Mission Statement
The mission of Fayetteville Parks and Recreation is to meet the needs of all by providing a safe and diversified park system that encourages community pride, visionary planning and operations, and environmental stewardship.
Parks Amenities that have reopened include:
Park restrooms open as of September 8:
- Kessler Soccer, Finger Park, Gordon Long, Lake Fayetteville Softball Complex, Lake Fayetteville Marina, North Shore, Lewis Soccer Complex, and Lake Sequoyah will be reopened. Wilson Park, Veterans Park, Gulley Park and Davis Park restrooms were reopened on August 24 and will remain open. The Walker Park restroom on 13th Street has been open throughout the pandemic and closes each night at 11:00 p.m. The restrooms near the tennis courts and splashpad at Walker Park will remain closed.
- Sport complex restrooms at Kessler Mountain Baseball, Gary Hampton, White River and Walker Baseball will be open during league play or rentals only.
Please observe health and safety requirements posted on signs at these park restrooms. This includes a maximum occupancy of two people per restroom along with reminders that masks must be worn, social distancing must be maintained during use, and a general reminder to wash hands frequently. Anti-bacterial soap is provided in all restrooms. Open restrooms will be cleaned and sanitized frequently, according to CDC guidelines.
Playgrounds open as of September 8:
- Bayyari Park, Braden Park, Bundrick Park, Finger Park, Lashley Park, Mashburn Park, Gordon Long Park, Greathouse Park, Harmony Pointe Park, Holland Park, Hotz Park, Lake Fayetteville Softball Complex, Red Oak Park, Rodney Ryan Park, Salem Park, Sweetbriar Park and YRCC playgrounds will reopen during normal park hours with routine cleaning and sanitizing. Kessler Mountain Park, Walker Park, Wilson Park, Gulley Park, Bryce Davis Park and Veterans Park were opened on August 24 and will remain open.
- One swing per bay will be reinstalled at Braden Park, Gordon Long Park, Hotz Park, Lake Fayetteville Softball Complex and Northshore to maintain six or more feet of social distancing. Swings at Walker Park, Wilson Park, Gulley Park and Bryce Davis Park were reopened on August 24 and will remain open.
Please observe health and safety requirements posted on signs at each of these playgrounds. Maximum occupancy at each location has been determined based on square footage. Visitors are encouraged to wash hands frequently and bring their own hand sanitizer and wipes. Masks and social distancing guidelines should be adhered to and visitors who are sick are asked to avoid visiting parks and using playgrounds.
Soccer Fields, Volleyball and Tennis Courts: Soccer fields at Kessler, Walker and Lewis Parks are open. In addition, Volleyball courts at Veterans Memorial, Wilson and Walker are open. Wilson and Walker Tennis Courts will allow doubles play as well as singles play.
Tennis Courts and Batting Cages
- Wilson Park Tennis Courts: Now open for singles AND doubles play. Courts are reserved from 7 to 8:30 am for senior citizen use (ages 65 and older). Signs are posted with social distancing guidelines that should be maintained while using tennis courts.
- Walker Park Tennis Courts, Batting Cages, Handball/Racquetball Court, Horseshoe Pits and Skate Park: Signs are posted with social distancing guidelines that should be maintained during use of these amenities. Additional use guidelines for Walker Park amenities include:
- Tennis Courts: Now open for doubles play! Courts are reserved from 7 to 8:30 am for senior citizen use (ages 65 and older).
- Batting Cages: Only two people permitted per batting cage.
- White River Batting Cages: Signs are posted with social distancing guidelines that should be maintained while using the batting cage. Only two people permitted per batting cage.
Dog Park
- Bryce Davis Iams Dog Park: Signs are posted with social distancing guidelines that should be maintained while using amenities.
Lakes
- Lake Fayetteville Marina and Lake Sequoyah Marina: Signs are posted with social distancing guidelines and spacing markers that should be maintained on docks and in the bait shop. Customers should wear face coverings in the bait shop. Sneeze guards are installed at public counters, and hand sanitizer is available for public use. Staff and contractors must wear face coverings when working with customers. The bait shop will admit only one person at a time. Symptomatic persons will not be admitted to the bait shop. Additionally, the City will continue is waiver of fishing permit fees for City lakes until further notice.
The Parks and Recreation Department office and Yvonne Richardson Community Center are closed. Our Department is operating with some staff working from the office and others working from their home. Park Maintenance Staff are essential staff and are working their normal schedule of 7 am – 3:30 pm. Signage is posted on our front door. Please contact us by email or 479-444-3471 if you have questions.When visiting parks and trails, we are encouraging people to practice the following recommendations from the National Parks and Recreation Association:
- Follow CDC’s guidance on personal hygiene prior to heading to parks and trails — wash hands, carry hand sanitizer, do not use parks and trails if you have symptoms, cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, etc.
- Observe at all times CDC’s minimum recommended social distancing of six feet from other people. Practice it and know what it looks like. Keep it as you walk, bike or hike.
- Warn other trail users of your presence and as you pass to allow proper distance and step off trails to allow others to pass, keeping minimum recommended distances at all times. Signal your presence with your voice, bell or horn.
- Note that trail and park users may find public restrooms closed — be prepared before you leave and time outings so that you are not dependent on public restrooms.
- Bring water or drinks — public drinking fountains may be disabled and should not be used, even if operable.
- Bring a suitable trash bag. Leave no trash, take everything out to protect park workers.
If parks are crowded, please visit another park site (click here to view a map of City parks and trails) or return when the park is less crowded. To help families experiencing cabin fever, park staff is developing programming, such as a sidewalk chalk art contest, that allows for social distancing. Please join our Parks and Recreation social media including Facebook and Twitter to keep informed. Follow CDC guidelines including staying home if you or a family member is sick or experiencing symptoms.
For regular updates about the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, click here.