Tennessee State Parks will reopen most of its 56 state parks on Friday, April 24th, for day-use only.
The state parks department transitioned to day-use schedules on March 26th in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus. The new schedule was to be in place until April 10th and was extended on April 14th. All public gathering spaces such as visitor centers, shelters, playgrounds, cabins, lodges and campgrounds were closed. Officials later completely closed all state parks through April 24th.
It wasn’t clear Monday, however, whether the re-opening of the parks included Shelby County’s Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park. Details on individual parks won’t be available until sometime later this week.
“We are eager to serve once again but we urge Tennesseans to continue to practice physical distancing when visiting parks,” said Jim Bryson, deputy commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). “We have implemented policies designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and we will monitor all aspects of the issue to ensure safety among visitors and our staff.”
After the opening, all facilities and public gatherings places (including pavilions, playgrounds, and campgrounds) will remain closed.
