County parks and trails remain open, with waived fees

With the shelter at home order nearly five days in and with at least another couple weeks to go, many families are looking for unique ways to get some fresh air and stretch their legs.

As of Friday, March 20, Santa Clara County Parks and Trails are open, though all events, classes, and programs have been canceled through April 7, due to novel coronavirus.

Outdoor areas of the parks are open from dawn to dusk and residents can enjoy the open space, as long as they keep appropriate distance from other users and do not gather in any groups.

Additionally, Field Sports Park, Metcalf Motorcycle Park, Calero, Stevens Creek and Lexington Reservoirs, archery ranges and disk golf courses, dog parks at Vasona, Los Gatos Creek and Ed Levin, all campgrounds, museums, visitor centers, group sites, yurts, golf courses, and playgrounds are all closed at this time.

On Thursday, Santa Clara County Supervisors Joe Simitian and Mike Wasserman announced that any entrance fees for County parks would be waived for the duration of the sheltering order.

“Folks are coping with a lot right now. It just seemed to me that our County should be doing whatever we can, no matter how small, to make people’s lives a little bit easier,” Simitian said.

To see more information about how COVID-19 is impacting County parks, click here.