Minnesota DNR Announces New Outdoor Recreation Guidelines

As communities across the Northland look to get outside during the pandemic, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has updated their safety guidelines.

The guidelines below apply to both recreational facilities and the public and are based on Governor Walz’s Emergency Executive Order Allowing for Safe Outdoor Recreation:

• Practice social distancing (stay at least 6 feet from people from other households). This isn’t just for parks and trails – it is also essential at boat launches, fishing piers, and hunting lands, and anytime you leave your home.
• Stay as close to home as possible. This is not the time to be traveling long distances to recreate. Cherished outdoor traditions further from home will be there for you later, after the public health situation has eased.
• Do not host or attend gatherings with people who aren’t members of your immediate household. This includes gatherings like outdoor cookouts or barbeques, because those types of gatherings could spread COVID-19.
• Explore the range of nearby public lands available to you. If you arrive at a park, water access site, or other public recreation land and see that it is busy, choose a different option. This will allow you to maintain social distancing, and reduce impacts on staff and resources. Also, consider visiting at off-peak times, typically early or late in the day.
• Do not carpool to outdoor recreational activities with people other than those in your immediate household. Similarly, do not share equipment.

Before you head out, you can follow the link below to get the latest information about what DNR-managed facilities are open.

The video at the top of the post also offers some terrific advice for being outdoors during this challenging time.