County Shuts Down Eaton Canyon Hiking Trails

County officials closed down Eaton Canyon hiking trails on Sunday after too many hikers showed up, causing neighborhood parking problems and ignoring social distancing rules.

“Eaton Canyon Natural Areas & Trails are closed for the rest of today & Memorial Day, May 25, due to overwhelming crowds that were not following the COVID-19 public health requirements. No walk-ins” the Los Angeles County Parks & Recreation tweeted on Sunday.

The closure includes the natural trails, nature center and all gates.

Although trails were open earlier, parking lots remained shut down, causing many hikers to park in surrounding neighborhoods, upsetting local residents. Many felt the parking issues were making traffic on local streets dangerous to pedestrians and other drivers.

Trails were shut down in March after hikers refused to follow social distancing guidelines. It is not known what county officials will do after Memorial Day.