Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities, Carl Sandburg Home NHS is increasing recreational access on Monday, June 1, 2020. The National Park Service (NPS) is working servicewide with federal, state, and local public health authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and is using a phased approach to increase access on a park-by-park basis.
Beginning Monday, June 1, 2020, Carl Sandburg Home NHS will increase access to park trails, most grounds, and parking lots. With public health in mind, the following areas and services will remain closed until further notice: the house, barn and barnyard, restrooms, and other structures, water fountains, Sandburg Home tours, all volunteer shifts, and all summer public programs, festivals, plays, and other special events. The park shuttle will not be running. Bring enough water for your entire visit as water fountains will not be available. Keep in mind that goats will only be visible from the barnyard fence, as the entire barn area will remain closed.
Weekends are busier than weekdays. The hours of 10am-3pm are busy seven days a week.
“Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site is a small historic site in a small rural community. Our 90,000 annual visitors come here from every state in the country. Summer is one of our busiest times," said Superintendent Polly Angelakis. “By working together to follow social distancing and other CDC guidelines, visitors and staff can remain safe. We look forward to seeing our visitors again."
Although the park closed to visitors on March 28, staff remained onsite and focused on livestock care, goat births and socialization, and completing several preservation and visitor safety projects. These projects included: installation of additional security cameras; final steps of Sandburg Home roof repair; pavement repair work; re-paving and re-striping paved parking lots; installation of trail signs; and assessment of and removal of hazard trees throughout the park. Staff also added social distancing reminders throughout the park.
The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners continues to be paramount. At Carl Sandburg Home NHS, our operational approach will be to examine each facility function and service provided to ensure those operations comply with current public health guidance and are regularly monitored. We continue to work closely with the NPS Office of Public Health using CDC guidance to ensure public and workspaces are safe and clean for visitors, employees, partners, and volunteers.
While these areas are accessible for visitors to enjoy, a return to full operations will continue to be phased and services may be limited. When recreating, the public should follow local area health orders, practice Leave No Trace principles, avoid crowding and avoid high-risk outdoor activities.
The CDC has offered guidance to help people recreating in parks and open spaces to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. We will continue to monitor all park functions to ensure that visitors adhere to CDC guidance for mitigating risks associated with the transmission of COVID-19 and take any additional steps necessary to protect public health.
We have engaging virtual tours of Carl Sandburg Home NHS, all of the time, so for people who are still home schooling or not traveling at this time check them out. Several virtual events, such as question and answer sessions with park staff, will soon be scheduled. For dates and times, check the park’s Facebook page.
Details and updates on park operations will continue to be posted on our website www.nps.gov/carl and Facebook. Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus.
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
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Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
