Oregon will begin to reopen some state parks May 6, more expected to follow

The Cove Palisades

The Tam-a-l‡u Trail gives a great view of Lake Billy Chinook at The Cove Palisades State Park in central Oregon. The lake is the meeting point of the Deschutes, Crooked and Metolius Rivers, flooded in 1964 by the Round Butte Dam. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

UPDATE: This post has been updated with the announcement six additional open park sites.

Oregonians are about to get more access to the outdoors, more than a month after parks and trails closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced Tuesday that the state will begin to allow outdoor recreation areas to reopen this week, including select state parks, outdoor recreation facilities and all ski resorts.

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department followed up shortly after the governor’s office with an announcement that eight state park sites will partially or completely reopen to the public May 6, including popular park sites like Tryon Creek, Willamette Mission, The Cove Palisades, Pilot Butte and Prineville Reservoir.

An additional six park sites in eastern and southern Oregon were announced Thursday, including the boat ramp at Wallowa Lake and nearby hiking trails at Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Area.

Limited day use will slowly return to other state parks starting the week of May 11, the parks department said, depending on the readiness of local communities and how prepared each park is with staff, supplies and equipment.

All recreation areas in the Columbia River Gorge will remain closed for the time being, along with coastal areas “that are not yet ready to welcome visitors back,” Gov. Brown said.

Officials warned that state parks may open and close with little notice. Updates will be posted online at oregonstateparks.org. Not all restrooms will be open, and parking may be limited, the parks department said.

Campgrounds at Oregon state parks will remain closed, with no anticipated date of reopening, officials said. The parks department previously announced that all reservations through at least May 25 have been canceled.

“Enjoying Oregon’s beauty and bounty is one of our state’s time-honored traditions,” Gov. Brown said in the announcement. “As we begin to slowly open up recreation sites, state parks, and ski area opportunities, it is critical we ensure the health and safety of staff, volunteers, and the public. And that begins with each of us taking personal responsibility to be a steward of our parks, and each other.”

People who decide to visit state parks are encouraged to take precautions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Officials said visitors should wear face masks and bring their own hand sanitizer, soap, water and toilet paper, in case restrooms aren’t open.

People are also asked to keep six feet of social distance while out at park sites, and to leave one space between their car and the car next to them. Visitors are asked to recreate only with those in their household, and not venture more than 50 miles from their home.

“We know these last six weeks has seemed longer, but your health is important to us,” said Lisa Sumption, director of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. “It is true outdoor recreation boosts our mental and physical health, but parks concentrate people in a community, and we have to do this carefully if it’s going to work.”

Gov. Brown’s stay-home order issued March 23 banned camping and closed playgrounds statewide, while allowing local jurisdictions to make their own decisions regarding closing park sites. Most land management agencies in Oregon opted for widespread closures, including the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and the U.S. Forest Service.

The U.S. Forest Service said it will now begin looking at reopening the trailheads, boat ramps and day use areas that have been closed since late March, though forest officials cautioned there is no timeline and sites won’t reopen all at once.

“Nothing changes overnight, but we are going to begin the process of reopening our developed recreation areas,” Catherine Caruso, a regional spokeswoman for the forest service, said. “We know everyone’s really eager for that information, and that eagerness is one reason we need to be really careful and methodical about deciding which sites we can reopen and when.”

Each national forest in Oregon will be making its own decisions about individual recreation sites, Caruso said, meaning some areas will most likely reopen while others remain closed.

Here’s the full list of Oregon state park sites set to reopen May 6:

  • Tryon Creek in Portland
  • Willamette Mission north of Keizer
  • Mongold boat ramp at Detroit Lake
  • State Capitol State Park in Salem
  • The Cove Palisades boat ramp at Lake Billy Chinook near Culver
  • Prineville Reservoir boat ramp near Prineville
  • Joseph Stewart boat ramp on Lost Creek Lake near Shady Cove
  • Pilot Butte to pedestrians (no vehicles) in Bend

--Jamie Hale; jhale@oregonian.com; 503-294-4077; @HaleJamesB

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