Ten months after the Palisades Fire ripped through almost every corner of Will Rogers State Park, the beloved ranch in the Pacific Palisades will once again begin welcoming visitors, starting on Saturday.
The deadly wildfire destroyed almost every structure on the ranch, burning down the historic ranch house and stables along with 30 other structures. Almost all 189 acres, 99.5% of the park unit, were touched by the Palisades Fire, according to Richard Fink, district superintendent of the Angeles District of California State Parks.
“We have a lot of loss here,” Fink said Friday, adding this team has been in recovery mode for the past 10 months. “We have been working to restore the park and make it safe for users again.”
As the United States Army Corps of Engineers established a debris removal site for the entire Pacific Palisades community, 110 million tons of debris, as well as 10,000 felled trees, were processed, Fink said.
As cleanup continues, only about half of the trails, including those around the popular Inspiration Loop, will be accessible to visitors. The polo field and the park’s main lawn will reopen as well.
“We welcome the dog walkers, the equestrian users, the picnic families, the hikers, people that are throwing around footballs, whatever you used the park for in the past, it’ll be available for you starting tomorrow,” Fink explained.
Youth soccer and lacrosse groups will start using the polo field for matches again, the park official said.
Fink added the polo field will be available for the new season, starting in April.
Park officials anticipate spending several years rebuilding the lost historic structures and preparing the park for future emergencies.