Update: Forest areas closed after Station Fire to reopen this weekend

This article has been updated.

Nature enthusiasts will have something to celebrate Memorial Day weekend, as Angeles National Forest officials will open parts of the Big Tujunga watershed closed after the Station Fire devastated the area in 2009.

On Wednesday, U.S. Forest Service officials said they hope to get final approval of the plan on Thursday.

Sites open again to the public include the Stone Canyon Trail, Trail Canyon Trail and the Delta Flat recreation areas. The reopening is the result of a recovery strategy that brings volunteers and Forest Service workers together to remove invasive plants, help plant trees and restore trails.

Steve Messer, a Forest Service volunteer and off-road bicyclist, welcomed the news at an Angeles National Forest meeting Wednesday.

“Reopening is definitely the most significant news for the forest visitor,” Messer said. “And if it does open up I’ll be riding up to Condor Peak on Saturday.”

-- Beige Luciano-Adams