Easter crowds force temporary closure of Griffith Park

Authorities closed Griffith Park for nearly an hour Sunday afternoon due to holiday crowds. Officials were forced to turn people away, a parks official said. The park reopened at close to 5 p.m.

The park was closed once it appeared that parking lots had become 75% full, the official said.

The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens in the northeast section of the park remained open during the closure. The zoo said visitors with tickets were allowed to enter the park on Zoo Drive.

The closure of Griffith Park is becoming an Easter tradition. It seems that every year, throngs of people celebrate Easter at the park and force it to temporarily close, the official told The Times. Griffith Park typically limits parking capacity during the holiday to 75% to reduce overcrowding; the temporary closure was unrelated to the public health measures implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s nothing new,” the official said.

Some parts of the park have been closed for months in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus. As of Sunday, the Griffith Observatory, Bronson Canyon Caves, Travel Town Museum and the Griffith Parkline shuttle service remained closed under those restrictions, according to the Griffith Park website.