Playgrounds, dog parks and bathrooms: What to expect at Wichita parks in the coming weeks
Wichita parks are open but several of the amenities people enjoy in them have been closed since the coronavirus shutdown in March.
There are still a lot of unknowns about when all activities overseen by the city’s park and recreation department will resume.
But Parks and Recreation director Troy Houtman, in a Thursday afternoon Facebook live chat with council member Bryan Frye, gave a loose outline of what you can do now and what will — and won’t — be opening in the coming weeks.
Here’s what to expect if you’re venturing out.
Pools and splash pads
The city still isn’t sure what to do about opening municipal pools but plans to release more information, hopefully next week. Houtman said figuring out to how continually sanitize high-touch areas and keep people socially distanced are issues they’re grappling with.
Because they draw a large number of people and are not staffed, splash pads wouldn’t open until at least mid-June, under phase four of Gov. Laura Kelly’s plan to reopening the state.
Some Wichita city pools were scheduled to be closed over the summer for maintenance and construction before the pandemic hit.
Summer camps and recreation center programming
The city is going to try to offer summer camps, but Houtman noted that they likely wouldn’t start until mid-June or early July. And they probably won’t include any field trips. If camps are held, class sizes would also be smaller with a reduced instructor-to-child ratio, he said. Summer camp registration is open now at www.wichita.gov/parkandrec if you want to hold a spot.
When it comes to summer programming, Houtman said the city is considering offering some classes outdoors at its recreation centers, which are closed for now. More details could come next week.
Playgrounds, dog parks and public bathrooms
Right now, the city plans to keep playgrounds closed for about another month. But dog parks will be opened sooner, likely within a few weeks.
Houtman said the city is considering adding extra crews to keep playground and fitness equipment in the parks clean once they are available for use again. Park bathrooms are still locked, though, and probably will be until mid-June. So plan ahead before going out.
O.J. Watson Park
Although the picnic shelters are cordoned off and the playgrounds are closed, the kayaks, canoes, paddle boats and mini golf course at O.J. Watson Park can be used now. Your kids won’t be able to ride the miniature ponies yet, though, and the train will stay parked until more mass gathering restrictions are lifted. The 119-acre park, which includes a 40-acre fishing lake, is located at 3022 S. McLean Blvd.
Golf and fishing
Houtman said the city will start letting people use golf carts again the week of May 18 and is aiming to open the rest of the golf courses in early June. The driving range at Auburn Hills reopens Monday.
COVID-19 restrictions haven’t shutdown fishing. The pond at O.J. Watson Park, the K-96 Lake and the river banks are all open. Bowfishing, however, is illegal.
Shelter reservations
The city is looking to start taking reservations for park shelters and activities that require them again as early as next week, Houtman said. People just need to know the exact size of their group to ensure it falls within mass gathering limits.
This story was originally published May 7, 2020 at 5:00 PM.
