Coronavirus in Austin: LCRA, other local parks to close amid pandemic

With the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rising in Austin, local and state parks are stepping up measures to protect the public.

The Lower Colorado River Authority earlier this week announced that all LCRA-managed parks will close on March 23 until further notice. All reservations through April 20 will be canceled with a full refund. Find details at lcra.org/Pages/Park-Alerts.aspx.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department also announced on Thursday that it would be limiting park programming and closing public access to park headquarters, visitor centers and park stores effective immediately.

RELATED: Find the latest updates about COVID-19 at Statesman.com.

A number of TPWD parks are also listed as closed on its website as of Friday, including Buescher State Park, Hueco Tanks State Park, Lost Maples State Natural Area, McKinney Falls State Park and Pedernales Falls State Park. Find a full map of park alerts at tpwd.texas.gov.

“Our main priority has always been the health and well-being of our visitors and staff, and, in order to maintain this standard to the best of our abilities, TPWD facilities will be modifying operations as a precautionary step towards protecting public health,” Carter Smith, executive director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said in a statement. “While we have worked hard to provide access to state parks through much of spring break, we have now reached a point where changes are imperative for safety reasons.”

The National Park Service has also made modifications. As of Friday, Big Bend National Park was open but all visitor centers were closed. Find updates at nps.gov.