East Bay Regional Parks Open Labor Day Weekend —With Restrictions

EAST BAY, CA — Labor Day Weekend is typically one of the busiest times of the year for the East Bay Regional Park District, but activities in the parks will look very different this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. No swimming, barbecuing, boating or camping are allowed.

All EBRPD shoreline parks are open and, as with most years, are expected to be crowded so the Park District advises planning accordingly. Most parking lots are expected to reach capacity early in the day.

And with excessive heat and poor air quality from wildfire smoke anticipated, the Park District encourages the public to visit parks early and not plan for an extended stay.

Some parks are currently closed because of impacts from the recent wildfires and COVID-19. However, no additional park closures are planned for Labor Day Weekend.

Here are traditional activities prohibited this year within regional parks:

• Picnicking at picnic tables, barbecuing or gatherings are not allowed (Individual and group picnic areas are closed)
• Swimming, boating, and camping are not allowed (Swimming, water facilities, and campgrounds are closed)
• Dogs off-leash prohibited (Dogs must be kept on-leash at all times, except at Point Isabel Regional Shoreline)

Visitors must also follow all social distancing guidelines from local health agencies, according to Dave Mason, spokesman for the Park District. In particular, visitors should make sure they bring a mask or face covering to parks and wear it when within 6 feet of others.

The Park District is staffing up for the holiday weekend, as it typically does, to help ensure parks and people are safe. This includes park rangers, firefighters and police officers.

"Parks are essential, now more than ever, as the public looks for respite from COVID-19," Mason said. "However, the increased number of visitors in parks does create additional challenges."

Littering and trash in parks have become a problem, with park staff simply unable to keep up with removal, especially on weekends, Mason said.

"We ask the public to help by taking care of their parks," Mason said. "Visitors are responsible for their own garbage and should dispose of it by depositing it in a nearby garbage can or taking it home if cans are full. Placing trash on the ground is littering and not helpful as is slows down the trash removal process, leading to less trash being picked up."

Lastly, here's a message from the Park District about this weekend's high fire danger: Ebparks.org/fire-warning.