs, and coolers, and dispose of them properly at a local garbage site. Leaving these items on the beach or park or ‘near’ a trash bin can be considered illegal dumping.

Enhance your park experience  

Download the what3words and OuterSpatial apps to help ensure safety and stay up to date on park happenings.  

what3words: Visitors can now use the what3words tool, an innovative location technology app, that provides users with a simple way to communicate precise locations in emergency situations or provide directions to family and friends in any of the 280 state parks. what3words allows dispatchers with state-of-the-art technology to assist visitors in the event they become lost, stranded or who otherwise need help from emergency services.  

OuterSpatial: Experience a safer outdoor adventure with the OuterSpatial app — your ultimate guide to California State Parks. Navigate through a user-friendly interactive map, receive accurate directions, and stay updated in real-time for secure park exploration. 

With 280 state parks encompassing over 340 miles of coastline, 970 miles of lake and river frontage, and 5,200 miles of trails, California offers something for everyone, and these public lands belong to us all. Let’s work together to keep them clean, safe, and accessible. 

You can find additional safety tips and information on backpacking, biking, camping, horseback trails, and laws at parks.ca.gov/SafetyTips. To find a state park near you, visit parks.ca.gov.