Changes will take place for five of Missouri’s State Parks, beginning Thursday evening. The modifications, including the temporary closure of four of Missouri’s state parks and partial closure of one additional park. The changes begin at 5:00 pm Thursday, April 2nd and are scheduled to continue until April 30th.
These new measures will further implement the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Carol Comer says “We’re continuing to evaluate the situation and make adjustments to operations as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. As conditions and recommendations change, we will make additional closures as needed. Before heading out to a state park, we encourage our citizens to check mostateparks.com for advisory updates and the latest actions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The changes that begin Thursday at 5:00 pm include:
Castlewood State Park, Elephant Rocks State Park, Watkins Woolen Mill State Historic Site and Park and Weston Bend State Park will all close.
St. Joe State Park will close the off-road vehicle riding area.
Gates to individual parking lots may close at all state parks when the lot reaches capacity.
The Missouri DNR says they know the importance of physical activity, but had to make changes due to the overcrowding at several locations. They will continue to monitor and review the situation and make additional changes as needed.
If you are visiting any parks, make sure you plan ahead and bring the necessary supplies to sanitize the facilities and equipment you may use.
