DCNR Provides Guidance on Outdoor Activities During Coronavirus Outbreak

HARRISBURG – Today, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
(DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn reminded Pennsylvanians that being outdoors is good
health care and self care, but recommendations for social distancing to slow the spread of the
coronavirus still apply.

“During this time of significant changes to our daily routines it’s clear that our need for and
appreciation of nature is greater than ever,” Dunn said. “Outdoor activities are a great idea to
relieve stress and as immunity boosters, but they should not include exposure to high-touch
surfaces or other groups of people — we need to spread out.”

Dunn noted the best advice to slow the spread of COVID-19 is to stay at home. Engaging in
outdoor activity, such as walking, hiking, or running is allowed if social distancing is maintained.

Some tips for avoiding groups of people outdoors include:

• If you have a yard, spend time there outdoors every day.

• If possible, take a walk around your neighborhood with the people in your family, as long
as you can stay six feet away from neighbors.

• If you decide to leave your neighborhood, plan for several alternate locations, so if you
arrive at your first one and there are crowds, you can move on.

• Choose a less busy time of day, such as early morning.

• Find a local park or trail that offers enough space for social distancing. Pennsylvania has
more than 6,000 local parks that are identified on an interactive map.

• Some municipalities have closed local parks to protect visitors and employees, so check
the status of the park before you go. If the park is open, bathrooms and water fountains
likely will not be, so plan ahead.

• There also are more than 12,000 miles of trails in Pennsylvania, most of which remain
accessible during this period. Find a nearby trail at trails.dcnr.pa.gov.

State and local parks, state forests, and trails are seeing record numbers of visitors, with more
anticipated as the weather turns warmer and fishing season begins.

From March 17 to 25, Presque Isle State Park in Erie saw an average 165 percent increase in
visitation from the same dates last year.