SAVANNAH, GA - Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities, Fort Pulaski National Monument is increasing recreational access to Cockspur Island. The National Park Service (NPS) is working service wide with federal, state, and local public health authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and using a phased approach to increase access on a park-by-park basis.
Fort Pulaski National Monument has reopened access to:
* Fort Pulaski parking lots, trails, and restrooms, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
In addition, the following spaces continue to be available:
* Lazaretto Creek Area
* McQueen’s Island areas of the park
With public health in mind, the following facilities remain closed to the public at this time:
* Visitor Center
* Historic Fort Pulaski
* Savannah River North Shoreline
Park entrance fees at Fort Pulaski National Monument will be charged. Credit and debit cards will be the preferred method of payment. You can also pay your entrance online and in advance. Fort Pulaski Digital Passes will be available on Recreation.gov: https://www.recreation.gov/sitepass/2699
We look forward to welcoming back our park visitors," stated park Superintendent Melissa Memory. “We encourage park users to visit responsibility, take all necessary precautions, and follow established guidance to help us keep our parks safe. While services will remain limited on site, we are excited to provide a safe and inspiring visitor experience and encourage all to engage with our ongoing virtual programming until we are able to resume programming on site."
The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners continues to be paramount. At Fort Pulaski, our operational approach will be to examine each facility function and service provided to ensure those operations comply with current public health guidance and will be 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, and avoid crowding and avoid high-risk outdoor activities.
The CDC has offered guidance to help people recreating in parks and open spaces 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.
Details and updates on park operations will continue to be posted on our website at www.nps.gov/fortpulaski and social media platforms on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FortPulaskiNPS, and the official Fort Pulaski National Monument Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FortPulaskiNPS. Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus.
-NPS-
Tags: covid19 news release trails
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
