There is plenty of terrain for mountain bikers and hikers to cover in San Diego but one area near Miramar is off limits and the military wants to make it known.
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar has posted a signs along the paths of Rose Canyon warning mountain bikers and hikers to stay off federal land. Base officials say they have seen in an increase in trespassers, which can interrupt military training.
Lieutenant Colonel G. Scott Rooker and his fellow officers are tasked with patrolling the area for bikers and hikers in the intricate web of trails formed over the years.
Rooker says since 2016, they’ve been educating and ticketing people but during the pandemic, there have been more trespassers.
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The first time trespassers are caught it’s a, “casual conversation,” but the second or third time, they could lose their bike or face a federal misdemeanor, Rooker says.
“We want to make sure that people understand this is not where you’re supposed to be. It’s not necessarily we just want to catch people,” Rooker told NBC 7.
He says they don’t want to get people in trouble, but rules are rules and they want to remind the public to follow them. So until then, they'll be out on their ATV’s hoping not to run into anyone.
