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NE Game & Parks: "Camping opportunities returned to normal"

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OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — If you're fed up with staying at home due to COVID-19 and looking to get outdoors and reconnect with nature, you're in luck. Nebraska's Game and Parks Department says camping is back to normal as of Thursday.

What's open:

  • All restroom facilities
  • Parks playgrounds and play structures
  • Recreation areas for camping, fishing, hiking, biking, wildlife viewing, and other recreation that provides adequate room for proper physical distancing among guests who are well.

What remains closed:

  • All Game and Parks offices
  • Service, visitor and education centers
  • Shooting complexes
  • Field offices
  • State park restaurants
  • Public crane viewing blinds
  • State park and recreation area lodges and cabins also closed through June 15, with a possible extension period
  • All History Nebraska sites are closed to the public until further notice; for more information, visit history.nebraska.gov.

The department also says group events are canceled through June 30 or until further notice.

Nebraska Game and Parks says it is cleaning high-touch surfaces regularly and recommends the following to lessen contact with COVID-19:

  • Stay up-to-date with all local, state and federal advisories.
  • Maintain a 6-foot distance between other guests.
  • Engage in recreational activities only with members of your household.
  • Stick to low-risk activities to reduce stress on local emergency response and health care systems.
  • Minimize travel distance from home. If your intended location is congested, come back at another time or move to a nearby, less-crowded site.
  • Pack — and use — hand sanitizer often.
  • Avoid high-touch areas. Clean public use surfaces, such as boat dock handrails and fish cleaning stations, with disinfecting wipes prior to use.
  • If boating, do not congregate at boat ramps, boat docks, and beach areas.
  • If you are sick, or have been exposed to someone who is sick with COVID-19, stay home.
  • Leave no trace: Pack out everything you bring with you.

At the time this article was written, nearby Two Rivers State Recreation Area was accepting reservations for tent sites with COVID-19 distancing in mind.RV camping has been allowed since Memorial Day weekend.

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