Unlawful camping in Knox County parks

Editor's note: This story, which originally ran Oct. 10, corrects and clarifies details from the original version.

Mount Vernon – There are a large number of homeless citizens as well as campers sleeping in the parks and by rivers, the Knox County Parks District told the Knox County Commissioners at their meeting on Oct. 6.

The Knox County Parks District will be setting hours at its parks, which had previously been open 365 days per year and had no open-to-close hours. The new hours will be 6 to 11 p.m.

“Setting hours of operation will allow for the sheriff’s department to help remove campers from the premises,” Lori Totman, director of the Knox County Parks District, said. 

There has been an uptick of homeless people setting up campsites underneath bridges and near water access points. 

There are also campers sleeping near water access points and in the parks. Camping has never been permitted in the Knox County parks. 

With these campsites that are set up, littering and pollution to the water are both issues. People are leaving trash, food, fire pits and other items that are a disturbance to the natural ecosystem. 

There is a yearly volunteer effort where citizens gather together every September and try to clean up the river. This effort by the community makes all the difference for those precious rivers and creatures that live there.

Additionally, people are driving UTVs, ATVs and four-wheel-drive trucks through the water, posing a serious issue to some of the rare and endangered species of fish and salamanders that live in the rivers. 

“We have moved some large boulders to be sitting in the way where people used to gain access to popular camping spots, and we have put up guard rails as well,” Totman said. 

The parks district is constantly tackling issues such as these while trying to provide the best for the citizens who utilize the parks and rivers. 

“We are a taxpayer-funded entity and we want to serve the community the best we can,” Totman said.