California State Parks announced today that all previously closed areas of Lake Perris State Recreation Area (Lake Perris) that were impacted by the construction at Perris Dam has reopened on April 28. Visitors were once again able to enjoy Bernasconi Beach and the multi-use trail at the dam.
Located about 65 miles south of Los Angeles and 11 miles southeast of Riverside, Lake Perris is ringed by various hills and small mountains. The 8,800 acres of broad valley are bound on three sides by low ridges. The Bernasconi Hills and the Russell, Apuma, and Armada mountains obscure the view of nearby cities and allows visitors to recreate with various activities such as camping, horseback riding, water sports and rock climbing. The popular Bernasconi Beach is home to the “Big Rock” climbing area, which draws hundreds of rock climbing enthusiast, and a boating day use area. The top of the dam also features a 2.2 mile paved multi-use trail that accommodates hikers, bikers and equestrians.
Retrofits to Perris Dam began in 2005 by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to improve seismic stability and enhance public safety at the Perris complex. In 2005, Lake Perris’ water level was lowered 25 feet to ensure public safety while the state identified the seismic risk and developed a plan to address the dam’s seismic stability deficiencies. The project closed several popular areas of the park, including the Bernasconi Beach entrance and the dam.
During construction, a haul road was created to transport heavy equipment from a rock quarry to the construction site. This road now serves as a connection point from a previously blocked section of the park. This multi-use trail allows visitors to travel the entire 9-mile circumference of Lake Perris.
To celebrate the trail connection, California State Parks and the city of Perris were offering two guided bike rides on April 28. There was no fee to be a part of the bike tour. The shorter bike ride (easy 6 mile) began at 4:15 p.m. and the longer ride (moderate 9 mile) began at 4:30 p.m.