Washington campgrounds to close Monday in effort to stop coronavirus spread
![Bryan Rough teaches his daughter Myla, 9, the motions of skipping rocks Tuesday, March 17, 2020, at Riverside State Park's Bowl and Pitcher in Spokane. Campgrounds at state parks,, including Riverside, will be closed through April 30, but public areas and trails will remain open. Officials are encouraging users to practice social distancing. (Tyler Tjomsland / The Spokesman-Review)](https://thumb.spokesman.com/uO6q6eDqVn9RLDznlEJuDvMVKgE=/600x0/media.spokesman.com/graphics/2018/07/sr-loader.png)
Washington state campgrounds will close this week to prevent the spread of COVID-19, while day-use areas and trails will remain open.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, along with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Natural Resources, announced all state campgrounds would close until April 30.
No new campers will be allowed into the parks starting Monday and current campers will be phased out.
Park officials encouraged people to practice social distancing when outside, including on trails and at public beaches.
“Due to the volume of people visiting Washington ocean beaches, we are asking the public to avoid those areas,” the agency’s news release read.
The closure applies to lands belonging to all three agencies. The Department of Fish and Wildlife is encouraging people using their land to bring their own toilet paper and hand sanitizer, due to increased theft and vandalism.