OC Parks is initiating a new firewood policy designed to reduce the risk of damaging Orange County’s oak and sycamore woodlands and other trees from invasive pests.

Effective today, visitors to OC Parks’ two camping parks, Caspers Wilderness Park and O’Neill Regional Park, may no longer bring or burn outside firewood, unless it is commercially produced, heat treated and labeled “Pest Free” or “Safe to Move.” This is due to highly invasive and destructive non-native insects that could travel in firewood and decimate local tree populations.

Gold Spotted Oak Borer (GSOB), an invasive beetle that has killed thousands of oak trees in San Diego and Riverside counties in a short span of time, has now been detected in Orange County. The GSOB was discovered in approximately 60 trees on County park land in northern Orange County. Since GSOB is transported in oak firewood, it is critical that Californians keep firewood local and not move it out of the area.

Spring is here, and that means longer hours, warmer temperatures and more people – and wildlife – out in the parks.

• Parks open later: Spring-summer hours, during Daylight Saving Time, mean parks close at 9 p.m. or sunset.
• Wildlife sightings: Park rangers have reported increased sightings of snakes, including rattlesnakes. Be sure to keep yourself – and your dog, where permitted – on the trail and aware of your surroundings to avoid an encounter.
• Wildflowers: As of early April, only sparse blooms are reported. Take all the photos you want from the trail, but never pick wildflowers – leave them for others to enjoy and to spread their seeds for next season.
• Warmer temperatures: While it’s always important to be prepared, warmer weather makes essentials like water and sunscreen even more important.

The clocks spring forward early March 11, marking the beginning of daylight-saving time and OC Parks’ spring-summer operating schedule. Hours for most regional parks will be 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Please click the link for more details.

The OC Parks mobile application is now available to download. The new app makes it easy to explore all that the County regional and wilderness parks have to offer.

Using the OC Parks app for iOS or Android, you can easily get outside and find a park near you with the most detailed, accurate maps of all regional, wilderness, beach and historic parks and regional trails operated by the County of Orange. The app also offers detailed park descriptions and photos.

The mobile app lets users easily locate the closest playgrounds, parking and restrooms in each park. Search recent OC Parks news, events and alerts regarding park access, weather, trail conditions and more.