The city of Kent reopened trails Friday at parks within the Kent Parks, Recreation & Community Services system.
“Now, I want to be really clear about this – playground equipment, bathrooms and gathering spots are still closed,” Mayor Dana Ralph said in a statement. “However, if you can socially distance and want to take a walk on one of our fabulous Kent trails – you can do so effective immediately.”
The city had closed parks March 23 to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
“If you can safely socially distance you may walk or run in our parks and trails,” Ralph said. “However, if we see folks not observing those rules, using playground equipment or gathering in groups we will be forced to shut down trails along with the parks. Violating these rules can lead to stiff consequences under the governor’s order and we don’t want to get to that point. Please be a good neighbor and respect the rules so we can eliminate COVID-19 and get back to enjoying our lives in our new normal.”
The city of Kent Parks Department released the following details about using city parks and trails:
Park visitors are asked to use open spaces and trails responsibly: practice social distancing (6 feet from anyone), bring hand sanitizer, and take all belongings and trash home. Closed amenities include playgrounds, sports courts (tennis, basketball, pickleball, wiffle ball, etc.), athletic complexes, restrooms, dog parks, skate parks and picnic shelters, etc.
Most of these closed amenities are out in the open and cannot be fully secured or locked. Kent Parks is asking the public to honor this closure notice as part of the community’s collective response and individual responsibility to keep everyone safe. If it’s crowded and social distancing is difficult to maintain, please choose another trail or go to a different park.
Parks with large trails:
– Clark Lake Park
– Lake Fenwick
– Mill Creek Park
– 277th Trail
– Frager Road Trail
Regional trails within cityof Kent system:
– Green River Trail (owned/operated by City of Kent)
– Puget Power Trail (owned/operated by City of Kent)
Please note:
King County Parks and Trails, including Soos Creek, are still closed. Kent Parks is allowing access to large lawn spaces, paths in parks and larger trail systems within parks, as well as access to regional trail systems owned and operated by the City of Kent.
Find the list of city parks with trails on the city’s parks website by clicking here.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated from an earlier version.
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