King County Parks closes some facilities, cancels programming to help protect public health in ongoing COVID-19 response

March 13, 2020

Summary

Following the guidance of Public Health—Seattle & King County and the state Department of Health regarding COVID-19, beginning March 14 King County Parks will close the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center and the Log Cabin at Steve Cox Memorial Park, and is cancelling select programming, rentals and permitted events.

Story

King County Parks will close key facilities and cancel programming through April 24 based on the guidance of the Washington Department of Health and Public Health—Seattle & King County regarding COVID-19. The closures are effective Saturday, March 14.

Temporary closures include the following:

• Facilities: Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center, White Center Log Cabin at Steve Cox Memorial Park (including the Teen Program). 
• Sport field rentals: All scheduled practices and games are cancelled. 
• Permitted events and rentals with more than 250 people: Cancelled.
• Permitted events and rentals with fewer than 250 people: Cancelled, unless they can meet the public health criteria. Examples include picnic shelter rentals and gatherings at Jim Ellis Preston Community Center.

“The health and safety of our community is our top concern, and we are doing our part to help contain the spread of this virus,” said King County Parks Director Warren Jimenez. “This is a rapidly evolving situation, and we are making daily assessments of any necessary changes in our operations based on Public Health’s guidance.”
  
For questions or information on refunds, please contact King County’s Regional Scheduling office, 206-477-6150. For questions about rentals at Marymoor Park, visit 206-477-7275, or email marymoorpark@kingcounty.gov. Information about the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center is available at 206-477-4444; toll free – 1-855-952-9970.

Find the latest information about any changes to Parks facilities and programming on the King County Parks Plog at kingcountyparks.org/.

At this time, King County parks, trails and open spaces remain open to public use. Visitors are encouraged to practice Public Health’s guidelines in preventing the spread of this virus: 

• Wash hands often with soap and water. If not available, use hand sanitizer. 
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands. 
• Avoid contact with people who are sick. 
• Stay home while you are sick and avoid close contact with others. 
• Cover your mouth/nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing.

Visit kingcounty.gov/covid to learn more about the virus and how to prevent its spread. Keep updated on the latest developments on the Public Health – Seattle & King County blog at publichealthinsider.com. 

Other resources 
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html 
• Washington State Department of Health doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Doug Williams, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, 206-477-4543

About King County Parks
King County Parks - Your Big Backyard - offers more than 200 parks and 28,000 acres of open space, including such regional treasures as Marymoor Park and Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, 175 miles of regional trails, 215 miles of backcountry trails and a world-class aquatic center. King County Parks cultivates strong partnerships with public, private, and non-profit entities that leverage public dollars, enhance public recreation opportunities, and involve King County residents in the stewardship of King County’s open space and recreation assets.