Parks and trails to re-open, Friday, May 8

King County, Washington sent this bulletin at 05/05/2020 05:53 PM PDT

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Parks E-Newsletter  -  May 5, 2020

Parks and trails to re-open on Friday, May 8

Parks Marymoor runner morning

Morning jogger on the Marymoor Connector Trail

 

Some restrictions and closures will remain in place

Today, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced that King County's parks and trails will re-open on Friday, May 8th, with some restrictions.

Read the news release.

In addition to parks and regional and backcountry trails, parking lots and trailheads will be open, as well as fields, docks and boat launches, and the off-leash dog area at Marymoor Park.

Facilities such as restrooms, play areas, sports courts, and picnic shelters, will remain closed. The campground at Tolt-MacDonald Park remains closed, as does the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center, the Jim Ellis Preston Community Center, and the White Center Community Center.

Organized activities and programs, such as team sports and practices, race events, swimming lessons, volunteer work parties, and public gatherings remain suspended.

King County Parks’ decision follows the Governor’s recent announcement about the May 5th re-opening of state recreation lands. We are taking a phased approach to re-opening, which will depend on visitors practicing safe distancing and following public health guidelines. And we will continue to make informed decisions based upon the COVID-19 data and guidance from our public health experts.

We will update the status of our parks, trails, and other facilities on our COVID response page over on The Plog.

Visit our COVID page here.

Recreate Responsibly!

Parks Grand Ridge trail runners

Keep each other safe and help keep parks and trails open

As you venture out to enjoy Your Big Backyard, we urge you to recreate responsibly.

Here's what that looks like in our parks and on our trails:
  • Keep your distance. Recreate with those in your household. Give others plenty of room and communicate who will step aside on the trail (trail etiquette gives hikers coming uphill the right of way).
  • Stay local. Don’t stray too far from home when recreating and keep rural communities safe by minimizing stops and bringing all that you’ll need for your outing.
  • Keep it moving. Use parks and trails for walking, running, riding, rolling, and passing through.
  • Plan ahead. Be prepared to go somewhere else if your destination seems crowded. Add hand sanitizer and a mask or other face covering to your 10 Essentials.
  • Play it safe. Keep your activities within your comfort and skill level to reduce the risk of injury and adding to the strain on our health care and emergency services.
  • Leave no trace. Take any garbage with you, including disposable face masks and gloves. 
Parks SeeClickFix

Report issues on SeeClickFix

Although our employees have continued the essential work of caring for the parks, trails and open spaces of Your Big Backyard, we know that some areas may need attention.

Please use our reporting tool, SeeClickFix, and let us know if you see issues like fallen trees blocking trails, vandalism, or other things in need of some attention. You can also report any crowding or congested parking lots or other facilities.

Access SeeClickFix from your mobile phone or computer. You can report issues anonymously, or if you would like to be updated on the progress of your report, create a quick account. Once you have submitted your issue, we are notified and begin the resolution process.