Yolo County Municipal Code Art. 2 General Rules and Restrictions

(a) The Yolo County Sheriff’s Office shall enforce the provisions of this chapter or any other local, state, or federal law or regulation within a park.

(b) The Director is authorized to enforce this chapter and to remove any person acting in violation of this chapter or any other provision of the Yolo County Code from parks or otherwise revoke their permission or permit to use such lands or facilities.

(c) The Yolo County Board of Supervisors additionally authorizes the Director, any Deputy Director with responsibility for parks, and any Park Authority to issue citations for misdemeanors or infractions committed within parks and within their presence pursuant to California Public Resources Code Section 5380.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)

With the exception of matters that constitute a misdemeanor or felony under California law, any person violating any provision of Chapters 1 to 2 of Title 9 shall be guilty of an infraction and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punishable as set forth in Section 25132 of the California Government Code.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)

Parks may be closed to the public or have public uses restricted during an emergency or for health, safety, maintenance, or management purposes in the sole Discretion of the Director.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)

Parks are open to the public for use during daylight hours, or as otherwise permitted, in accordance with this chapter. Generally, open space parks will be open during daylight hours, and community parks may be open until 9:00 p.m. The Director is authorized in their sole discretion to revise the hours during which any park and internal building, road, ground, or other facility is open to the public. Notice of the hours for each park shall be prominently posted at each public entrance, or in any other manner reasonably determined by the Director to afford notice to the public.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)

All persons entering a park must follow the park’s rules and regulations, the laws of the State of California, and all applicable provisions of this chapter and the Yolo County Code. While in the park, visitors must also follow the instructions of the Director and Park Authority and comply with any rules that are clearly posted.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)

No person shall:

(a) Dispose of bottles, broken glass, ashes, wastepaper, or other rubbish except in designated receptacles;

(b) Place garbage, including garbage generated outside the park, in receptacles not authorized for such use;

(c) Dispose of household waste, including appliances, on Park grounds or in park receptacles;

(d) Dump or abandon any other waste matter, including dirt, rocks, vegetation, or debris, in any park.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)

Each person shall keep campsites and picnic areas in an orderly and clean state, free from rubbish and litter of any kind at all times.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)

Other than designated camping areas, no person shall camp or park motor vehicles overnight within park without a permit.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)

No person shall damage, deface, paint, tamper with or remove any park property or facility, including buildings, signs, gates, fences, equipment, markers, trash receptacles, paving material, utilities, or water lines.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)

No person shall deposit any bodily waste within any park except in a public restroom. No person shall occupy or use any public restroom within any park for a period of time in excess of thirty minutes during any consecutive two-hour period.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)

No person shall erect any temporary or permanent obstruction, structure, monument, facility, physical improvement, encroachment or sign at or within any park. Any such item may be impounded or demolished by the Parks Division in accordance with County policy.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)

No person may abandon or leave unattended or without permission any personal property or device within any park for a period longer than twelve hours. Any property or device so abandoned or unattended may be impounded and disposed of in accordance with the law. The burial or other disposal of pet remains, including but not limited to ashes, is prohibited in County parks.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)

No person shall do any of the following within a park without a valid permit or other authorization:

(a) Sell, hawk, or peddle any food, goods, merchandise or services;

(b) Station or place any stand, cart or vehicle for display of food, goods, merchandise, or services;

(c) Distribute, circulate or post any handbill, pamphlet or other advertisement regarding sale of goods, merchandise or services;

(d) Conduct any commercial filming or photography or actively related to commercial filming or photography except by written permission from the Director;

(e) Conduct any activity of a commercial nature except by written permission from the Director or concessionaire agreement.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)

Fires shall be strictly prohibited in all parks except as follows:

(a) If specifically permitted, in a camp stove or fireplace provided in areas designated for such purposes.

(b) All campfires must be extinguished before leaving any park area.

(c) No fires shall be made during a red flag warning day as defined by the National Weather Service.

(d) In their sole discretion, the Director may restrict or prohibit fire use in parks where fires may otherwise be allowed. Each person in a park area shall comply with these restrictions.

(e) No person shall possess or use any fireworks or pyrotechnic device of any kind in any park area, except by valid permit issued by the Director.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)

For events and uses that will not damage park resources or otherwise cause any detriment, the Department may issue permits for special events and uses and may charge fees in connection with such matters. The Director may impose any conditions that are, in their sole discretion, reasonably necessary for the protection of the park or considerations of public health, safety, and welfare. Charges for permits shall be determined by adopted fee schedule, and may include admission fees, parking fees, facility use fees, and charges for expenses incurred by the Department, such as labor, equipment costs, overhead, etc. Permits are not transferable and may be revoked for failure to comply with any provision of the permit or applicable portions of these regulations. When issued, permits must be carried as directed at all times when using parks.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)

No person shall possess, use, carry, discharge or cause to be discharged any gun, firearm or weapon while within parks, including any air or gas weapon, spring gun, spear, bow and arrow, crossbow, sling shot, animal trap, knife with blade over five inches long, explosive or any other form of weapon potentially dangerous to wildlife or human safety except by valid permit issued by the Director. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any firearm or weapon onto or across parks from outside park boundaries. Authorized use of the archery range at Grasslands Regional Park is covered by a concessionaire agreement and, for so long as such agreement remains in effect, such use is not subject to the restrictions in this section.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)

(a) In accordance with Yolo County Code Chapter 12, except as authorized by Sections 10-12.103(b) and 10-12.104(b), no person shall operate a motor vehicle or off-highway vehicle on the beds of Cache Creek. Notice of this prohibition shall be posted at legal public access points to Cache Creek.

(b) No person shall operate a motor vehicle or off-highway vehicle within any park except to access public roads, internal roads established and maintained for public vehicular use, and parking.

(c) For the purpose of this section, emergency vehicles and County maintenance vehicles, battery-powered wheelchairs and other power-driven mobility devices being used by individuals with mobility disabilities are exempted, subject to limitations and regulations on their use in accordance with legitimate safety requirements.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)

(a) Park trails and roads may be used by any person possessing or operating a bicycle, including an electric bicycle, in the manner consistent with the posted designation. Unless specifically designated by a posted sign, motorcycles are prohibited on park trails and roads.

(b) The Director may temporarily prohibit the operation of any type of bicycle on any park trail or road.

(c) No person shall operate or possess a bicycle or electric bicycle within any park area except:

(1) For bicycles, on trails and roads designated for such use or with other similar signage or symbol;

(2) For electric bicycles, on trails and roads where appropriate signage allows for such use.

(d) No person shall operate or posses any type of bicycle in any park area in a manner that is:

(1) Negligent, unsafe, or reckless, or in any way that endangers any person or property;

(2) At a speed greater than 15 miles per hour;

(3) At a speed which is greater than is reasonable or prudent having due regard for weather, visibility, the traffic on, and the surface and width of, a road or bicycle trail or at a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property; or

(4) In violation of any applicable provision of the California Vehicle Code.

(e) Pursuant to California Vehicle Code Section 21212, persons under the age of 18 operating any type of bicycle, non-motorized scooter, or skateboard must wear an ANSI or other state-approved helmet for head protection in all parks.

(f) A person operating a bicycle, electric bicycle, non-motorized scooter, rollerblades, roller skates, skateboard, or other non-motorized device in a park area shall yield to all equestrians, pedestrians, and hikers. When approaching equestrians, pedestrians, or hikers from the rear, the person operating the bicycle, electric bicycle, non-motorized scooter, roller skates, rollerblades, skateboard, or other non-motorized device shall audibly warn of their presence and shall exercise due care when passing.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)

No person shall ride, lead, or leave standing any horse or animal-pulled cart or wagon on any trail or in any park other than in areas or on trails authorized for such use.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)

The recreational flying and operation of drones and other unmanned aircraft in County parks is allowed except where prohibited by a posted order at the entrance to a park or nearby parking or access point. Small drones less than 55 pounds can be flown recreationally when following 49 USC 44809, and is subject to California Civil Code Section 1708.8, and the Federal Aviation Administration rules and regulations. Commercial or other uses are not allowed except by written authorization or by permit by the Director. At no time shall pilots operate a drone that presents a nuisance to others or wildlife.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)

No person shall do any of the following within parks;

(a) Harass or otherwise disturb others;

(b) Be under the influence of intoxicating liquor or substances in such a condition that the individual is unable to exercise care for their own safety or the safety of others;

(c) Engage in disorderly conduct as outlined in Section 647 of the California Penal Code;

(d) Play any music or percussion instrument, television, radio, or bring or operate any sound amplifying equipment, loudspeaker, or microphone, except in accordance with a permit issued by the Director;

(e) Smoke, to include vapes and e-cigarettes.

(§ 2, Ord. 1581, eff. December 18, 2025)