Following Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s June 29 executive order closing some businesses again to slow the spread of COVID-19, Michelle Thompson, public information officer for Arizona State Parks, said that as of June 30 the state parks currently open planned to stay open with social distancing protocols.
Most Arizona State Parks and Trails have remained open for “responsible outdoor recreation” throughout the coronavirus outbreak, but on June 19 the agency added a system-wide mask requirement inside park buildings and outdoor areas where social distancing is not possible.
“Obviously, we’re not talking about when you’re swimming or you’re in your family’s campsite,” Thompson said.
But she added that visitors should have a face covering available in the case of unavoidable bottlenecks of foot traffic, such as inside bathrooms and ranger stations.
Although water parks were ordered closed in the latest mandate, Slide Rock State Park will remain open. Masks will not be required while in the water, so visitors will still be able to holler unobstructedly for friends and strangers to witness their incredible pencil drops into Oak Creek.
“We’ve told people to have a mask [for getting] to and from your vehicle,” Joe Sulfaro, assistant manager of Slide Rock State Park, said. But once visitors stake out a spot at a distance from other groups, face coverings are no longer required, he said.
Finding a spot away from other groups has been easier since the park implemented measures to reduce capacity and make social distancing easier. Sulfaro said the park has cut the number of vehicles allowed in the park from its 175-car capacity to about 85.
To further reduce occupancy in the park at any given time, Slide Rock is prohibiting walk-in visitors. Sulfaro said enforcing that change is challenging, “like herding cats,” but the result is fewer people in the park at one time than would typically be there on a summer day.
The measures help to reduce virus risks at Slide Rock, but they also make the park harder to get into.
The park began opening at 7 a.m. on May 23, but even with the earlier-than-usual start time, Thompson said the park has been reaching capacity soon after opening. She said that by 1 p.m. there are typically enough departures to start allowing entries again.
