Moving to a New Normal: Miami-Dade County opens parks and trails for individual and family passive and limited use

Informed by recommendations from health experts and pursuant to the emergency order signed by Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez on April 27, 2020, Miami-Dade County is moving to a new normal and easing restrictions on select parks and trails for passive activities and limited recreation.   

Patrons are encouraged to use parks for individual and family passive and limited activities. Current CDC and State Health Department guidelines regarding the use of masks, six feet of social distancing between individuals, except for families, and limit of groups to 10 people or fewer, must be followed.   

Parks will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

In addition to parks, the following facilities will be open: Deering Estate, Fruit & Spice Park and Trail Glades Gun Range.  

The following parks will remain closed: all beaches – including Haulover and Crandon Beach; Zoo Miami; Amelia Earhart Park (closed due to testing for Covid-19); atoll beach pools at Matheson Hammock and at Homestead Bayfront Park.  

To reduce the number of high-touch areas, amenities that remain closed include: playgrounds and all exercise equipment, including fitness courts and fitness zones, table games, bike racks, dog parks, recreation buildings and indoor facilities, picnic shelters and pavilions, campgrounds, sports fields, swimming pools, splash pads, skate parks, concessions and mechanized attractions. All sports field lighting will remain off. 

Seniors can use parks any time and have priority access from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the following parks: Gwen Cherry Park, Goulds Park, Oak Grove Park, Country Village Park, Arcola Lakes Senior Center, North Trail Park, Westwind Lakes Park, Deerwood Bonita Lakes Park and South Dade Park. 

Patrons are encouraged to walk, jog, hike, cycle, skate and enjoy the outdoors. Selected walking and nature paths will be one way (directional), as necessary. Users are required to maintain social distancing as per CDC guidelines and wear facial coverings in accordance with Emergency Order 20-20. Masks are not required for high-intensity activities such as jogging.

Picnics and parties are prohibited. All picnic areas will be closed. 

Competitive activities are prohibited, and patrons are required to provide their own equipment including balls and racquets for permissible non-team activities. 

Individual, single-player tennis and racquetball play are allowed. Sports skills practice by individuals or between family members is allowed and include, but are not limited to, activities such as shooting a basketball, dribbling a soccer ball, solo racquetball, family members throwing a ball or similar activities. Basketball restrictions are as follows: three players on each half court; must bring own ball; no pick-up games allowed. 

Miami-Dade Parks’ employees may limit the number of persons using trails, paths, fields, or courts in order to ensure social distancing is maintained and may limit the time any person spends on such trail, path, field or court in order to ensure access to such facilities to other patrons. 

Parks will take extra measures to keep open facilities clean and sanitized. 

Restrooms will be open and frequently cleaned (every two hours) by contracted janitorial services. Only one person or one family will be allowed at a time, with attendants regulating use. 

Vehicle parking capacity in parks will be regulated, as necessary, to adhere to CDC social distancing guidelines. 

Police, park rangers and roving park teams will follow CDC health department protocols and patrol parks to ensure compliance and public safety. 

Virtual recreational programming is available on-line via Miami-Dade County Parks’ YouTube page. 

For more information on park openings and closures, please visit www.miamidade.gov/newnormal.

For all COVID-19 updates, please monitor the County’s website at www.miamidade.gov/coronavirus. 

For Miami-Dade County Parks questions or concerns, please call 305-755-7910. 

About Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces:

Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of 278 parks and 13,769 acres of land. It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the world and focused on Placemaking, Health and Fitness and Conservation and Stewardship. The non-profit Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade supports Miami-Dade County Parks’ efforts to further develop Miami-Dade County’s world-class parks system for residents and visitors.

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