The U-S Forest Service is responding to Governor Gavin Newsom's latest COVID-19 stay-at-home order by halting overnight camping in developed campgrounds on four additional National Forests in California. Now, that the Sacramento Region is being added to the governor's order, campgrounds will now be closed on the Eldorado National Forest, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Plumas National Forest, and the Tahoe National Forest. The closures will be in effect from December 11, 2020, through January 6, 2021.
There are now 12 National Forests that have closed their developed campgrounds to be consistent with Governor Newsom's orders. The previous eight National Forests are in California's Southern and San Joaquin zones, including Angeles, Cleveland, Inyo, Los Padres, San Bernardino, Sequoia, Sierra, and Stanislaus national forests.
A spokesman for U-S Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Region said the goal is to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus and reduce stress on limited healthcare facilities. "Campgrounds, like other overnight accommodations, create opportunities for people from differing households and communities to gather, require maintenance and regular cleaning, and entice the public to travel distances far enough from home to necessitate overnight accommodation," said Regional Forester Randy Moore. "Taking those things out of the equation is a prudent measure at this time."
Even though overnight camping isn't allowed, for the time being, you'll still be able to access all 12 forests for day uses like hiking.