BY MIKE STEVENS
SUMMIT VALLEY— Silverwood Lake remains closed due to damage caused by the Lake Fire, and at press time there was on indiation of when the area might reopen. The fire destroyed a restroom near Parking Lot 4, and also resulted in the closure of SR 138 and Old Mill Road. The fire started on June 28 and burned 489 acres Lake staffers escorted campers and other visitors to their campsites to retrieve their vehicles and personal belongings on June 29.
The estimated date to reopen was July 7, but before noon officials at Silverwood Lake State Recreation area released the following statement: Silverwood Lake SRA remains closed to all visitors and campers due to the continued closure of SR-138. The closure prevents access to the park’s only entrance. Silverwood Lake SRA will provide updates as we obtain them. All camping reservations will be automatically cancelled until the park reopens and full refunds will be automatically issued.
The lake did not reopen on July 7, and on July 9 they followed up with this statement: Due to the ongoing closure of Highway 138 caused by the #LakeFire, Silverwood Lake SRA is currently inaccessible and will remain temporarily closed until the road reopens. Caltrans is actively working on repairing sections of Hwy 138. If you have a camping reservation in July, please monitor your email carefully. Cancellations will be made on a rolling basis, depending on the status of Highway 138. Unfortunately, all access to the park is blocked until the road reopens. The park will reopen as soon as Hwy 138 reopens to the public. For updates on the Hwy closure, follow Caltrans District 8.
Western Outdoor News will be monitoring the situation at Silverwood Lake, but for now, visitors are advised to avoid making plans to visit the area until access is officially opened back up.
