The electronic message board trailer parked on Mercer Road at the Princeton Battlefield State Park flashed, “State parks closed. Yes this one too.”
Reinforcing the message, signs were tacked to utility poles on both sides of Mercer Road, which bisects the Princeton Battlefield State Park, that said, “State Park Service. Area beyond this point closed to all public use.”
But the signs did not stop bicyclists and pedestrians from using the asphalt path on park property, which is set back about 15 feet behind the utility poles on the west side of Mercer Road, on April 12.
The Princeton Battlefield State Park; and the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park, which passes through many towns, including Princeton and Lawrence Township, are two of the 51 state and county parks and forests closed by Gov. Phil Murphy on April 7 in an effort to stem the spread of COVID-19. The parks were closed immediately.
At the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park on Quaker Road in Princeton, signs were posted to warn visitors that the park and the towpath that runs alongside of the canal were closed.
Nevertheless, 14 cars were parked in the gravel parking area April 12. A yellow tape that was intended to block access to the towpath had been torn in half and was flapping in the breeze.
Bicyclists, joggers and pedestrians were observed riding their bicycles, running and taking leisurely walks on the towpath. A man rowed his kayak in the Delaware and Raritan Canal.
About a mile south on Quaker Road at Port Mercer in Lawrence Township, a half dozen cars were parked in the lot. Pedestrians ignored the gate blocking access to the towpath and strolled on the towpath. A sign warning visitors that the area was off-limits was taped to the gate.
On the opposite side of the canal at Port Mercer, a solitary fisherman cast his line and tried his luck.
The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance, which represents fishermen and hunters, has criticized Murphy for closing the state parks and forests and has called on him to reopen them.
The parks will be closed until further notice. The New Jersey State Police, the New Jersey State Park Police and the New Jersey Conservation Police will enforce the order, officials said.
Municipal parks do remain open at this time.
“We have seen far too many instances in our parks where people are gathering and socializing in groups. By closing these areas, we are further limiting public interactions to only the most essential purposes,” Murphy said April 7.
Catherine R. McCabe, the commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, said the agency regretted closing the parks. The decision was not made lightly, she said.
“We understand New Jerseyans particularly need fresh air and exercise during this stressful time, but as the weather warms, our parks are becoming crowded and it is difficult in many places to observe the social distancing that is so critical to fighting the COVID-19 outbreak,” McCabe said.
But the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance disagreed with the executive order. It has called on state officials to consider the impact on residents’ mental health stemming from the closure of state and county parks for recreational use.
The alliance said it has guidelines for social distancing.
“Keeping 9 million New Jerseyans locked in their homes for 12 or more weeks (under Gov. Murphy’s stay-at-home order) is ridiculous and an overreach,” New Jersey Outdoor Alliance spokesman Cody McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin pointed out to the fish that have been released into the canal and other streams and ponds, and said they would go to waste. Fishing is a healthful, solitary form of recreation, the spokesman said.
“It is asinine, plain and simple,” McLaughlin said of the park closures.
