NPS / Matt Turner

Staying Safe in Parks and Recreating Responsibly

The CDC has noted that being physically active is one of the best ways to keep the mind and body healthy. In many areas, people can visit parks, trails, and open spaces as a way to relieve stress, get some fresh air and vitamin D, stay active, and safely connect with members of their household. Visitors should always research the park they want to visit in advance to ensure an enjoyable and safe experience. Park rangers are on duty to uphold normal rules and regulations and assist visitors as needed.



We ask the public to be our partner in adopting social distancing practices when visiting parks. Whether seeking wide-open spaces or exploring a historic urban neighborhood, the NPS encourages visitors to follow CDC guidance to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and recreate responsibly.

Protecting Our Employees

The NPS issues protective equipment to employees performing critical functions like visitor and resource protection, EMS, and facility maintenance, among others. Following CDC guidance, park staff are cleaning and maintaining facilities to safeguard employee and public health and safety. We continue to follow the latest CDC guidance for risk assessment, disease prevention, and protection of public spaces and workplaces.



We continue to track confirmed employee cases of COVID-19 and recovery. However, we will only provide public information where an employee presented an exposure risk for the public based on CDC guidance. In addition, where employees may have exposed any of their colleagues, the NPS Office of Public Health will work with local authorities and the impacted employees to follow proper public health procedures to keep one another safe.