Whiskeytown NRA Celebrates the Reopening of Brandy Creek

Following a 10-month closure at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area due to the Carr Fire, park officials today reopened the lake’s popular beach, Brandy Creek. The reopening of the beach area marks a significant milestone in the Carr Fire recovery for the beloved recreation areas surrounding Whiskeytown Lake.

Park officials celebrated the reopening with a ribbon cutting ceremony, but warned that the beach will no longer have lifeguards and recent storms have created significant debris in that area of the lake:

With the reopening, the park also was able to make an informal introduction of brand-new Superintendent Josh Hoines, who took the job in December during the seemingly insurmountable rebuild of the park:

Brandy Creek joins Oak Bottom Marina along with numerous trails in the southeast portion of the park that have reopened following the Carr Fire. Officials hope to continue to reopen portions of the park as repairs continue, including the hikes to the four majestic waterfalls of Whiskeytown.

The Carr Fire was one of the largest wildfires in California’s history, ultimately burning 39,000 of the 42,000 acres in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. The fire burned 229,651 acres in Shasta and Trinity Counties through Redding and Shasta Lake. The people affected by the fire, including the 1,077 homes that were destroyed, continue to rebuild.