CHICO, Calif. —Several Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) public campgrounds in Plumas County are opening today after delays caused winter storms, which damaged facilities, roads and trees.
PG&E’s Rocky Point Campground near Canyon Dam opened in time for Memorial Day weekend, but one of the three campsite loops will remain closed due to a large dead tree hazard. The tree contains a nesting osprey – a protected species – and cannot be removed until after nesting season. The loop is expected to open sometime in August after the tree can be safely removed.
The Last Chance Campground north of Chester opens today.
Several PG&E day-use areas with picnic tables and other amenities along the south shore of Lake Almanor are open.
At PG&E’s Butt Valley Reservoir, the Ponderosa Flat Campground is partially open but the Cool Springs Campground is closed at least through June 30 due to storm damage. Also, the Butt-Gasner Road (U.S. Forest Service Road 27N26 and 27N26d) between Caribou and Butt Valley Reservoir has been closed since winter due to landslides.
The Yellow Creek Campground in Humbug Valley has no open date at this time due to badly damaged roads.
At Bucks Lake, opening dates for PG&E’s Haskins Valley and Grizzly Forebay campgrounds have not been set. These campgrounds are still covered in snow and will be evaluated for repairs once the snow has melted. Motorists are advised that the route from Oroville to Bucks Lake on the Oroville-Quincy Highway is closed due to a landslide.
Public access to Grizzly Forebay Recreation Area is not possible along U.S. Forest Service Route 24N36 (also known as Grizzly-Big Creek Road) as the road has a major washout. The public is advised to use USFS Route 24N34 (Bucks Penstock Road) from Bucks Lake Dam. There is no estimate on repair of Grizzly-Big Creek Road.
PG&E is working with its campground hosts, the county, and the U.S. Forest Service to reopen roads and open more campsites, as soon as it is safe to do so.
For reservations at group and individual campsites and for PG&E campground status throughout much of Northern and Central California, visit www.pge.com/recreation.
PG&E Campground Information
PG&E maintains campgrounds and recreational facilities for public use surrounding its vast hydroelectric system reservoirs. Throughout Northern and Central California, PG&E offers dozens of lakes for boating, fishing and swimming, as well as campgrounds, hiking trails and more for the public’s enjoyment.
Campers and day-hikers can go online and reserve sites at dozens of PG&E campgrounds located at reservoirs from the Pit River in Shasta County to Kings River region in the southern Sierra Nevada mountain range.
All campgrounds also have some first-come, first-served sites except for group-only campgrounds.
There are also many day-use areas and trails, such as the Pecho Coast Trail and Point Buchon Trail near the ocean in San Luis Obispo County.
Reservations are generally available Memorial Day through Labor Day. The 2017 season is starting later than previous seasons at some locations due to heavy snowfall and other weather conditions. There is a minimum two-night stay at reserved campgrounds and a consecutive 14-night limit for camping.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/ and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.
