On Friday afternoon, the city San Marcos closed the rest of its remaining open parks, trails and nature areas until Monday, April 13. The city of Austin and several other metro cities closed parks and trails for the weekend. State parks were closed by Gov. Greg Abbott before the holiday weekend.
San Marcos Parks & Recreation Director Drew Wells said in a release parks and nature areas see significant increases in traffic over holiday weekends and he believes the decision to close all parks is the right one.
“We understand our community would love to be able to celebrate Easter in our beautiful parks,” Wells said. “But we cannot take the unnecessary risk and jeopardize the gains we are making in the fight against COVID-19.
The trails and natural areas will reopen at 6 a.m. April 13. Mayor Jane Hughson closed all playgrounds, playscapes, the skate park, dog park, restrooms, water fountains and all riverfront parks on March 24 and will remain closed until May 11.
Kyle adds 12 miles of trails
Nearly 12 miles of new trails opened in Kyle this week. All Kyle park areas and trails will be monitored by police officers, park staff and citizen patrols to enforce social distancing and no gatherings.
“With our parks and public green greenspaces mattering more now than ever, we are excited to provide our citizens with another opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy nature on an all-natural trail,” said Mariana Espinoza, Kyle’s director of parks and recreation. “This trail portion is part of a much bigger project that citizens will be able to use for years to come.”
Parks and recreation crews recently finished constructing 3.5 miles of the Plum Creek Trail connecting Waterleaf Park to Lake Kyle Park. The new trail is part of the proposed Emerald Crown Trail project that plans to connect Austin, Kyle and other communities in Central Texas. The Plum Creek Trail is open dawn to dusk, with access at Lake Kyle, 700 Lehman Road and Waterleaf Park, 628 Abundance Road.
The city also came to an agreement with the Plum Creek Homeowners Association to allow residents access to eight miles of paths and trails during the disaster period. The trails can be accessed by Kyle residents from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Plum Creek Clubhouse, 4301 Benner Road, Kyle.
The city of Kyle will close public restrooms during the Easter weekend. Public gatherings are prohibited and playground equipment and playscapes are closed to the public.
Trails and greenspaces open in Buda
Trails and greenspaces remain open in the city of Buda. The mayor ordered the closures of sports fields, bathrooms, playscapes, basketball courts, skateparks, water fountains and other facilities at both city and private parks, including HOA parks.
