Parks are open this weekend. And we have some new guidelines to help us stay safe when using these public spaces, from now until whenever the Stay at Home order ends.
First, we are all being asked to continue to stay home, except to go outside nearby for stress relief and exercise. And Governor Inslee and Mayor Durkan agree: if your “outside” is near or in a park, you must keep it moving to help prevent crowding.
New Steps Implemented in Parks
While individuals should continue to visit the parks in their neighborhood, Seattle Parks and Recreation has implemented the following steps ahead of the weekend at the largest parks:
- Deployment of 60 Social Distancing Ambassadors. Parks Ambassadors began last weekend and will be at all major parks to remind people to social distance and not gather. These ambassadors will take hourly data on usage and parks will be closed if usage is too high.
- Installation of hundreds of new signs reminding the public of the Keep It Moving expectation
- All basketball courts, athletic fields, and tennis courts will be closed for use.
- New Reporting for Lack of Social Distancing: The public can report any lack of social distancing to Seattle Parks and Recreation through social media, calling (206) 684-4075, or emailing pks_info@seattle.gov.
Four Parks with Major Changes
In addition, the following four parks will have significant changes to operation to keep people moving and distant:
Green Lake
- Loop trail open to pedestrian use only—map here
- Walking/running loop will be one way only (shorter accessible loop–Options 1 & 2 Option 3
- Parking lot remains closed
Seward Park
- Loop trail open to pedestrian use only
- Parking lot remains closed
Alki Beach
- Parking lots at Seacrest and Don Armeni remain closed
- Fire pits and picnic shelters are closed
- No beach activities
Golden Gardens
- Parking lots remain closed
- Fire pits are closed
We will continue to update you on this blog about closures and changes. Thanks for helping to combat the coronavirus and keep parks open!