San Mateo County shuts down 23 parks 'until further notice'

All 23 parks managed by the San Mateo County Department of Parks have been closed until further notice. The order took effect at 6 p.m. Friday.

With concerns about an increase in foot traffic and the failure of park visitors to follow proper social distancing protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic, the department ultimately pursued the most restrictive measure to keep people from the parks.

“The decision to close parks is not easy, especially now when people are looking for outdoor experiences, but the safety of San Mateo County residents must always be a priority. In that spirit we had to take this action,” San Mateo County Parks Director Nicholas Calderon said in a statement. “We know that parks and trails are a valuable community resource. Almost 3 million people visit San Mateo County Parks annually.”

The announcement came two days after nine beach parking lots were closed in the cities of Pacifica and Half Moon Bay.

The county parks department said Friday’s decision was made after reviewing data and learning from park ranger observations. Park staff observed visitors ignoring the statewide shelter-in-place order by driving to parks, congregating in groups and failing to maintain six feet of distance from each other.

“The sheer number of people crowding our parks and driving to reach them made them unsafe for our community,” San Mateo County manager Mike Callagy said in a statement. “I appreciate the desire for our residents to get outside and enjoy our open spaces, but we cannot have them descending on our parks in large groups now.”

To enforce the closure, parks staff will lock gates, post “Park Closed” signs at park and trail entrances and have staff continue to patrol parks.

The parks department’s 23 properties are: