Grappling with outdoor safety, state Parks says you might have to go elsewhere
You might have to go elsewhere if you’re headed this weekend to Lake Chelan and Lake Wenatchee, where visitors are being turned away over concerns about too many people in those state parks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since Friday, July 25, the day-use areas of those two popular spots in Chelan County have been closed to additional visitors when the parking lots become full, according to Anna Gill, spokesperson for the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, which manages over 120 state parks and properties totaling about 120,000 acres.
State Parks officials also are asking people to not park on local roads when parking lots are full.
Seven other state parks are seeing high numbers of visitors although those parking lots aren’t being closed, according to parks official. None of the state parks of concern are in Whatcom County.
“If the parking lots are full, the park is crowded and visitors should find another place to go. Crowding is a concern because it decreases everyone’s ability to social distance. When people begin parking outside park property, it makes it difficult to manage the number of people accessing the park,” Gill said to The Bellingham Herald.
Washington State Parks officials are reminding people to play responsibly.
“The safety of our staff and visitors is our top priority,” State Parks Director Don Hoch said in a news release. “We need to be able to offer access to the outdoors without putting people at risk.”
Recreate responsibly guidelines include staying local, check what’s open before you go, staying home if you have symptoms of the respiratory illness, avoiding crowds, staying at least 6 feet away from others who aren’t in your household, and preparations that include having a mask in case you need it.
There are 124 developed state parks in Washington, officials said, adding that if one is crowded, there is probably another one that isn’t far away.
Concern about too many visitors isn’t just for State Parks. People heading to parks with water-access during hot summer days seems to be a common theme.
In Bellingham, the city’s park officials are worried about people crowding into some of its bigger green spaces — all near water — on hot days to cool off without following social distancing and mask-wearing guidelines. Bloedel Donovan Park is of particular concern, although efforts to remind people to recreate responsibly also are being done at Boulevard and Lake Padden parks.
In addition to Lake Chelan and Lake Wenatchee, other too-busy state parks and their locations are:
▪ Beacon Rock State Park, Skamania County.
▪ Kanaskat-Palmer State Park, King County.
▪ Millersylvania State Park, Thurston County.
▪ Palouse Falls State Park, Franklin County.
▪ Riverside State Park, Spokane County.
▪ Twanoh State Park, Mason County.
▪ Wallace Falls State Park, Snohomish County. The park has a webcam focused on the parking lot that visitors can check before they head out.
“All of the (state) parks listed in the release do have swimming access, with the exception of Palouse Falls,” Gill said. “However, we are seeing high visitation across our park system, and don’t think the crowding issue is limited to parks with water access. Water access is certainly a draw during warm weather,” Gill said.
She added: “A note about Palouse Falls, access to the plunge pool is very dangerous, so is the pool itself. We want visitors to avoid going outside the designated trail and viewing area.”
As for Whatcom County, state parks here are busy, “but no more than normal summer visitation,” Gill said.
Those state parks are Larrabee, Birch Bay and Peace Arch.
Isn’t a normal number of summer visitors a concern these days?
“The governor, along with public health officials have deemed outdoor recreation — when following their prescribed guidelines — is a suitable option for the public during the pandemic,” Gill said.
“We become concerned more when parks become over-crowded, as described in our news release, i.e. parking lots fill and people begin parking outside park property to access the park. We have not seen that in Whatcom County this summer,” she said.
