Sumter city, county, S.C. State Parks closing

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All City of Sumter, Sumter County and South Carolina State Parks are being closed in response to COVID-19.

City and county parks are closed effective immediately and until further notice. Earlier directives canceling all large-group gatherings and closing playground equipment remain in place.

State parks will be closed through April 30 beginning Saturday, March 28, according to a news release from the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. The decision to close is in support of the state's response COVID-19.

Visitors who currently occupy campsites and cabins can remain through the duration of their rental reservation as long as they continue to practice social distancing.

All reservations from March 28 to April 30 will be cancelled and refunds made.

This is the third limited-access directive the park service has made this month in response to public health advisories. Earlier, state parks cancelled all large-group gathering reservations and suspended all interpretive programming and special events for March. Those suspensions remain in place through April. For two days this week, parks closed day-use areas like picnic grounds, lakefronts and trails. Those areas will remain closed through April 30 as well.

The service will continue to host Facebook Live events on a regular basis. Follow @SC.State.Parks on Facebook for more information. The first live event was held from Hunting Island State Park and can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/SC.State.Parks/videos/1115551478788902/.

For additional information, contact Dawn Dawson-House at ddawson@scprt.com or (803) 467-0202.