King County parks, trails reopen with some restrictions

KING COUNTY, Wash. — King County's parks and trails reopened Friday with some restrictions.

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

“High-touch” facilities such as restrooms, play areas, sports courts and picnic shelters will remain closed.

KIRO 7 saw a family of four at Marymoor park playing baseball.

“It’s great to be out here finally,” said Patrick Gonzales, who was at the park Friday. “We’ve really been craving that."

That is allowed — athletic fields are open for what’s called “drop-in use.”

“Drop-in use is intended for families to kick the ball around, throw a frisbee around,” said Doug Hodson, deputy director for King County Parks and Recreation.

But KIRO 7 also saw a group of about six friends playing soccer. The group said they were trying to socially distance, but Hodson says that’s actually not allowed.

“It’s not intended for a pickup game or any sort of organized activities,” he said.

Park ambassadors and King County sheriff’s deputies will be monitoring sites this weekend from an educational standpoint to let people know when they are nowt following Public Health guidelines.

Parks and Recreation stated it wants people to get outside and keep their outdoor space open; but if it sees patterns of irresponsible use, it will have to take action.

“We’ll have to reassess what’s open and potentially close some of the facilities,” Hodson said.

King County says you can report crowds and any maintenance issues on this website: https://seeclickfix.com/king-county

You can learn more about what’s open on this King County page. https://kingcountyparks.org/covid/#openlist

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Park officials suggest that people keep moving and use parks and trails for walking, running, riding, rolling, and passing through.

They say visitors should still practice social distancing and are asked not to gather or play team sports or pick-up games on the fields. Those using King County facilities should engage in activities with those in their households and give others plenty of room on trails.

“Outdoor recreation is a great idea, but we absolutely need to continue to take precautions to prevent bringing COVID-19 back home with us. Everyone must practice safe distancing and good hand hygiene whether indoors or out because lives depend on it,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for Public Health - Seattle & King County.

“Where parks and trails are experiencing overcrowding and where safe distancing is not occurring, we will need to recommend reclosing those facilities to prevent the spread of infection,” he said.

The campground at Tolt-MacDonald Park, the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center, the Jim Ellis Preston Community Center and the White Center Community Center remain closed.

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

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