Gwinnett County begins phased parks reopening, starting with dogs

Dog parks in Gwinnett County will reopen Tuesday, May 5, as a phased process begins for reopening areas within the county’s parks that were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Parks that contain areas for dogs include Alexander Park, Graves Park, Harbins Park, J.B. Williams Park, Lenora Park, McDaniel Farm Park, Pinckneyville Park, Rabbit Hill Park, Rock Springs Park, Ronald Reagan Park and Settles Bridge Park.

Guidelines will be in place to help keep patrons and pets safe when the dog parks reopen. Occupancy in each area of the dog park (small dog and large dog) will be limited to 10 dogs and 10 people. Patrons should maintain 6 feet of distance between themselves and others at all times. Residents are asked to avoid the park if they or their dog are sick.

Other safety measures to abide by while using the dog parks include refraining from bringing toys or balls to the park and only letting dogs drink out of their own water bowl.

Water fountains in the parks will remain closed at this time. With warm weather approaching, patrons should bring bottled water with them to stay hydrated.

All park visitors are encouraged to follow CDC guidelines to protect themselves and others. Wash hands thoroughly and frequently, practice coughing and sneezing etiquette and wear a cloth face covering as much as possible when in public.

“We appreciate our residents’ patience as we prepare areas of the parks for reopening,” said Tina Fleming, director of Community Services. “We want to make sure that we’re reopening our facilities in a way that keeps everyone as safe as possible, and we need all of our visitors to help do that by following the posted guidelines and safety recommendations.”

Certain areas of the parks, including trails, disc golf, fishing areas, horseshoe courts and bocce ball courts, have remained open to provide residents with spaces to safely exercise during the pandemic.

Visit GwinnettCounty.com for more information about facility closures and reopenings related to COVID-19.