Atlanta area park trails reopen amid coronavirus

ATLANTA – Trails at two Atlanta area national parks reopened Monday amid an ongoing loosening of coronavirus restrictions in Georgia.

Visitors could access all trails and some parking areas at the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park and enter both parks for free.

Officials planned to keep a close eye for any crowds or other violations of public health guidance. Visitor centres and restrooms remained closed.

“We are expecting people to come out, but we do want to caution people to be careful,” Ann Honious, with the National Park Service, told WSB-TV.

On Thursday, the Chattahoochee and Oconee National Forests in northern and central Georgia reopened some trails, although the Appalachian Trail and its access points remained closed. Cumberland Island National Seashore allowed people to return to beaches by private boat beginning May 2.

Georgia’s confirmed coronavirus caseload, meanwhile, climbed to nearly 34,000 Monday, with just under 1,450 deaths.