Day Use Areas Reopening on Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (May 26, 2020) — Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forest officials have announced that some day use areas on the forests are open today, but many services, such as toilet facilities and trash receptacles, will remain closed

Open day use areas on the forests can be found on the websites of the Ouachita National Forest at www.fs.usda.gov/ouachita or the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests at www.fs.usda.gov/osfnf/.

While some facilities remain closed in the short-term, come prepared with all the essentials you would need for a day trip, including food, emergency supplies, and the ability to pack-out trash.

The Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests are coordinating with federal, state and county officials to reopen areas once it can be accomplished safely. Other developed recreation sites remain closed due to the limited availability of cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment.

Forest Service staff are examining each site to ensure operations comply with current public health guidance. Additional recreation area reopenings are expected on a case-by-case basis.

Visitors to our National Forests are urged to take the precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For tips from the CDC on preventing illnesses like the coronavirus, go to: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention.html.

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Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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