The City of Seattle has announced the closure of Seattle parks, athletic fields, boat ramps, public golf courses, beaches and specialty gardens as part of the City’s larger response to worsening air quality in the region from wildfire smoke.
The closures are effective immediately and extend through the weekend, with reopening times anticipated on Monday morning (9/14) unless air quality does not improve. (A reminder that many Seattle Parks facilities and amenities were already closed due to the pandemic.)
The closure includes:
- All parks
- Boat ramps
- Public Golf Courses
- Athletic fields
- Beaches
- Playgrounds
- The Japanese Garden, Arboretum and Kubota Garden
“The simultaneous public health threats caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and wildfire smoke force all of us to make difficult decisions to minimize harm to our most vulnerable communities,” said Mayor Durkan. “We know that indoor gathering – even with the proper precautions – increases a person’s likelihood of catching or spreading the virus. However, the threat of unhealthy air quality has become so great that we are taking additional actions as a City, including closing our parks and standing up an additional emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness.”
Please watch for updates on the Seattle Parks and Recreation Twitter and Facebook feeds, as well as this blog.