Parks throughout Jefferson County, like others across the state, have seen a significant increase in visitors, largely because people are searching for safe, recreational activities during the
COVID-19 pandemic, according to park officials.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources recently announced that state park attendance rose 25.7 percent in June compared to the same period last year, and the DNR said campground usage in June went up 14 percent compared to June 2019.
While the exact number of visitors to the nine Jefferson County parks or the parks in the cities across the county is not available, those watching over the parks say they can tell more people are using the outdoor spaces.
“I would say we have probably doubled the amount of people at our parks, specifically the river access (points),” said Jefferson County Parks and Recreation Director Tim Pigg.
“When we opened back up completely, it was like a tidal wave,” said Greg Camp, city administrator for the city of Festus, which has eight parks. “I think either people didn’t realize the facilities they had in their backyard or they were just more keen to go out and use them or had more time to use them. Usage is definitely up; I don’t know if I can put a number on it.”
Ray Dornseif, a superintendent for Arnold’s Park and Recreation Department, said the city’s five parks, especially the recently named Pomme Park that used to be the Arnold Golf Club, have been bustling with visitors this summer.
“I would say you see double the people in the parks now, in the mornings especially,” Dornseif said. “The people are enjoying themselves. Pomme Park has a lot of people riding bikes and walking around. That is a good thing.”
State parks
Mastodon State Historic Site in Imperial experienced one of the biggest upticks in usage in June.
Site administrator Ken Smith said 105,679 people visited the historic site in June – a 153 percent increase from June 2019, when 41,778 visited the site.
He said, however, the number of visitors in 2019 was affected by flooding that year that shut down parts of Seckman Road, where there’s an entrance to part of the park.
Don Robinson State Park in Cedar Hill has not seen as dramatic an increase in visitors, but there was a 6 percent increase in visitors in June compared to the same month in 2019, said Miranda Fredrick, a division information officer for Missouri State Parks. “We are not surprised that park usage is high as people are seeking recreational activities and the opportunity to get outdoors during this time,” Fredrick said.
Smith said visits to Mastodon State Historic Site slowed down in July, probably because heat and rain may have kept some people away, but he said the site is looking at about 80,000 visitors in July as compared to 59,000 in the same period last year.
In addition to outdoor spaces being one of the safest recreation options during the pandemic, Smith said two other factors likely contributed to more people coming to Mastodon State Historic Site so far this summer.
“A big thing for us was Memorial Day,” he said. “It wasn’t that Memorial Day impacted us, but that is when a lot of pools normally open. A lot of the pools remained closed, so people came here throughout May and into June to go to the creek. A lot of people have discovered us. In (south St. Louis County), there were Facebook pages when St. Louis County parks were closed that said go to Mastodon.”
Smith said Sandy Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site in Hillsboro also had increased traffic in July. He said about 22,000 visited the bridge in July as compared to 17,000 in 2019.
He said those visiting historic sites are encouraged to maintain at least 6 feet from others and to wear masks when inside a closed space, such as the Mastodon State Historic Site museum.
“I have noticed the majority of people coming through the museum wear a mask,” Smith said. “We want people to come out and enjoy themselves and have a good time.”
Jefferson County
Pigg, like other park officials, said making sure grounds are in good condition has been a strain because of the increased usage.
“There is more trash and more use of everything,” Pigg said. “We have been mitigating and managing as best we can.”
Jefferson County oversees the Big River Saddle Club in Dittmer, Brown’s Ford Park in Dittmer, Cedar Hill Park, Morse Mill Park, the Northwest Sports Complex in House Springs, Pleasant Valley Nature Preserve in the Jefferson County portion of Eureka, Rockford Beach Park in House Springs, Sunridge Park in Hillsboro and Winter Park in unincorporated Fenton – along with numerous other facilities and campsites.
Pigg said he is happy to see people taking advantage of the outdoor spaces the county has to offer.
“It is a proven scientific fact that sitting around your house, doing nothing, is the worst thing for you,” Pigg said. “It is encouraging to see people out enjoying the park, getting exercise, getting some sunshine, because that is one of the things that will help mitigate COVID-19.”
Festus
Camp said Festus city residents and visitors from the surrounding area are discovering what the Festus park system has to offer – one positive to come out of the pandemic.
The city maintains West City Park, which recently was renamed the Larry G. Crites Memorial Park in honor of the longtime Festus parks superintendent who died April 30 at age 62 from a cardiac episode. It also has Billy Porter Memorial Park, Gannon Drive Park, Habsieger Memorial Park, Jokerst Memorial Park, McCullough Park, Shropshire Park and Sunset Park.
The city also counts a disc golf course, the Heuby E. Moore Band Building, the West City Park Sports Complex and the West City Park Stage among its recreational options.
“The residents, especially those new to the area, don’t always know what is available to them, whether it is a park pavilion or band pavilion to rent for a small reception or the ability to walk around the entirety of west city,” Camp said. “If they had time on their hands because they were at home more, and Mom and Dad were looking for something to do to get out of the house, I think you can call that a silver lining.”
Camp said usage has slowed a little since the initial rush.
He also said he believes people are doing what they can to stymie the spread of COVID-19 while enjoying Festus’s parks.
“There is signage reminding people about social distancing and staying 6 feet apart. I think everyone is respectful of that,” Camp said. “We have restrooms and playgrounds that are on a regular cleaning schedule to make sure they are sanitized. There is a little more effort on our part to keep things clean and safe. The people who are using the parks have been very respectful of each other.”
Arnold
Dornseif said one factor that led to more people using Arnold parks was the temporary closure of the city’s Recreation Center, which reopened July 6.
“The people who would work out in the rec center would come down to the parks to walk the trails,” Dornseif said. “There are three guys who used to go to the rec center daily and ran miles on the treadmills. They haven’t gone back to the rec center. They are enjoying walking Arnold (City) Park every day now. It is just something different.”
In addition to the rec center and Arnold City Park, Arnold’s park system includes Ferd B. Lang Park, Flamm City Park, Pomme Park, the Strawberry Nature Area, the David R. Collins Park, the Teszars Woods Conservation Area and the Jim Edwards Archery Park, as well as the Arnold Jaycees Skate Park and a dog park, both inside Ferd B. Lang Park.
Dornseif said park visitors appear to be observing social-distancing recommendations.
“We have a lot of space, so people are spreading out,” Dorseif said. “People are also wearing masks; some aren’t. Employees wear masks when needed. It is just something you have to watch yourself with.”
Herculaneum
One of the more popular destinations for children is Kade’s Playground, which is located inside Herculaneum City Park and offers amenities for children of all abilities, as well as splash and water features.
Herculaneum Mayor Bill Haggard said the playground, and the city’s other parks and facilities, were closed from mid-March to July 6.
“We were one of the last ones to reopen,” Haggard said. “We were just trying to be cautious.”
Haggard said the playground has attracted about the same number of people that it does every summer.
“We know it is always crowded,” he said. “We are concerned about it, but so far, we have not had any incidents that we know of.”
Haggard said the city has posted signs asking people to stay 6 feet apart when possible, wear face masks when in close proximity to others and limit the number of people using the playground to 50 at one time.
“We also suggest not to be there all day to allow everyone to have time at the playground,” Haggard said. “We sanitize the playground and restrooms every morning as long as they can get down there before people do.”
Along with Herculaneum City Park and the playground, the city has a dog park, Bates Memorial Park, Dunklin-Fletcher Park, the state-run Governor Daniel Dunklin’s Grave, Shot Tower Park and the Joachim Loop Trail.