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UPDATE on Sunday, March 22

In an unprecedented move, Oregon will close all of its state parks and campgrounds beginning Monday due to concerns of the coronavirus pandemic.

Full story:All Oregon state parks closing March 23 amid coronavirus pandemic

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ORIGINAL STORY

Oregon is closing campgrounds across the state in an effort to halt the spread of COVID-19.

The three state agencies that offer camping will gradually shut down all campgrounds while allowing a grace period for people currently camping or that already had reservations at Oregon's 50 state parks through April 2.

All beaches, trails, roads and parks remain open for day-use.

“The overarching message is that camping is closing, so if you are at home in Oregon and wanted to come camping, change your plans,” Oregon Parks and Recreation Department spokesman Chris Havel said. “We are honoring reservations already made until April 2 so that we don’t have a flood of people arriving that suddenly have no place to go.”

In other words, camping will be closing down. But to help reduce chaos near Oregon’s 50 state park campgrounds, and not dump people in local communities, they’re offering a small window, Havel said.

After April 2, all state campgrounds will be completely closed. That decision remains in place until May 8.

In addition to state parks, campgrounds in Clatsop, Santiam, and Tillamook state forests will close March 23. Also, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is closing its wildlife areas to overnight camping effective March 22.

What about campgrounds on federal land, including U.S. Forest Service and BLM?

Campgrounds on federal lands, including those run by the U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management, may remain open in some cases, while others are closing.

All campgrounds on BLM lands in Oregon remain open.

On Forest Service lands, six campgrounds near Sand Lake and the Oregon Dunes were closed on Wednesday while most ranger stations and a number of gathering places, including Terwiliger Hot Springs and snow shelters, have been closed.

"We're evaluating all campgrounds across Oregon and Washington," U.S. Forest Service spokesman Jon McMillan said. "We have a number that are not yet open because of the early season. At the rest, we're looking at whether the campground can provide enough social distance and cleanliness for our employees and the public."

Many Forest Service ranger stations are either closed or limited as well.

Willamette National Forest closed the following places:

• Terwilliger Hot Springs (pools are being drained)

• Fish Lake Rental Cabins

• Warner Mountain Lookout (rental)

• Maiden Peak, McCoy, and Mountain View Snow Shelters

• Gold Lake Sno-Park Warming Hut

Crater Lake entry free but visitor's center closed

At Oregon's national park sites, including Crater Lake and the John Day Fossil Beds, the main visitor's centers are closed but trails and snowshoe routes remain open, weather-permitting. Crater Lake has also waived entrance fees.

Why did Oregon close campgrounds?

Earlier this week, Oregon state parks officials said they would make an effort to keep campgrounds open.

But that changed as the week progressed, Havel said, as the scale of the challenge became apparent.

"The direct reason is that state park campgrounds tend to be compact — there's a lot of people in a small area and that makes maintaining social distance difficult," Havel said. "We realized state parks would have to be managed and cleaned to a really high standard to prevent transmission of the virus. We felt we couldn't meet that standard, so the best idea was to limit or close camping."

Havel also stressed the need to protect parks employees tasked with managing the campgrounds.

In addition to camping, the decision closes all yurts, cabins, tepees, and services operated by concessionaires. The suspended service also affects reservations for group day-use areas.

Havel noted that, especially as traditional spring break arrived, the campgrounds were likely to bring an influx of visitors to local communities.

"We're bringing thousands of people into local systems, grocery stores and potentially stressing health care, and that's clearly not the right thing to do at the moment."

What remains open?

With most camping areas, gathering places and hotels closed, traveling long distances may no longer make sense.

However, officials stressed that outdoor recreation remains possible closer. All state and federal lands — in the forest, beach and mountains — remain open. Backcountry or dispersed camping would be possible on all public lands.

"A local outdoor experience can improve our mental and physical health, especially now," the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department said in a news release. "Daytime activities are still widely available and encouraged."

What to consider before taking an outdoor trip

The key to planning an outdoor trip in light of coronavirus spread includes the following advice, from state officials and local doctors:

If place is so crowded you can't maintain a healthy social distance — at least six feet — find a different place to go.

Prepare for your visit with the clothing, supplies, and knowledge you need to have a safe visit.

If you're ill, stay home.

Cover sneezes and coughs with a tissue (then throw it away) or inside of your elbow.

Avoid touching your face.

Wash regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. It's up to you to practice good personal hygiene, and not every place at every park can be kept clean all the time.

More information before you go:

Travel Oregon travel alerts: https://traveloregon.com/travel-alerts/.

State park service reductions and closures: https://bit.ly/OPRD-covid.

Oregon Department of Forestry: https://www.oregon.gov/ODF/

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife: https://myodfw.com/visit-odfw-wildlife-areas

This story will be updated with more information.

Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter, photographer and videographer in Oregon for 12 years. To support his work,subscribe to the Statesman Journal. Urness can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.