St. Louis County parks and trails reopened Monday, but park-goers should follow social distancing and sanitary precautions. The parks closed April 3 to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“With warmer weather, our parks are becoming more and more crowded,” St. Louis County Parks director Tom Ott said in a news release. “During this health crisis, we can not allow large groups of people to be together in one place.”
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Along with the rest of the county, though, parks began to reopen Monday. This includes all 71 parks and over 144 miles of trails, according to the county’s Parks and Recreation website. Many loop trails will be one-way, but all other trails will remain the same. However, restrooms and other indoor facilities remained closed. As did sports courts, shelters, exercise stations, playgrounds, and skate parks, according to the website. Programs, events, activities, and rentals are canceled through at least May 31.
Public information coordinator Molly Olpen says people should stay at least six feet away from people who are not a part of their household, avoid gathering in large groups, and not come to the park if they are feeling sick. Visitors are not required to wear face masks, but they are encouraged.
“They’re free to walk their dog, hang out in the grass, but just make sure that they’re keeping social distancing,” she says. “We want people to be using common sense.”
These guidelines echo the CDC’s for visiting parks. Both the CDC and parks department also recommend getting outside, because it can help people stay healthy both mentally and physically.
“We want people to be enjoying green spaces, but also making sure they’re doing it responsibly,” Olpen says.
