The Buxton Trestle on the Banks-Vernonia State Trail. Photo: Chas Hundley
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BANKS – As of 7 a.m. Monday, the Banks Vernonia State Trail is open to the public for the first time since it closed on March 23.
According to the city of Banks and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, the trail and trailheads will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Restrooms will also be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
While the trail is open, Stub Stewart State Park remains closed, so the trails that connect the Banks-Vernonia to Stub Stewart will not be open, according to OPRD.
“Be prepared to turn around if crowded. Bring your own water, food and hand sanitizer. Do not travel far to visit. Facilities may close without notice,” a listing for the trail on the Oregon Parks website read.
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“Please remember to practice social distancing,” the city of Banks said in an email.
While restrictions surrounding some state parks are loosening, the Oregon Department of Forestry took a different tack last weekend, issuing an order to close dispersed camping in state forests beginning Monday, May 11.
That temporary ban is expected to last several weeks.
It is not yet known when Stub Stewart State Park will open to day use.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Banks Post and sister news publications the Gales Creek Journal and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.