There have been recent reported instances of visitors to St. Louis County parks congregating and not following required social distancing (keeping 6 feet of distance between you and other people) guidelines. On April 2, St. Louis County announced the closure of their parks through at least April 22 (this includes Greensfelder County Park in Wildwood and Sherman Beach). After assessing available information relative to our parks and trails, we’ve determined that similar congregating by groups in close quarters is also occurring at several of Wildwood’s trails. The close congregating by groups does not, however, appear to be occurring at our parks and other facilities.
As a result, earlier today, April 3, Mayor Jim Bowlin, in consultation with our Police Captain, City Administrator and Director of Planning & Parks, ordered the closure of parking lots at the following trails:
- the Al Foster Memorial Trailhead,
- Bluff View Park,
- Glencoe City Park,
- John L. LeCave Trailhead, and
- Rock Hollow Trailhead Access.
This action is being taken pursuant to Resolution 2020-11, which was recently passed by the City Council giving Mayor Bowlin the authority to make decisions necessary to promote the safety of and protect Wildwood residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
These parking lot closures will take effect as of 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 4. The closures will not restrict access to these areas (i.e. by bicycle, walking, etc.), but will significantly reduce, if not eliminate entirely, the congregating by large groups.
We will continue to monitor the degree and manner of usage of our parks and related facilities, and take additional measures as may be warranted to promote the safety of our residents.