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Bay Area Outdoor Activities: What’s Now Allowed / What Isn’t

Picnicking, sunbathing, skate parks, boating, surfing, fishing all now allowed
By - posted 4/29/2020 No Comment

With the updated “Stay Home” public health order that was recently extended through the end of May, there are some relaxations of restrictions of outdoor activities beginning May 4th.

The basics is that if the outdoor activity involves shared equipment or contact with another person, it continues to be prohibited. Read the entire FAQ

Outdoor Activity Updated Highlights as of May 4

  • Allowed: Walking, jogging, hiking, walking dogs, picnicking (but not at bench or table), biking, boating, skateboarding, outdoor roller skating, archery, individual fishing, surfing and swimming in ocean or lake, tennis (Contra Costa County only)
  • Not Allowed: Tennis (except in Contra Costa County), basketball, gyms, team sports, most disc sports, fishing party boats, bowling, enclosed dog parks, picnic benches and tables, BBQ areas, swimming pools
  • What About Families? Outdoor activities that include close physical contact or the use of shared equipment solely by members of the same household or living unit, such as tossing or kicking a ball back and forth on a field, are permitted in groups of six or fewer.
  • Not Sure: Disc golf (each person has their own disc), golf (allowed by Bay Area, but prohibited by state), can family members play basketball together (or other close-contact sport) in a public park? or just at home?

Please note that this is an evolving news story and details may change and clarification issued quickly

Update – Beaches are NOT closed statewide (as of Gavin Newsom’s announcement on 4/30)

What outdoor recreation activities are permitted under the new Order?

  • Walking, jogging, or running;
  • Hiking;
  • Walking dogs on leash;
  • Sunbathing or picnicking (but not at picnic benches or tables) when sufficient distance is maintained at all times between members of a household and others not in the same household;
  • Bicycling;
  • Golf; (although allowed by the Bay Area, as of 4/29/20 the state still prohibits golf)
  • Swimming, surfing, or paddling in the ocean or lakes;
  • Boating, kayaking, and sculling (but only in craft used solely individuals or if by more than one individual, only by members of one household);
  • Paddle boarding, kitesurfing and windsurfing (with the individual’s own equipment);
  • Skateboarding, including at a skate-park;
  • Roller-skating and roller-blading;
  • Archery ranges;
  • Tai Chi, yoga, or other activities that can be done with social distancing;
  • Bird watching;
  • Kite flying;
  • Fishing, including fly casting (as long as social distancing can be maintained at all times, and there is no sharing of equipment, including rods, reels, tackle or bait); and
  • Individual equestrian activities.

Can I take my kids to the playground?

No. Recreational areas with equipment that lots of people touch or areas where people gather close together, like playgrounds and picnic areas, must be closed and you cannot use them while the Order is in effect. You can take your kids to the park or other areas to run around in open spaces, or bring your own sports equipment to an open space as long as it is used only by members of your own household and not shared with other people.

Can tennis courts reopen under the new order? How about basketball courts?

No (except in Contra Costa County). Listed below are examples of activities not permitted to be done and facilities not permitted to be open under the order (both indoors and outdoors). Also, areas and facilities for such activities must be closed to public access including by signage and, as appropriate, by physical barriers facilities for such activities, but may be repurposed and open for other activities that are otherwise allowed under order.

Please note that San Francisco’s order specifically bans tennis (due to shared equipment… we assume they mean the ball) but Contra Costa County’s order is slightly different and specifically allows tennis 

What About family members? These activities are allowed by members of the same household or living unit in groups of six or fewer.

The prohibited activities and facilities include:

  • Tennis and other racquet sports;
  • Swimming in pools, including lane swimming;
  • Gyms and fitness centers;
  • Spas pools, saunas and steam rooms;
  • Basketball;
  • Baseball and softball;
  • Football;
  • Volleyball;
  • Lacrosse;
  • Soccer;
  • Kickball;
  • Rugby;
  • Wrestling;
  • Martial arts (karate, taekwondo, jiu jitsu, etc.);
  • Disc sports where multiple people outside a household touch the disc;
  • Playgrounds;
  • Gym equipment;
  • Climbing walls and gyms;
  • Picnic benches and tables;
  • Barbeque areas;
  • Enclosed dog parks (but dog parks that are not enclosed are allowed subject to social distancing and any requirements or limitations imposed by the City for use for such areas, including on-leash or voice command restrictions, in light of current CDC recommendations regarding the risk of transmission of the virus between dogs and from dogs to humans)
  • Field or ice hockey;
  • Ice skating;
  • Roller skating in an enclosed area;
  • Bocce ball;
  • Cricket;
  • Team crew;
  • Recreational fishing party boats (where social distancing cannot be maintained at all times and there are common use facilities, such as a bathroom)
  • Water polo or other team water sports;
  • Bowling;
  • Gymnastic or trampoline activities with shared equipment; and
  • Track and field or other competition events involving group of people or where equipment used by an individual is not disinfected between each user.