One of Iowa's few federal parklands is now closed after Gov. Kim Reynolds implemented additional restrictions for the region in which it is located, according to park administrators.

Effigy Mounds National Monument, which is operated by the National Parks Service, is closed as of sunset on Saturday, April 18, 2020, until further notice.

to prohibit gatherings of any size in RMCC Region 6, which encompasses much of northeast Iowa including where the monument is located. The restrictions were put into place to help limit the spread of the novel coronavirus in the area.

The closure means that all trails and lands within the park are closed to visitors. National Parks Service staff will continue to patrol the area to ensure the closure is observed and to protect the culturally-unique burial mounds on the site.

“This decision is not made lightly,” Jim Nepstad, superintendent of the park, said, in a statement. “The trails at Effigy Mounds National Monument are narrow in places; it is extremely difficult for visitors to observe safe social distancing precautions while passing one another on the trails, particularly as they climb or descend the steep sections."

Reynolds' order continues for the area until the end of April. RMCC Region 6 includes Allamakee, Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Grundy, Howard, Jones, Linn, and Winneshiek counties.